JP7569035B2 - Plugging device and plugging method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a stopper attachment device and a stopper attachment method for attaching a stopper to a predetermined position on a liquid container body.

There is a stopper attachment device that uses adhesive to attach a stopper that serves as a spout to a liquid container body while continuously transporting the container body (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

The stopper (e.g., opening tool 2 in Patent Document 1 and pouring stopper 2 in Patent Document 2) comprises a stopper body and a lid member (e.g., cap 7 in Patent Document 1 and cap 5 in Patent Document 2) that is detachably attached to the stopper body. The stopper body is composed of a cylindrical portion (e.g., spout 7 in Patent Document 2) and a plate-shaped flange portion that protrudes radially outward from one axial end of the cylindrical portion (e.g., annular frame 5 protruding outward in Patent Document 1 and plate-shaped flange 6 in Patent Document 2).

The plug attachment device applies adhesive to the plate-shaped flange of the plug body and attaches the plug to a predetermined position on the outer surface (e.g., the top surface) of the container body.

Special Publication No. 2009-525230 JP 2013-245018 A

The adhesive for attaching the plug to the container body is applied to the plate-shaped flange of the plug body. The adhesive is applied in a ring shape with approximately the same width at a position close to the through hole of the cylindrical part of the flange.

When adhesive is applied in a circular shape near the through hole to attach the plug to the container body, there are problems that need to be improved, such as the following (1) to (4).

(1) When an external force is applied to the plug, the flange portion is likely to peel off from the container body.
(2) Since the width to which the adhesive is applied is approximately the same, the adhesive can only be applied to a width that matches the narrowest portion around the through hole of the cylindrical portion of the flange portion, which limits the improvement of the bonding strength.
(3) If the surface of the container body to which the flange portion of the plug is attached is uneven, a gap is likely to occur between the flange portion and the attachment surface.
(4) There is a small margin of error in both the positional misalignment between the container body and the plug in the conveying direction and in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction between the container body and the plug.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a stopper attachment device and stopper attachment method that can improve the attachment strength of the stopper, reduce the occurrence of gaps between the plate-shaped flange portion of the stopper and the attachment surface of the container body, and increase the margin of error for misalignment between the container body and the stopper.

The gist of the present invention is as follows:

[1]
A plug attachment device that attaches a plug to a container body as a spout with an adhesive while continuously transporting the container body,
The plug is
A plug body,
a cover member that is detachably attached to the plug body,
The plug body is
A cylindrical portion;
a plate-shaped flange portion protruding radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction,
a coating device that coats the adhesive in an oval shape on an attachment surface around the through hole of the cylindrical portion of the plate-like flange portion ,
The outer shape of the plate-like flange portion is
The cylindrical portion has a portion where its radially outward extension length is small and a portion where its radially outward extension length is large relative to the through hole,
a position where the adhesive is applied to the attachment surface of the plate-like flange portion is set so that a distance away from the through hole of the cylindrical portion in the radial direction outward is greater at a portion of the flange portion where the radial direction outward extension length is greater than a distance away from the through hole of the cylindrical portion in the radial direction outward extension length of the flange portion where the radial direction outward extension length is smaller;
a width of the adhesive applied to the attachment surface of the plate-like flange portion is made larger at a portion of the flange portion where the radially outward extension length is large than a portion of the flange portion where the radially outward extension length is small ;
Plug application device.

[2]
A plug attachment device that attaches a plug to a container body as a spout with an adhesive while continuously transporting the container body,
The plug is
A plug body,
a cover member that is detachably attached to the plug body,
The plug body is
A cylindrical portion;
a plate-shaped flange portion protruding radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction,
a coating device that coats the adhesive in an oval shape on an attachment surface around the through hole of the cylindrical portion of the plate-like flange portion,
the adhesive is applied by the application device to the attachment surfaces of the stoppers which are continuously conveyed by a first conveying device, and then the stoppers are pressed against predetermined positions of the container bodies which are continuously conveyed by a second conveying device, so that the stoppers are attached to the container bodies in sequence;
The first conveying device is
a plurality of transport carriers each having a carrier body capable of positioning and holding the plug with the attachment surface facing outward;
a first transport body having an endless loop shape and an upper path and a lower path, the first transport body being capable of transporting the plurality of transport carriers at regular intervals;
a first drive unit that drives the first conveying body;
Equipped with
The second conveying device is
a second conveying body that continuously conveys the container bodies while positioning and holding them vertically at regular intervals so as to sequentially face the stoppers conveyed along the lower path;
a second drive unit that drives the second conveying body in synchronization with the first conveying body;
Equipped with
The transport carrier is
a pressing member that presses the stopper conveyed along the lower path against the container body facing the stopper,
In the lower path, the stopper and the container body are transported along the lower path while the pressing member presses the stopper against the container body.
Plug application device.

[3]
The coating device includes:
an application nozzle for applying the adhesive to the attachment surface of the plug;
a nozzle moving device that moves the application nozzle forward by a certain distance in the transport direction of the plug while facing the application nozzle to the attachment surface of the transported plug, and then moves the application nozzle back to its original position ;
a nozzle rotating device that rotates the coating nozzle in a circular manner during a period during which the coating nozzle is moved forward by the nozzle moving device;
Equipped with
The plug attachment device according to [1] or [2].

[4]
The nozzle moving device adjusts a moving speed of the application nozzle during a forward movement period, thereby applying the adhesive in an oval shape to the attachment surface .
The plug attachment device according to [3] .

[5]
The outer shape of the plate-shaped flange portion is a rounded rectangular shape.
The plug attachment device according to [ 1 ].

[6]
a width of the adhesive applied to the attachment surface of the plate-like flange portion is made larger at a portion of the flange portion where the radially outward extension length is large than a portion of the flange portion where the radially outward extension length is small;
The plug attachment device according to [1 ].

[7]
A plug attachment method for attaching a spout to a container body with an adhesive while continuously transporting the container body, comprising the steps of:
The plug is
A plug body,
a cover member that is detachably attached to the plug body,
The plug body is
A cylindrical portion;
a plate-shaped flange portion protruding radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction,
The adhesive is applied in an oval shape to an attachment surface around the through hole of the cylindrical portion of the plate-like flange portion;
The outer shape of the plate-like flange portion is
The cylindrical portion has a portion where its radially outward extension length is small and a portion where its radially outward extension length is large relative to the through hole,
a position where the adhesive is applied to the attachment surface of the plate-like flange portion is set so that a distance away from the through hole of the cylindrical portion in the radial direction outward is greater at a portion of the flange portion where the radial direction outward extension length is greater than a distance away from the through hole of the cylindrical portion in the radial direction outward extension length of the flange portion where the radial direction outward extension length is smaller;
a width of the adhesive applied to the attachment surface of the plate-like flange portion is made larger at a portion of the flange portion where the radially outward extension length is large than a portion of the flange portion where the radially outward extension length is small ;
How to attach the plug.

