JP7620977B2 - Container Alignment and Conveyance Device - Google Patents

Description

Patent Law Article 30, Paragraph 2 applicable Manufacturing and sales (delivery) ▲1▼ Delivery date August 10, 2020 ▲2▼ Delivery location Lion Corporation Chiba Factory (74-13 Yawata Kaigandori, Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture)

The present invention relates to a container alignment and conveying device that has a conveying path that conveys filled containers horizontally (in the X-axis direction) to the next process, and a supply path that drops the filled containers, with their filling ports facing upward, onto the conveying path and supplies them.

Conventionally, as a conveying device for aligning filled containers with their filling ports facing upward on a conveying path and conveying them to the working position of the target process, a device has been used that includes a container alignment mechanism with a vertical supply path that continuously conveys filled containers with their filling ports facing upward (upright state), a conveyor that is disposed below the lower end of the supply path at a distance equal to or greater than the height of the filled container and conveys the filled containers supplied from the lower end horizontally to the next process, and a timing screw that supports the filled containers on the conveyor to maintain their position and adjusts the timing of the conveyor's conveyance of the filled containers (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-113351

However, when aligning filled containers upright on the conveying path, this container alignment and conveying device drops them onto the running conveyor from a position at least the height dimension of the filled container from the lower end of the supply path formed in the container alignment mechanism. This means that filled containers supplied to the conveyor are prone to tilting, and the tilted filled container is guided from one side by a timing screw to correct its posture to an upright state while timing the conveyor's transport to transport it to the working position of the desired process downstream, which can cause scratches on the outer surface of the filled container.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a container alignment and transport device that uses a vertical container alignment mechanism, but can transport filled containers supplied to the transport path to the next process at the desired timing while maintaining an upright position without tilting, and without compromising the external design.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the container alignment and conveying device of the present invention is a container alignment and conveying device comprising: a container alignment mechanism having a supply path arranged so that filled containers in an upright position with their filling ports facing upward can be lowered; and a conveying mechanism arranged below a lower end opening of the supply path and having a conveying path for conveying the filled containers supplied from the lower end opening in a horizontal direction toward a next process , wherein the conveying mechanism comprises a guide mechanism which moves each of a pair of guide members arranged opposite each other across the conveying path of filled containers in the conveying mechanism in the space between the lower end opening of the supply path and the conveying path between an forward position which positions a filled container descending from the supply path of the container alignment mechanism upright on the conveying path and a retracted position which opens the path on the conveying path for the filled containers upright on the conveying path; and a pair of side belt units arranged opposite each other across the conveying path of filled containers in the conveying mechanism, the control unit controls the pair of side belt units to advance to the forward position in accordance with the timing at which the filled container is guided onto the conveying path by the pair of guide members, and drives the circular belt to convey the filled container along the conveying path when the pair of guide members retract and the path of the filled container on the conveying path is opened, and controls the pair of side belt units to return to the retracted position when the pair of guide members retract and the path of the filled container on the conveying path is opened, and controls the pair of side belt units to return to the retracted position when the filled container is fed to the next process.

According to the container alignment and conveying device of the present invention, the pair of guide members of the guide mechanism are advanced to the forward position, the filled container that is discharged from the lower end opening of the container alignment mechanism in an upright position with the filling port facing upward is guided to stand on the conveying path, and then the pair of guide members are retracted to the retracted position to open the path of the filled container on the conveying path, whereby the filled container can be conveyed horizontally by driving the conveying mechanism. When the pair of guide members are in the forward position, the pair of side belt units can be moved to the retracted position, and after the filled container is placed on the conveying path by the pair of guide members, when the pair of guide members move to the retracted position, the pair of side belt units can be moved to the forward position to sandwich the filled container between the belt surfaces, and the circular belt can be rotated to intermittently convey the sandwiched filled container downstream of the conveying path.