[8]
A plug attachment method for attaching a spout to a container body with an adhesive while continuously transporting the container body, comprising the steps of:
The plug is
A plug body,
a cover member that is detachably attached to the plug body,
The plug body is
A cylindrical portion;
a plate-shaped flange portion protruding radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction,
The adhesive is applied in an oval shape to an attachment surface around the through hole of the cylindrical portion of the plate-like flange portion ;
With the stoppers positioned and held on the carrier bodies of the multiple transport carriers of a first transport device, the stoppers are continuously transported together with the transport carriers in the transport direction while an adhesive applicator applies the adhesive in an oval shape to the attachment surfaces of the stoppers, and the stoppers are pressed against predetermined positions of the container bodies, which are transported continuously and synchronously in the same direction as the stoppers by a second transport device, while a pressing member provided on the transport carrier presses the stoppers against predetermined positions of the container bodies, and the stoppers and the container bodies are continuously transported to sequentially attach the stoppers to the container bodies .
How to attach the plug.

[9]
The outer shape of the plate-shaped flange portion is a rounded rectangular shape .
The method for attaching the plug described in [ 7 ].

According to the stopper attachment device and stopper attachment method of the present invention, adhesive is applied in an oval shape to the attachment surface around the through hole of the tubular part of the plate-like flange part of the stopper. This allows the adhesive to be positioned radially outward compared to applying the adhesive in an annular shape close to the through hole, improving the attachment strength of the stopper to the container body. Furthermore, even if the attachment surface of the container body to which the stopper is attached is uneven, gaps are unlikely to form between the plate-like flange part of the stopper and the attachment surface of the container body.

The adhesive strength is further increased by making the outer shape of the plate-shaped flange portion have portions where the radially outward extension length is small and large relative to the through hole of the cylindrical portion, and by applying adhesive to the attachment surface at a position that is greater in the portion where the radially outward extension length of the flange portion is large than in the portion where the radially outward extension length of the flange portion is small. Furthermore, the adhesive strength is further increased by making the width of the adhesive applied to the attachment surface of the plate-shaped flange portion greater in the portion where the radially outward extension length of the flange portion is large than in the portion where the radially outward extension length of the flange portion is small.

In addition, compared to applying adhesive in a circular pattern near the through hole of the cylindrical part of the plate-shaped flange of the stopper, this method allows for a greater margin of error in the conveying direction between the container body and the stopper.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a plug application device. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main portion of the second conveying device. FIG. 4 is a front view of the plug application device excluding the second conveying device. FIG. 5 is a front view of the vicinity of the plug sticking position of the plug sticking device. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the transport carrier. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. FIG. 8 is a front view of the transport carrier. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X of FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a control system of the plug attachment device. FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the container body and the plug. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the plug. FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a main portion showing an example of an oval-shaped adhesive applied to the attachment surface of a plug. FIG. 15A is an enlarged view of a main portion showing another example of an oval-shaped adhesive applied to the attachment surface of a plug. FIG. 15B is an enlarged view of a main portion showing still another example of an oval-shaped adhesive applied to the attachment surface of the plug. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a photographed image of the cover member. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of a photographed image of the container body. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of a photographed image of a container.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

In this specification, the definitions of front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions follow the directions shown in the drawings. That is, the front is indicated by the arrow S in the drawings, the right is indicated by the arrow R, and the up is indicated by the arrow U in the drawings (see, for example, Figures 1 and 2). Also, a view viewed from the rear toward the front (for example, Figure 1) is considered to be a front view.
In addition, in a plug, the direction of the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical portion of the plug body is called the "axial direction", and the direction perpendicular to the axial direction and away from the cylindrical axis is called the "radial outward direction".

<Plug attachment device>
As shown in Figures 1, 2, 11 and 12, the plug attachment device 10 includes a first conveying device 20, an application device 60, a second conveying device 80, a position correction device 90 and a control device 120. The first conveying device 20 conveys the plugs 1, which are sequentially supplied to a plug supply position P1 from a supply device (not shown), in a continuous manner at regular intervals in the direction of the arrow A. The application device 60 applies adhesive G in an oval shape to the application surface 1a of the plugs 1 conveyed by the first conveying device 20. The second conveying device 80 conveys the container body 5 in a continuous manner at regular intervals in the direction of the arrow B (leftward) below the first conveying device 20. The position correction device 90 corrects the positions of the plugs 1 and the container body 5 so that the plugs 1 are adhered to the appropriate positions of the container body 5. The control device 120 controls the first conveying device 20, the coating device 60, the second conveying device 80, and the position correction device 90 so that they operate in a synchronized manner.

In this plug attachment device 10, adhesive G is applied in an oval shape by an applicator 60 to the attachment surface 1a of the plug 1 transported by a first transport device 20. After the positions of the plug 1 and the container body 5 are corrected by a position correction device 90, the plug 1 is attached to the attachment surface 5a of the container body 5 at a plug attachment position P2. The first transport device 20 and the second transport device 80 cooperate to transport the container body 5 while maintaining the plug 1 attached thereto, and send out the container 6 with the plug 1 attached to the container body 5 from a container discharge position P3. The adhesive G is, for example, a hot melt adhesive.

＜Plug＞
12 and 13, the plug 1 comprises a plug body 2 and a cover member 3 that is detachably attached to the plug body 2. The plug body 2 comprises a cylindrical portion 2a and a plate-shaped flange portion 2b that protrudes radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion 2a in the axial direction.

As shown in FIG. 14, the outer shape of the plate-like flange portion 2b of the plug body 2 has a portion a where the length extending radially outward is small relative to the through hole H of the cylindrical portion 2a and a portion b where the length is large, and is, for example, a rounded rectangular shape. The corner R portion of the outer diameter of the rounded rectangular shape of the flange portion 2b has a different radius of curvature in the front and rear of the conveying direction.

<Container body>
12, the container body 5 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped, but may be a cylindrical or elliptical cylinder, or may be a polygonal prism such as a hexagonal prism or an octagonal prism. Furthermore, the attachment surface 5a of the container body 5 to which the plug 1 is attached does not necessarily have to be a horizontal surface, and the plug 1 can be attached to an attachment surface 5a that is inclined from the horizontal surface, such as in the case of a gable-top container body 5.

Even if the application surface 5a of the container body 5 is inclined when the container body 5 is upright, the stopper 1 is pressed against the application surface 5a approximately perpendicularly. For example, the first conveying device 20, the application device 60, and the second correction device 100 of the position correction device 90 are inclined by a predetermined angle. This causes the chain 28, which is the first conveying body described below, to be installed at an angle. Alternatively, the container body 5 is conveyed at an angle by the second conveying device 80 without inclining the first conveying device 20, the application device 60, and the second correction device 100 of the position correction device 90 by a predetermined angle, so that the application surface 5a of the container body 5 is horizontal.

<Second Conveyor Device>
1 to 3, the second transport device 80 includes three lower conveyors 81 arranged in series so as to mechanically link with one another, and a pair of front and rear side conveyors 83, 82 arranged above the lower conveyor 81. The second transport device 80 also includes a pair of front and rear supply conveyors 88, 87 that supply the container bodies 5 one by one between the side conveyors 83, 82 so as to mechanically link with one another, and a lifting mechanism 89 that lifts and lowers the lower conveyor 81 together with a lifting table 89a depending on the height of the container body 5 transported by the lower conveyor 81. The lower conveyor 81 and the side conveyors 82, 83 correspond to the second transport body.

The lower conveyor 81 is driven by a motor 81a, and the side conveyors 82 and 83 are driven by servo motors 82a and 83a. The supply conveyors 87 and 88 are driven by a servo motor 87a so as to be synchronized with the side conveyors 82 and 83, and the lifting mechanism 89 is driven by a servo motor 89b. The motor 81a, servo motors 82a and 83a, etc., correspond to the second drive unit.

The front and rear side conveyors 83, 82 are provided with holding members 86 at regular intervals to hold the front and rear sides of the container body 5 in a vertical position. The container body 5 is transported in the direction of arrow B (to the left) while being supported in a vertical position by the lower conveyor 81, and is sequentially fed between the front and rear side conveyors 83, 82 by the front and rear supply conveyors 88, 87. The container bodies 5 are continuously transported at regular intervals in the direction of arrow B while being positioned and held one by one in a vertical position between the holding members 86. The second transport device 80 can be configured with any transport device as long as it can continuously transport the container body 5 at regular intervals, and can be configured with a transport device such as that described in, for example, JP2010-527315A and EP2960188.

<First conveying device>
As shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 9, the first conveying device 20 comprises a plurality of conveying carriers 30 capable of positioning and holding the stoppers 1 with the attachment surface 1a facing outward, a first conveying device main body 21 capable of conveying the plurality of conveying carriers 30 at regular intervals, and a servo motor 22 that drives the first conveying device main body 21.

The first conveying device body 21 includes a second support plate 25 and a first support plate 24 that are vertically arranged with a gap between them in the front and rear, a pair of left and right rotating shafts 26 that are rotatably supported by both support plates 24, 25, sprockets 27 provided on the left and right rotating shafts 26, respectively, and an endless loop-shaped chain 28 that has an upper path 28a and a lower path 28b and is stretched across the left and right sprockets 27. The first conveying device body 21 includes two chains 28, one in the front and one in the rear, and the front and rear chains 28 correspond to the first conveying body. The sprockets 27 and the servo motor 22, etc. correspond to the first driving unit.

The servo motor 22 of the first conveying device 20 and the servo motors 82a, 83a of the second conveying device 80 are driven synchronously by the control device 120 shown in FIG. 11. Then, at the stopper attachment position P2, the attachment surface 1a of the stopper 1 conveyed by the first conveying device 20 sequentially faces the attachment surface 5a of the container body 5 conveyed by the second conveying device 80, and the stopper 1 is attached to the container body 5. While maintaining the state in which the stopper 1 is attached to the container body 5, the first conveying device 20 and the second conveying device 80 cooperate to convey the stopper 1 sequentially along the lower path 28b of the first conveying device 20 to the container discharge position P3.

<Transport carrier>
Since the direction of movement and upside-down orientation of the transport carrier 30 are reversed when it is positioned on the upper path 28a and when it is positioned on the lower path 28b, the case in which the transport carrier 30 shown in Figures 6 to 9 is positioned on the upper path 28a will be described.

As shown in Figures 6 to 9, the front and rear chains 28 are provided with elongated plate-like base portions 31 at regular intervals in the front-rear direction, and the base portions 31 are provided with guide wheels 32 that can move along the rounded rectangular guide grooves 25a, 24a formed in the front and rear support plates 25, 24. The guide wheels 32 are guided along the guide grooves 24a, 25a, allowing the base portions 31 of the transport carrier 30 to move without rattling.

A movable plate 31a is provided on the base portion 31 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and a carrier support portion 31b that protrudes rearward from the base portion 31 is provided integrally with the movable plate 31a. A pair of front and rear bearing members 33 are provided vertically on the left side of the carrier support portion 31b. The bearing members 33 support a carrier body 34 so as to be movable in the up-down direction, as shown in FIG. 8.

A plug holding member 35 that is generally U-shaped in plan view and opens forward in the conveying direction (to the right in FIG. 6) is provided on the upper rear side of the carrier support section 31b of the carrier body 34. A pair of front and rear guide rods 36 that pass through the bearing members 33 are provided on the base 35a of the plug holding member 35 of the carrier body 34. As shown in FIG. 8, the guide rods 36 are guided in the vertical direction by the bearing members 33, so that the plug holding member 35 is attached to the carrier support section 31b so as to be freely movable in the vertical direction.

The lower end of the guide rod 36 is connected by a connecting plate 36a, and a spring member 38 consisting of a compression coil spring is attached to the guide rod 36 between the carrier support part 31b and the connecting plate 36a, and an outer periphery pressure roller 39 is rotatably provided at the front end of the connecting plate 36a. The carrier body 34 is constantly biased downward by the spring member 38 and is held in the reference position shown by the solid line in FIG. 8. The outer periphery pressure roller 39 is operated by the outer periphery pressure operation plate 56 described later, and the carrier body 34 moves to the protruding position shown by the virtual line in FIG. 8.

A pair of front and rear arms 35b extending to the right are integrally provided on the plug holding member 35, and a plug receiving section 37 into which the lid member 3 of the plug 1 can be fitted is provided between the front and rear arms 35b. A support section 35c extending downward is provided at the tip (right end) of each of the front and rear arms 35b, and an axis member 40 is rotatably provided at the lower end of the pair of front and rear support sections 35c.

Between the front and rear support parts 35c, an opening/closing body 41 is provided on the shaft member 40, extending upward, so as not to rotate relative to the shaft member 40. The opening/closing body 41 is supported by the plug holding member 35 so as to be freely rotatable together with the shaft member 40 between an open position shown by phantom lines in FIG. 9, in which the right opening of the plug receiving part 37 is open, and a closed position shown by solid lines in FIG. 9, in which the right opening of the plug receiving part 37 is closed.

A lever member 42 is provided at the rear end of the shaft member 40 that protrudes rearward from the rear support portion 35c so as not to rotate relative to the shaft member 40. An opening/closing roller 43 is provided at the lower end of the lever member 42 so as to be freely rotatable, for opening and closing the opening/closing body 41 via the lever member 42 and the shaft member 40.

As shown in Figures 6 and 8, a support pin 44a that protrudes rearward is provided on the base 35a of the plug holding member 35, and a support pin 44b is provided on the upper end of the lever member 42. A spring member 45 made of a tension coil spring that constantly urges the lever member 42 in the counterclockwise direction in Figure 8 is provided between the support pins 44a and 44b, and the opening/closing body 41 is constantly urged toward the closed position by the urging force of the spring member 45.

With the opening/closing body 41 operated to the open position as shown in FIG. 9, the plug 1 is loaded into the plug housing 37 through the opening on the right side of the plug housing 37 with the attachment surface 1a facing up. This places the flange portion 2b of the plug 1 on the upper surface of the plug holding member 35, and the plug 1 is supported by the plug housing 37. In this state, the opening/closing body 41 rotates to the closed position, thereby positioning and holding the plug 1 within the plug housing 37.

The carrier support section 31b is provided with a pressing mechanism 46 for pushing out the stopper 1 held in the stopper storage section 37 and pressing it against the container body 5. That is, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9, a movable rod 47 is provided at the rear of the carrier support section 31b so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and a pressing roller 48 is supported at the lower end of the movable rod 47 so as to be rotatable. A spring member 49 made of a compression coil spring is attached to the movable rod 47 between the movable rod 47 and the carrier support section 31b, and the movable rod 47 is constantly biased to the lower limit position shown in Fig. 9.