The container alignment and conveying device of the present invention is also characterized in that the opposing surfaces of the pair of guide members each have a concave guide portion having a tapered surface that cooperates with the pair of guide members when they face each other in the forward position to receive a filled container that descends from the supply path of the container alignment mechanism and guides it onto the conveying path.

According to the container alignment and conveying device of the present invention, when the pair of guide members face each other in the forward position, they cooperate to form a guide section with a tapered surface, so that the descending filled container can be received by the guide section and guided to an upright position on the conveying path.

In this way, the container alignment and transport device of the present invention can transport filled containers supplied to the transport path to the next process at the desired timing without compromising the external design of the filled containers, while still using the container alignment mechanism, and while maintaining an upright position without tilting the containers.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing a main configuration of one embodiment of a container aligning and conveying device of the present invention, showing a state in which a filled container discharged from a supply path of a container alignment mechanism is placed on a slide stage. FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a main configuration of one embodiment of a container aligning and conveying device of the present invention, illustrating a state in which a filled container placed on a slide stage is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction.

Figures 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a container alignment and conveying device 1 that is arranged to feed filled containers B to a filled container B loading section that is provided upstream of a main conveying path (main path) that connects multiple filling and packaging processes such as filling, checking, sealing, and labeling filled containers B.

The container alignment and conveying device 1 of this embodiment is intended to align and convey filled containers B of various shapes and uses, such as cylindrical containers used as filled containers B for kitchen detergents and the like, roughly cylindrical containers with recesses formed on the outer periphery, tubular containers blow-molded in multiple layers from materials such as PE or nylon and used as filled containers B for mayonnaise and the like, containers with handles formed on the outer periphery and used as filled containers B for laundry solvents and the like, and containers with trigger sprays attached to openings formed with a small diameter to make them easy to grip during use.

Figures 1 and 2 show a filled container B whose external shape is an ellipse in plan view, whose cross-sectional area gradually decreases from the bottom to the top of the body, whose filling port is formed facing upward at approximately the center of the shoulder of the body, and whose body has two recesses formed on opposite sides of the major axis of the elliptical cross-sectional shape.

The container alignment and transport device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a container alignment mechanism (not shown) having a supply path (shooter) arranged so that filled containers B in an upright position with their filling ports facing upward can be lowered. The container alignment mechanism can be, for example, a mechanism configured to continuously align filled containers B in an upright position with their filling ports facing upward in the axial direction (height direction) in the supply path formed in a tube shape with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the filled containers B, and to discharge filled containers B one by one from the lower end of the supply path at a predetermined timing by opening and closing gates provided in multiple stages in the supply path based on a detection signal from a sensor that detects filled containers B transported through the supply path, like the alignment device disclosed in the above-mentioned JP Patent Publication No. 8-113351.

The container alignment and conveying device 1 of this embodiment is also provided with a conveying mechanism 10 that is disposed below the lower end of the supply path and that conveys the filled container B discharged from the lower end in a horizontal direction by placing it on its upper surface. In this embodiment, this conveying mechanism 10 feeds the filled container B into the loading section of the main path, and together with the main path, constitutes a conveying path for the filled container B.

In this embodiment, the transport mechanism 10 includes a slide stage 20 on which the filled container B discharged from the supply path is placed and slid horizontally (perpendicular to the paper in Figures 1 and 2), a guide mechanism 30 that guides the filled container B to an upright position on the transport path on the slide stage 20, and a side belt mechanism 40 that transports the filled container B horizontally and feeds the filled container B into the loading section of the main path.

The slide stage 20 is set up so that the top surface of a long table, which serves as the loading surface for the filled container B and the transport path, is at the same height as the top surface of the main path, and the transport path merges with the main path at the loading section.

The guide mechanism 30 has a pair of guide members 31, 31 arranged opposite each other across the transport path in the space between the lower end of the supply path and the slide stage 20. Each of the pair of guide members 31, 31 is connected to a rod 32a, 32a of an electric actuator 32, 32, and is configured to move forward and backward between a forward position shown in FIG. 1, which positions a filled container B descending from the supply path of the container alignment mechanism upright on the transport path, and a backward position shown in FIG. 2, which opens the path on the transport path for the filled container B upright on the transport path.