A pressure rod 50 that protrudes upward is provided on the top of the movable rod 47 so as to be movable up and down, and a pressure member 50a that is pressed against the lid member 3 of the plug 1 is provided at the upper end of the pressure rod 50. A restricting pin 51 is attached to the middle of the height of the pressure rod 50, and the movable rod 47 is provided with restricting holes 52 through which both ends of the restricting pin 51 are inserted, and the movable rod 47 is fitted with a spring member 53 made of a compression coil spring. The pressure rod 50 is supported so as to be movable up and down relative to the movable rod 47 within the range in which the restricting holes 52 are formed, and is constantly biased upward by the spring member 53.

As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7, the first support plate 24 on the rear side is provided with a first opening operation plate 55U and a second opening operation plate 55L for operating the opening/closing roller 43, a peripheral pressure operation plate 56 for operating the peripheral pressure roller 39, and a pressure operation plate 57 for operating the pressure roller 48.

Specifically, a first opening operation plate 55U that is elongated in the left-right direction is provided on the upper rear part of the first support plate 24. The first opening operation plate 55U pushes the opening/closing roller 43 upward in correspondence with a certain area upstream of the upper path 28a of the chain 28, which includes the plug supply position P1 for the first conveying device 20, and operates the opening/closing body 41 to the open position. The plugs 1 that are sequentially supplied to the plug supply position P1 by a supply device (not shown) are loaded into the plug storage section 37 of the conveying carrier 30, and then the opening/closing body 41 returns to the closed position, thereby precisely holding the plugs 1 in the plug storage section 37 of the carrier body 34.

As shown in Figures 4, 5 and 7, a peripheral pressing operation plate 56 elongated in the left-right direction and a second opening operation plate 55L elongated in the left-right direction are provided at the rear lower part of the first support plate 24. The peripheral pressing operation plate 56 presses the peripheral pressing roller 39 downward in correspondence with a certain area including the plug attachment position P2 where the plug 1 is attached to the container body 5, and presses the peripheral part of the plug 1 held by the carrier body 34 against the container body 5. The second opening operation plate 55L presses the opening/closing roller 43 downward to operate the opening/closing body 41 to the open position.

After the outer periphery of the stopper 1 held by the carrier body 34 is pressed against the container body 5 together with the carrier body 34, the opening and closing body 41 is released and the stopper 1 is transferred from the carrier body 34 onto the container body 5.

As shown in Figures 4, 5 and 7, a pressing operation plate 57 elongated in the left-right direction is provided at the rear lower part of the first support plate 24. The pressing operation plate 57 corresponds to approximately the entire length of the lower path 28b of the chain 28, and presses the pressing roller 48 downward, pressing the pressing member 50a against the upper surface of the lid member 3 of the plug 1, and pressing the plug 1 against the container body 5.

The pressing member 50a is pressed against the upper surface of the lid member 3 of the stopper 1 pressed against the container body 5 by the outer peripheral pressing operation plate 56, and while the stopper 1 and container body 5 are being transported along the lower path 28b, the stopper 1 is pressed against the container body 5 and adhered to the container body 5 by adhesive G. After the stopper 1 is pressed against the container body 5 by the pressing member 50a, the carrier body 34 returns upward.

<Coating Equipment>
As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 10, the coating device 60 includes a pair of coating units 61 on the left and right, a nozzle moving device 62, and a nozzle rotating device 70. The coating unit 61 applies adhesive G to the attachment surface 1a of the plug 1. The nozzle moving device 62 reciprocates the coating unit 61 by a certain distance L (Fig. 4) along the conveying direction of the plug 1 in synchronization with the first conveying device 20 so that the coating nozzle 61a of the coating unit 61 faces the attachment surface 1a of the plug 1. The nozzle rotating device 70 rotates the coating unit 61 in a circular manner while facing the coating nozzle 61a of the coating unit 61 to the attachment surface 1a during the forward movement period of the coating unit 61 by the nozzle moving device 62. The coating unit 61 may be any known configuration capable of discharging the adhesive G in a string shape.

<Nozzle moving device>
As shown in Fig. 2, a base plate 63 extending rearward is provided on the upper part of the second support plate 25, and a movable base 64 is provided above the base plate 63 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. A pair of left and right toothed pulleys 65 are provided in front of the second support plate 25 at a position in front of the base plate 63, as shown in Fig. 4. An endless loop-shaped toothed belt 66 is stretched between the left and right toothed pulleys 65, and the movable base 64 is connected to an intermediate portion of the toothed belt 66. The movable base 64 is reciprocated in the left-right direction by a servo motor 67.

That is, the nozzle moving device 62 faces the application nozzle 61a to the application surface 1a of the plug 1 being transported, moves the application nozzle 61a forward a certain distance L (Figure 4) in the transport direction of the plug 1 , and then moves the application nozzle 61a back to its original position.

<Nozzle rotation device>
As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 10,
A servo motor 71 is installed on the movable base 64 with its rotation shaft 71a facing up and down, and a pair of left and right shaft members 72 are supported on the movable base 64 behind the servo motor 71 so as to be rotatable with their axes facing up and down. A drive gear 71b is fixed to the rotation shaft 71a of the servo motor 71, and a pair of left and right driven gears 72a that mesh with the drive gear 71b are fixed to upper ends of the left and right shaft members 72. When the drive gear 71b rotates in the direction indicated by arrow E, the left and right driven gears 72a rotate in the same direction indicated by arrow F.

The left and right shaft members 72 have protrusions 72b at their lower ends that protrude radially outward, and an eccentric shaft 74 extending downward is fixed to the protrusions 72b at an eccentric position of the shaft member 72. The left and right eccentric shafts 74 support an eccentric rotating table 75 that extends to a position above the carrier body 34 in a cantilevered manner, and the left and right eccentric shafts 74 are connected to the eccentric rotating table 75 so that they can rotate freely.

A pair of left and right application units 61 capable of discharging adhesive G in string form are provided on the eccentric rotating table 75. When the left and right shaft members 72 rotate once by the servo motor 71, the application nozzles 61a of the pair of application units 61 rotate once together with the eccentric rotating table 75, tracing a movement trajectory T along a circumference of a constant radius equivalent to the distance between the axis of the shaft members 72 and the eccentric shaft 74.

In other words, the nozzle rotation device 70 rotates the application nozzle 61a in a circular motion during the period in which the application nozzle 61a is moved forward by the nozzle movement device 62.

<Drive control of nozzle moving device and nozzle rotating device>
The servo motor 67 of the nozzle moving device 62 and the servo motor 71 of the nozzle rotating device 70 are driven in synchronization with the servo motor 22 of the first conveying device 20 by the control device 120 shown in Fig. 11. Specifically, when the plug 1 is conveyed to the application start position by the first conveying device 20, the application unit 61 is moved forward in the conveying direction to the application end position by the nozzle moving device 62 in synchronization with the first conveying device 20 so that the application nozzle 61a faces the attachment surface 1a of the plug 1. Then, the application nozzle 61a rotates once in an annular shape by the nozzle rotating device 70 during the forward movement period of the application unit 61.

The control device 120 adjusts the movement speed of the application nozzle 61a during the forward movement period by the nozzle movement device 62 relative to the movement speed of the plug 1 as described below, and controls the application unit 61. As a result, the adhesive G is applied in an oval shape to the attachment surface 1a of the plug 1.

After applying the adhesive G to the attachment surface 1a of the plug 1 in this manner, the application unit 61 returns to the application start position. Next, for the plugs 1 that are transported sequentially to the application start position, the nozzle movement device 62 reciprocates the application unit 61 in the same manner as described above, and the nozzle rotation device 70 rotates the application nozzle 61a, so that the adhesive G is applied sequentially to the attachment surface 1a of the transported plugs 1.

The state of adhesive G applied to the plug 1 is photographed by the third imaging device 113, and the image is analyzed by the control device 120 shown in FIG. 11. If it is determined that adhesive G has not been applied properly to the plug 1, the container 6 is discharged outside the system downstream of the plug attachment device 10.

The distance traveled by the nozzle moving device 62 of the coating unit 61, the return speed of the coating unit 61, the rotation speed of the coating unit 61 by the nozzle rotation device 70, the number of coating units 61, etc. can be set appropriately. The number of coating units 61 (the number of coating nozzles 61a) may be one, but a preferred embodiment is to provide multiple coating units 61 that can face the attachment surfaces 1a of multiple adjacent plugs 1. According to such an embodiment, the number of times the coating unit 61 is moved by the nozzle moving device 62 can be reduced, improving the durability of the nozzle moving device 62.

<Applying adhesive to the flange of the plug in an oval shape>
As described above, the plug application device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention uses the application device 60 to apply adhesive G in an oval shape to the application surface 1a around the through hole H of the tubular portion 2a of the plate-like flange portion 2b of the plug 1.

As a result, the adhesive G is positioned radially outward compared to when the adhesive G is applied in a ring shape near the through hole H, improving the strength of attachment of the stopper 1 to the container body 5. Furthermore, even if the attachment surface 5a of the container body 5 to which the stopper 1 is attached is uneven, a gap is unlikely to form between the plate-shaped flange portion 2b of the stopper 1 and the attachment surface 5a.

In addition, compared to applying adhesive G in a circular shape near the through hole H of the cylindrical portion 2a of the plate-shaped flange portion 2b of the plug 1, this method allows for a greater margin of error in the conveying direction between the container body 5 and the plug 1.

The relationship between the moving speed V0 of the first conveying device 20 shown in FIG. 10 and the moving speed V1 during the forward movement period of the application nozzle 61a by the nozzle moving device 62 will be explained. If V1=V0, the moving speed V0 of the first conveying device 20 conveying the plug 1 and the moving speed V1 of the nozzle moving device 62 are the same, and the relative speed of the application nozzle 61a in the conveying direction with respect to the plug 1 is zero. In that case, the adhesive G is applied in a ring shape with approximately the same width to the attachment surface 1a of the plug 1 by the nozzle rotating device 70 that rotates the application nozzle 61a in a ring shape.

In the plug application device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in order to apply adhesive G in an oval shape to the application surface 1a of the plug 1 by the application device 60, the movement speed V1 during the forward movement period of the application nozzle 61a by the nozzle movement device 62 is adjusted. For example, the movement speed V1 during the forward movement period of the application nozzle 61a is partially increased. In other words, during the forward movement period of the application nozzle 61a by the nozzle movement device 62, a range is provided in which the application nozzle 61a is moved faster than the movement speed V0 of the plug 1 (a range where V1>V0, see high-speed range c in FIG. 14).

As a result, the application nozzle 61a rotates once, tracing an elliptical movement trajectory T, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, relative to the attachment surface 1a of the plug 1. At this time, adhesive G is discharged from the application nozzle 61a, so that the adhesive G is applied to the attachment surface 1a of the plug 1, which is arranged facing the application nozzle 61a, along the elliptical movement trajectory T, as shown in FIG. 14.

In FIG. 14, the external shape of the rounded rectangular plate-like flange portion 2b of the plug body 2 has a portion a where the radially outward extension length is small relative to the through hole H of the tubular portion 2a and a portion b where the radially outward extension length is large. The position where adhesive G is applied to the attachment surface 1a of the flange portion 2b is such that the distance I radially outwardly from the through hole H of the tubular portion 2a is larger at portion b where the radially outward extension length of the flange portion 2b is large than at portion a where the radially outward extension length of the flange portion 2b is small. As a result, the adhesive G is positioned radially outward to fit the shape of the rounded rectangular plate-like flange portion 2b, and the attachment strength of the plug 1 to the container body 5 is further increased.

In FIG. 14, the width W of the adhesive G applied to the attachment surface 1a of the flange portion 2b is narrow in the high-speed range c, which is the range in which the application nozzle 61a is moved at high speed. The width W of the adhesive G is greater at the portion b where the radially outward extension length of the flange portion 2b is greater than at the portion a where the radially outward extension length of the flange portion 2b is smaller. As a result, the width W of the adhesive G is smaller at the portion a where the radially outward extension length of the flange portion 2b is smaller, and the width W of the adhesive G is larger at the portion b where the radially outward extension length of the flange portion 2b is greater, in accordance with the shape of the rounded rectangular plate-like flange portion 2b, so that the attachment strength of the stopper 1 to the container body 5 is further increased.

The oval shape of the adhesive G applied to the attachment surface 1a of the flange portion 2b of the plug 1 is not limited to the elliptical shape shown in FIG. 14. For example, the adhesive G may be applied in a shape close to an ellipse, an oval shape or a shape close to an oval shape as shown in FIG. 15A, or an egg shape or a shape close to an egg shape as shown in FIG. 15B.

<Position correction device>
The position correction device 90 shown in Fig. 11 includes a first measuring device 110, a first correction device 91 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and a second correction device 100 shown in Figs. 2, 6, and 7. The first measuring device 110 sequentially measures the positional deviation in the conveying direction (left-right direction, first direction) and the positional deviation in the front-rear direction (second direction) of the corresponding stopper 1 and container body 5 of the stopper 1 conveyed by the first conveying device 20 and the container body 5 conveyed by the second conveying device 80 shown in Fig. 1. The first correction device 91 corrects the position of the container body 5 together with the second conveying device 80 in the conveying direction to correct the positional deviation in the conveying direction. The second correction device 100 corrects the position of the stopper 1 together with the carrier body 34 in the front-rear direction relative to the base part 31 of the conveying carrier 30 to correct the positional deviation in the front-rear direction.

<First Correction Device>
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a support table 92 is provided at the bottom of the plug attachment device 10, a movable table 93 is supported on the support table 92 so as to be movable along a guide rail 94 in the conveying direction, and the second conveying device 80 is installed on the movable table 93. A drive unit 97 including a servo motor 95 and a converter 96 for converting the rotational motion of the servo motor 95 into linear motion in the conveying direction is provided on the right side of the support table 92. The drive unit 97 supports the second conveying device 80 together with the movable table 93 on the support table 92 so that the position can be corrected in the conveying direction. The first correction device 91 configured in this way corrects the position of the container body 5 in the conveying direction (the direction of arrow C in Figure 1) while being conveyed by the second conveying device 80.

<Second Correction Device>
2, 6 and 7, the second correction device 100 includes a correction roller 101 rotatably provided in front of the movable plate 31a of the transport carrier 30, a correction device main body 102 that corrects the position of the correction roller 101 in the front-rear direction, and a return rail 108 that returns the correction roller 101 to its initial position. The correction device main body 102 includes a servo motor 103, a drive unit 106 having a converter 105 that converts the rotational motion of the servo motor 103 into linear motion in the front-rear direction of an operation rod 104, and an operation member 107 provided at the tip of the operation rod 104, and is provided below the right part of the second support plate 25.