The opposing surfaces of the pair of guide members 31, 31 each have a concave vertical split shape with tapered surfaces 34, 34 that close downward, forming hole-shaped guide sections 33, 33 when the pair of guide members 31, 31 face each other in the forward position. By providing the guide sections 33, 33 with tapered surfaces 34, 34 that close downward in this way, the pair of guide members 31, 31 cooperate when facing each other in the forward position, and can receive the filled container B that descends from the supply path of the container alignment mechanism and guide it onto the conveying path. In addition, by forming the guide sections 33, 33 to be hole-shaped, the filled container B can be guided in the entire circumferential direction.

Furthermore, in the container alignment and conveying device 1 of this embodiment, the side belt mechanism 40 includes a pair of side belt units 41, 41 that are arranged opposite each other across the conveying path in the space between the position where the pair of guide members 31, 31 of the guide mechanism 30 move forward and backward and the slide stage 20.

Each of the pair of side belt units 41, 41 has a number of pulleys (not shown) rotatably arranged within the housings 42, 42, an endless belt 43, 43 stretched by the pulleys, and a motor (not shown) that transmits a rotational driving force to one of the pulleys. The endless belts 43, 43 are arranged in each side belt unit 41, 41 along the transport path of the filled containers B with their belt surfaces facing each other. The endless belts 43, 43 are made of a material such as synthetic rubber or polyurethane, and a toothed belt with teeth formed on the inner circumferential surface to mesh with the teeth formed on the pulleys can be used.

The housings 42, 42 equipped with each side belt unit 41, 41 are mounted on sliders 45, 45 that reciprocate when driven by electric actuators 44, 44, and are configured to be movable between a forward position in which the filled container B is sandwiched between the opposing belt surfaces of the pair of side belt units 41, 41 as shown in FIG. 2, and a backward position in which the filled container B is released from the sandwiched position as shown in FIG. 1.

In this embodiment, the guide mechanism 30 and the side belt mechanism 40 are mounted on a base 50 provided below both sides of the slide stage 20.

The electric actuators 32, 32 of the pair of guide members 31, 31, the electric actuators 44, 44 of the pair of side belt units 41, 41, and the drive of the motor that rotates the pulleys are controlled by a control unit (not shown).

Specifically, the electric actuators 32, 32 of the pair of guide members 31, 31 are controlled so that the pair of guide members 31, 31 advance to the forward position in synchronization with the discharge of the filled container B from the supply path of the container alignment mechanism (not shown), guide the filled container B onto the conveying path while positioning it upright, and then return to the retracted position.

The electric actuators 44 , 44 of the pair of side belt units 41, 41 are controlled to advance to an advanced position in synchronization with the timing at which the pair of guide members 31, 31 guides the filled container B onto the transport path. The motor (not shown) that rotates the pulley of the side belt unit 41 is controlled to rotate forward at the timing at which the pair of guide members 31, 31 retreats and opens the way for the filled container B on the transport path, thereby transporting the filled container B along the transport path.

Then, when the filled container B is fed to the loading section of the main path, the electric actuators 44, 44 are controlled to return the pair of side belt units 41, 41 to the retracted position.

Next, the operation of the container aligning and conveying device 1 of this embodiment will be described.
In the container alignment and conveying device 1 of this embodiment, the electric actuators 32, 32 of the pair of guide members 31, 31 are controlled to advance the pair of guide members 31, 31 to an advanced position in accordance with the timing of discharge of a filled container B from a supply path of a container alignment mechanism (not shown). When the pair of guide members 31, 31 face each other at the advanced position, as shown in Fig. 1, a recess formed by the opposing faces having tapered faces 34, 34 closing downwards is received by the guide portions 33, 33 of the descending filled container B and guided to an upright position on the conveying path.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, in accordance with the timing at which the pair of guide members 31, 31 guides the filled container B onto the transport path, the electric actuators 44, 44 are controlled to advance the pair of side belt units 41, 41 to the forward position, and the lower portion of the filled container B, which has been guided and is standing on the slide stage, is clamped by the endless belt 43 facing the space between the guide mechanism 30 and the slide stage 20.