The operating member 107 is provided with a guide groove 107a extending in the transport direction of the plug 1 through which the correction roller 101 can be inserted, and the guide groove 107a is formed with an introduction portion 107b that becomes wider as it moves upstream in the transport direction. When the transport carrier 30 is transported to a position just before the plug attachment position P2 by the first transport device 20 in FIG. 1, the correction roller 101 of the transport carrier 30 shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 is inserted into the introduction portion 107b of the operating member 107. When the correction roller 101 passes through the guide groove 107a in a state where the position is adjusted by the introduction portion 107b, the movable plate 31a and carrier support portion 31b of the transport carrier 30 are corrected in the front-rear direction. As a result, the position of the plug 1 held by the carrier body 34 of the transport carrier 30 is corrected in the front-rear direction (the direction of the arrow D in FIG. 7).

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the return rail 108 is supported by the front second support plate 25 over almost the entire length of the upper path 28a. A guide groove 108a that is open on the lower side is provided over the entire length of the return rail 108, and an introduction section (not shown) that becomes wider as it moves upstream in the conveying direction is formed at the left end of the guide groove 108a. When the correction roller 101 is inserted into the introduction section, the front-to-rear position of the carrier body 34 is returned to the initial position. In addition, while the correction roller 101 passes through the guide groove 108a, the front-to-rear movement of the correction roller 101 is regulated by the guide groove 108a, so that the carrier body 34 is conveyed while being held precisely in the front-to-rear direction.

<First Measuring Device>
The first measuring device 110 shown in Fig. 11 includes a first imaging device 111 and a second imaging device 112 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4. The first imaging device 111 images an attachment surface 1a of the plug 1 held by the carrier body 34 of the conveying carrier 30, which is to be attached to the container body 5. The second imaging device 112 images an attachment surface 5a of the container body 5 held by the holding member 86 of the second conveying device 80. The first imaging device 111 and the second imaging device 112 are mainly constituted by CCD cameras.

The control device 120 shown in FIG. 11 images the attachment surface 1a of the plug 1 with the first imaging device 111 and processes the image to measure the positional deviation of the plug 1 in the conveying direction and the front-rear direction each time the first conveying device 20 conveys the plug 1 to a predetermined imaging position. The control device 120 also images the attachment surface 5a of the container body 5 with the second imaging device 112 and processes the image to measure the positional deviation of the container body 5 in the conveying direction and the front-rear direction each time the second conveying device 80 conveys the container body 5 to a predetermined imaging position.

For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the control device 120 calculates the center R1 of the opening 1b of the spout 1 held in the carrier body 34 based on the image data of the first imaging device 111. Also, as shown in FIG. 16, the control device 120 calculates the positional deviation ΔT1 in the front-rear direction and the positional deviation ΔF1 in the conveying direction of the center R1 relative to the center S1 of the opening 1b at the pre-stored appropriate position.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 17, the control device 120 calculates the center R2 of the opening 5b of the container body 5 positioned and held by the holding members 86 of the side conveyors 82 and 83 based on the image data of the second imaging device 112. Also, as shown in FIG. 17, the control device 120 determines the positional deviation ΔT2 in the front-rear direction and the positional deviation ΔF2 in the conveying direction of the center R2 relative to the center S2 of the opening 5b at the pre-stored appropriate position.

Then, the control device 120 sequentially calculates the positional deviation in the transport direction and the positional deviation in the front-rear direction of the stopper 1 and the container body 5 transported at the stopper attachment position P2 based on the positional deviations ΔT1, ΔT2 in the front-rear direction and the positional deviations ΔF1, ΔF2 in the transport direction. After calculating the positional deviation in the transport direction and the front-rear direction of the stopper 1 and the container body 5 bonded with adhesive G, the control device 120 controls the first correction device 91 and the second correction device 100 so that the positional deviation in the transport direction and the front-rear direction between the stopper 1 and the container body 5 approaches zero at least when the stopper 1 is attached to the container body 5 at the stopper attachment position P2.

When the second conveying device 80 is moved in the conveying direction by the first correction device 91, the container body 5 to which the stopper 1 is already attached also moves slightly in the conveying direction. Therefore, a positional displacement in the conveying direction occurs between the pressing member 50a that presses the stopper 1 against the container body 5 and the container body 5. However, this positional displacement is absorbed by the pressing member 50a sliding on the upper surface of the lid member 3 of the stopper 1, so no positional deviation of the stopper 1 with respect to the container body 5 occurs.

Even if a positional displacement occurs between the pressing member 50a and the container body 5 in the transport direction due to correction by the first correction device 91, a configuration for absorbing the positional displacement may be provided between the pressing member 50a and the pressing rod 50 to prevent the stopper 1 from shifting out of position relative to the container body 5. For example, an elastic member such as a spring member may be provided between the pressing rod 50 and the pressing member 50a, and the pressing member 50a may be movable in the transport direction relative to the tip of the pressing rod 50.

<Operation of the plug attachment device>
1, the operation of the plug application device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: a first conveying device 20 continuously conveys a conveying carrier 30 in the direction indicated by an arrow A. A second conveying device 80 continuously conveys a container body 5 in the direction indicated by an arrow B in synchronization with the first conveying device 20.

At the upstream portion of the upper path 28a, the first opening operation plate 55U (Fig. 4) operates the opening/closing roller 43 (Fig. 8) upward to open the opening/closing body 41 (double-dashed line in Fig. 9), and at the plug supply position P1, the plugs 1 are sequentially supplied from a supply device (not shown) to the carrier body 34 and stored in the plug storage section 37. The opening/closing body 41 then rotates to the closed position (solid line in Fig. 9), and the plugs 1 are positioned and held in the carrier body 34 with the attachment surface 1a facing up.

Next, in the downstream portion of the upper path 28a, adhesive G is applied in an oval shape to the attachment surface 1a of the plug 1 by the application device 60.

Before the application of adhesive G by the application device 60, as shown in FIG. 16, the application surface 1a of the stopper 1 held in the carrier body 34 is imaged by the first imaging device 111 and the images are stored sequentially in the memory of the control device 120. Also, as shown in FIG. 17, the application surface 5a of the container body 5 positioned and held by the holding member 86 of the second conveying device 80 is imaged by the second imaging device 112 upstream of the stopper application position P2 and the images are stored sequentially in the memory of the control device 120.

Then, the control device 120 analyzes the image data from the first imaging device 111 and the second imaging device 112, and sequentially calculates the positional deviation in the transport direction and the front-to-rear direction of the plug 1 and the container body 5 to be affixed at the plug affixing position P2. In order to bring the positional deviation in the transport direction and the front-to-rear direction calculated by the above calculation closer to zero, the control device 120 corrects the position of the container body 5 in the transport direction together with the second conveying device 80 by the first correction device 91 just before the plug affixing position P2, and corrects the position of the plug 1 together with the carrier body 34 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the base part 31 of the conveying carrier 30 by the second correction device 100.

Next, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, at the stopper attachment position P2, the outer peripheral pressure roller 39 is operated downward by the outer peripheral pressure operation plate 56, the carrier body 34 moves downward, and the stopper 1 supported by the carrier body 34 is pressed against the container body 5. Next, the pressure roller 48 is operated downward by the pressure operation plate 57, and the pressure member 50a is pressed against the upper surface of the lid member 3, so that the stopper 1 is pressed against the container body 5. After that, the carrier body 34 returns upward, and the opening/closing roller 43 is pressed downward by the second opening operation plate 55L, the opening/closing body 41 rotates to the open position, and the stopper 1 is transferred from the carrier body 34 to the container body 5.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, with the stopper 1 pressed against the container body 5 by the pressing member 50a, the container body 5 and the stopper 1 are transported downstream along the lower path 28b, and then the pressing roller 48 is released from the pressing operation plate 57, the pressing member 50a moves upward, and a container 6 is obtained in which the stopper 1 is attached to the container body 5. Note that it is preferable to press the stopper 1 against the container body 5 by the pressing member 50a for as long a period as possible so that the adhesion to the container body 5 is stable, but it is also possible to configure the pressing operation of the pressing member 50a against the container body 5 to be interrupted midway along the lower path 28b.

In the plug attachment device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the container body 5 and the plugs 1 are continuously transported to improve the productivity of the container 6, while the overall configuration of the plug attachment device 10 is simplified to reduce the manufacturing cost. Specifically, the transfer conveyor wheel 10 and the pressure device 70 in Patent Document 1 are configured as a single first transport device 20, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the plug attachment device 10.

In addition, while the stopper 1 and the container body 5 are being transported along the lower path 28b, the stopper 1 is pressed against the container body 5 by the pressing member 50a, so that the stopper 1 can be reliably attached to the container body 5.

In addition, the misalignment of the stopper 1 and container body 5, which are transported correspondingly, in the transport direction and in the front-to-rear direction is measured in sequence, and the misalignment of the container body 5 in the transport direction is corrected, while the misalignment of the stopper 1 in the front-to-rear direction is corrected, so that the stopper 1 can be attached to the container body 5 in the correct position with high precision.

In addition, it is a preferred embodiment that the plug attachment device 10 is equipped with an inspection device that detects defective products. The inspection device 115 shown in FIG. 11 detects containers 6 in which at least one of the position of the opening 5b of the container body 5 and the attachment position of the plug 1 is defective. This allows the defective containers 6 to be removed. Note that this inspection device 115 can also be applied to plug attachment devices of known configurations other than the plug attachment device 10.

The inspection device 115 includes a second measuring device 116 that measures the coordinates of the center S2 (Fig. 17) of the opening 5b in the X and Y directions with the reference position K of the container body 5 as the origin position, and a third measuring device 117 that measures the coordinates of the center S3 (Fig. 18) of the upper surface of the lid member 3 of the stopper 1, and inspects whether the opening 5b and the stopper 1 are positioned in the correct positions using the control device 120.

The second measuring device 116 includes the aforementioned second imaging device 112 shown in Figures 4 and 11, which images the top surface of the container body 5 held by the holding member 86 of the second conveying device 80. The third measuring device 117 includes a fourth imaging device 114 shown in Figures 4 and 11, which images the top surface including the plug 1 of the container 6 discharged from the plug attachment device 10. The second imaging device 112 and the fourth imaging device 114 are mainly composed of CCD cameras.

As shown in Figures 12, 17, and 18, the reference position K on the container body 5 is set at the intersection of the side edge X of the welded portion 5d on the side of the body 5c of the container body 5 and the side edge Y of the welded portion 5e on the upper part of the body 5c. However, the reference position K can also be set on the top surface of the container body 5 by printing or the like. Also, the side edges X and Y of the container body 5 are set in the X and Y directions of the container body 5, respectively, but any direction on the top surface of the container body 5 can also be set in the X and Y directions.

In the control device 120, each time the second conveying device 80 conveys the container body 5 to a predetermined imaging position, the second imaging device 112 captures an image of the top surface of the container body 5 and performs image processing. Then, as shown in FIG. 17, the coordinates (x1, y1) of the center S2 of the opening 5b in the X direction along the side edge X and the Y direction along the side edge Y are measured, and the coordinates (x1, y1) of the center S2 are linked to the imaged container body 5 and stored sequentially.

The fourth imaging device 114 captures an image of the top surface of the container 6 discharged from the plug attachment device 10, and performs image processing. As shown in FIG. 18, the coordinates (x2, y2) of the center S3 of the top surface of the lid member 3 in the X direction along the side edge X and the Y direction along the side edge Y are measured and linked to the captured container 6 and stored sequentially.

The determination unit of the control device 120 shown in FIG. 11 compares the coordinates (x1, y1) of the center S2 of the opening 5b stored as described above with the preset appropriate coordinates of the center S2 of the opening 5b for the container body 5 imaged by the second imaging device 112, and calculates the positional deviation in the X and Y directions, respectively. If the calculated positional deviation in the X and Y directions is within a preset range, the determination unit determines that the opening 5b is formed in the appropriate position, and if the positional deviation exceeds the preset range, the determination unit determines that the opening 5b is not formed in the appropriate position.

The determination unit of the control device 120 shown in FIG. 11 compares the coordinates (x2, y2) of the center S3 of the top surface of the lid member 3 stored as described above with the appropriate coordinates of the center S3 of the lid member 3 set in advance for the container 6 imaged by the fourth imaging device 114, and calculates the positional deviations in the X and Y directions, respectively. If the calculated positional deviations in the X and Y directions are within a predetermined range set in advance, the determination unit determines that the attachment position of the stopper 1 relative to the container body 5 is appropriate, and if the positional deviation exceeds the predetermined range, the determination unit determines that the attachment position of the stopper 1 relative to the container body 5 is not appropriate.

If the determination unit of the control device 120 determines that the opening 5b is not formed in the correct position and/or that the attachment position of the stopper 1 relative to the container body 5 is not correct, the container 6 is a defective product and is therefore removed from the container 6 transport system.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the configuration can be changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 plug 1a attachment surface 1b opening 2 plug body 2a cylindrical portion 2b flange portion 3 lid member 5 container body 5a attachment surface 5b opening 5c body portion 5d welded portion 5e welded portion 6 container 10 plug attachment device 20 first conveying device 21 conveying device body 22 servo motor (first driving unit)
24 First support plate 24a Guide groove 25 Second support plate 25a Guide groove 26 Rotating shaft 27 Sprocket (first driving part)
Reference Signs List 28 Chain (first conveying body) 28a Upper path 28b Lower path 30 Conveying carrier 31 Base portion 31a Movable plate 31b Carrier support portion 32 Guide wheel 33 Bearing member 34 Carrier body 35 Plug holding member 35a Base portion 35b Arm portion 35c Support portion 36 Guide rod 36a Connecting plate 37 Plug receiving portion 38 Spring member 39 Outer periphery pressure roller 40 Shaft member 41 Opening/closing body 42 Lever member 43 Opening/closing roller 44a Support pin 44b Support pin 45 Spring member 46 Pressing mechanism 47 Movable rod 48 Pressing roller 49 Spring member 50 Pressing rod 50a Pressing member 51 Regulating pin 52 Regulating hole 53 Spring member 55U First opening operation plate 55L Second opening operation plate 56 Outer peripheral pressing operation plate 57 Pressing operation plate 60 Coating device 61 Coating unit 61a Coating nozzle 62 Nozzle moving device 63 Base plate 64 Movable base 65 Toothed pulley 66 Toothed belt 67 Servo motor 70 Nozzle rotating device 71 Servo motor 71a Rotating shaft 71b Driving gear 72 Shaft member 72a Driven gear 72b Protruding portion 74 Eccentric shaft 75 Eccentric rotating table 80 Second conveying device 81 Lower conveyor (second conveying body) 81a Motor (second driving section)
82 Side conveyor (second conveyor) 82a Servo motor (second drive unit)
83 Side conveyor (second conveyor) 83a Servo motor (second drive unit)
Description of the Related Art 86 Holding member 87 Supply conveyor 87a Servo motor 88 Supply conveyor 89 Lifting mechanism 89a Lifting table 89b Servo motor 90 Position correction device 91 First correction device 92 Support base 93 Movable base 94 Guide rail 95 Servo motor 96 Converter 97 Drive unit 100 Second correction device 101 Correction roller 102 Correction device main body 103 Servo motor 104 Operation rod 105 Converter 106 Drive unit 107 Operation member 107a Guide groove 107b Introduction unit 108 Return rail 108a Guide groove 110 First measuring device 111 First imaging device 112 Second imaging device 113 Third imaging device 114 Fourth imaging device 115 Inspection device 116 Second measuring device 117 Third measuring device 120 Control devices A to F Direction G Adhesive H, Through hole I, Distance K that the adhesive moves radially outward from the through hole of the cylindrical portion, Reference position L, Fixed distance P1, Plug supply position P2, Plug attachment position P3, Container discharge position R, Right S, Forward T, Movement trajectory U, Upward V0, Movement speed V1 of the first conveying device, Movement speed W of the application nozzle during the forward movement period by the nozzle moving device, Width a of the adhesive, Point b where the length extending radially outward is small relative to the through hole of the cylindrical portion, Point c where the length extending radially outward is large relative to the through hole of the cylindrical portion, High speed range