At that timing, the electric actuators 32, 32 of the pair of guide members 31, 31 are controlled to return the guide members 31, 31 to their retracted positions. At the timing when the path of the filled container B on the transport path is thus opened, the motors of the side belt units 41, 41 are driven to transport the filled container B on the transport path and feed it into the loading section of the main path.

When the loading of the filled containers B into the loading section of the main path is completed, the electric actuators 44, 44 are controlled to retract the pair of side belt units 41, 41 to the retracted position, and the pair of guide members 31, 31 are again advanced to the advanced position in synchronization with the discharge of the filled container B from the supply path of the container alignment mechanism (not shown).

By repeating this operation, the filled containers supplied to the transport path can be intermittently transported to the next process at the desired timing without compromising their external design and while maintaining an upright position without tilting, even while using the container alignment mechanism.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The transport path (main path) arranged downstream of the container alignment transport device 1 does not need to be an independent transport device, and may be, for example, a rotary type transport path for a filling device with filling, capping, sealing, inspection, etc. arranged on its circumference, or a line type transport path for a filling device.

In addition, the transport mechanism can use a moving conveyor belt of a known configuration instead of the slide stage 20. In that case, the timing of the conveyor belt's running drive is controlled to match the advancement and retreat of the guide mechanism and the advancement and retreat of the side belt mechanism and running timing.

B: filled container 1: container alignment and transport device 10: transport mechanism 20: slide stage 30: guide mechanism 31: guide member 32: electric actuator 32a: rod 33: guide portion 34: tapered surface 40: side belt mechanism 41: side belt unit 42: housing 43: endless belt 44: electric actuator 45: slider 50: base

Claims (2)

a container alignment mechanism having a supply path arranged so that a filled container in an upright position with its filling port facing upward can be lowered;
a conveying mechanism disposed below a lower end opening of the supply path and having a conveying path that conveys the filled containers supplied from the lower end opening in a horizontal direction toward a next process ,
The conveying mechanism includes a guide mechanism that moves each of a pair of guide members arranged opposite each other across the filled container conveying path in the conveying mechanism in a space between a lower end opening of the supply path and the conveying path between an advanced position for positioning a filled container descending from the supply path of the container alignment mechanism upright on the conveying path and a retreated position for opening a path on the conveying path for a filled container upright on the conveying path ;
a side belt mechanism that moves the belt surface of the expanding circular belt between a pair of side belt units arranged opposite each other across the filled container transport path in the transport mechanism, between a forward position where the filled container is sandwiched between the belt surfaces and a backward position where the filled container is released from the clamping, and rotates the circular belt to transport the clamped filled container downstream of the transport path,
The control unit controls the pair of guide members to advance to an advanced position in accordance with the timing of the discharge of the filled container from the supply path of the container alignment mechanism, guides the filled container onto the conveying path while positioning it upright, and then returns it to a retracted position, controls the pair of side belt units to advance to an advanced position in accordance with the timing at which the filled container is guided onto the conveying path by the pair of guide members, drives the circular belt to convey the filled container along the conveying path at the timing at which the pair of guide members retract and open the path of the filled container on the conveying path, and controls the pair of side belt units to return to the retracted position when the filled container is sent out to the next process.
A container aligning and conveying device comprising: The container alignment and conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that the opposing surfaces of the pair of guide members each have a concave guide portion having a tapered surface that cooperates with the pair of guide members when they face each other in the forward position to receive a filled container that descends from the supply path of the container alignment mechanism and guides it onto the conveying path.

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