Claims (9)

A plug attachment device that attaches a plug to a container body as a spout with an adhesive while continuously transporting the container body,
The plug is
A plug body,
a cover member that is detachably attached to the plug body,
The plug body is
A cylindrical portion;
a plate-shaped flange portion protruding radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction,
a coating device that coats the adhesive in an oval shape on an attachment surface around the through hole of the cylindrical portion of the plate-like flange portion ,
The outer shape of the plate-shaped flange portion is
The cylindrical portion has a portion where its radially outward extension length is small and a portion where its radially outward extension length is large relative to the through hole,
a position where the adhesive is applied to the attachment surface of the plate-like flange portion is set so that a distance away from the through hole of the cylindrical portion in the radial direction outward is greater at a portion of the flange portion where the radial direction outward extension length is greater than a distance away from the through hole of the cylindrical portion in the radial direction outward extension length of the flange portion where the radial direction outward extension length is smaller;
a width of the adhesive applied to the attachment surface of the plate-like flange portion is made larger at a portion of the flange portion where the radially outward extension length is large than a portion of the flange portion where the radially outward extension length is small ;
Plug application device. A plug attachment device that attaches a plug to a container body as a spout with an adhesive while continuously transporting the container body,
The plug is
A plug body,
a cover member that is detachably attached to the plug body,
The plug body is
A cylindrical portion;
a plate-shaped flange portion protruding radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction,
a coating device that coats the adhesive in an oval shape on an attachment surface around the through hole of the cylindrical portion of the plate-like flange portion ,
the adhesive is applied by the application device to the attachment surfaces of the stoppers which are continuously conveyed by a first conveying device, and then the stoppers are pressed against predetermined positions of the container bodies which are continuously conveyed by a second conveying device, so that the stoppers are attached to the container bodies in sequence;
The first conveying device is
a plurality of transport carriers each having a carrier body capable of positioning and holding the plug with the attachment surface facing outward;
a first transport body having an endless loop shape and an upper path and a lower path, the first transport body being capable of transporting the plurality of transport carriers at regular intervals;
a first drive unit that drives the first conveying body;
Equipped with
The second conveying device is
a second conveying body that continuously conveys the container bodies while positioning and holding them vertically at regular intervals so as to sequentially face the stoppers conveyed along the lower path;
a second drive unit that drives the second conveying body in synchronization with the first conveying body;
Equipped with
The transport carrier is
a pressing member that presses the stopper conveyed along the lower path against the container body facing the stopper,
In the lower path, the stopper and the container body are transported along the lower path while the pressing member presses the stopper against the container body .
Plug application device. The coating device includes:
an application nozzle for applying the adhesive to the attachment surface of the plug;
a nozzle moving device that moves the application nozzle forward by a certain distance in the transport direction of the plug while facing the application nozzle to the attachment surface of the transported plug, and then moves the application nozzle back to its original position;
a nozzle rotating device that rotates the coating nozzle in a circular manner during a period during which the coating nozzle is moved forward by the nozzle moving device;
Equipped with
3. The plug application device according to claim 1 or 2 . The nozzle moving device adjusts a moving speed of the application nozzle during a forward movement period, thereby applying the adhesive in an oval shape to the attachment surface.
4. The plug application device according to claim 3 . The outer shape of the plate-shaped flange portion is a rounded rectangular shape.
The plug application device according to claim 1 . a width of the adhesive applied to the attachment surface of the plate-like flange portion is made larger at a portion of the flange portion where the radially outward extension length is large than a portion of the flange portion where the radially outward extension length is small;
The plug application device according to claim 1 . A plug attachment method for attaching a spout to a container body with an adhesive while continuously transporting the container body, comprising the steps of:
The plug is
A plug body,
a cover member that is detachably attached to the plug body,
The plug body is
A cylindrical portion;
a plate-shaped flange portion protruding radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction,
The adhesive is applied in an oval shape to an attachment surface around the through hole of the cylindrical portion of the plate-like flange portion ;
The outer shape of the plate-like flange portion is
The cylindrical portion has a portion where its radially outward extension length is small and a portion where its radially outward extension length is large relative to the through hole,
a position where the adhesive is applied to the attachment surface of the plate-like flange portion is set so that a distance away from the through hole of the cylindrical portion in the radial direction outward is greater at a portion of the flange portion where the radial direction outward extension length is greater than a distance away from the through hole of the cylindrical portion in the radial direction outward extension length of the flange portion where the radial direction outward extension length is smaller;
a width of the adhesive applied to the attachment surface of the plate-like flange portion is made larger at a portion of the flange portion where the radially outward extension length is large than a portion of the flange portion where the radially outward extension length is small ;
How to attach the plug. A plug attachment method for attaching a spout to a container body with an adhesive while continuously transporting the container body, comprising the steps of:
The plug is
A plug body,
a cover member that is detachably attached to the plug body,
The plug body is
A cylindrical portion;
a plate-shaped flange portion protruding radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction,
The adhesive is applied in an oval shape to an attachment surface around the through hole of the cylindrical portion of the plate-like flange portion ;
With the stoppers positioned and held on the carrier bodies of the multiple transport carriers of a first transport device, the stoppers are continuously transported together with the transport carriers in the transport direction while an adhesive applicator applies the adhesive in an oval shape to the attachment surfaces of the stoppers, and the stoppers are pressed against predetermined positions of the container bodies, which are transported continuously and synchronously in the same direction as the stoppers by a second transport device, while a pressing member provided on the transport carrier presses the stoppers against predetermined positions of the container bodies, and the stoppers and the container bodies are continuously transported to sequentially attach the stoppers to the container bodies .
How to attach the plug. The outer shape of the plate-shaped flange portion is a rounded rectangular shape.
The plug attachment method according to claim 7 .

Images