JP7659196B2 - Container Processing Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container processing device that performs processes such as filling and capping containers that have outwardly protruding flanges.

In a container processing device that uses a rotary filler and capper to fill and cap plastic containers with flanges, the neck of the container is gripped by the neck gripper during transport to prevent deformation of the container (see Patent Document 1). In a filler or capper, a downward load is applied to the container held by the neck gripper, so it is desirable to use the neck gripper to grip the bottom of the container's flange during filling and capping. For this reason, in a container processing device such as that in Patent Document 1, an intermediate wheel is placed between the filler and capper so that the bottom of the flange is gripped by the filler and capper.

Patent No. 5003021

However, when a configuration like that of Patent Document 1 is adopted, the intermediate wheel is inefficient as it only transports the container. If an intermediate wheel is not used and the container is handed over directly from the filling machine to the capper, one of the wheels must grip the upper part of the flange, which may cause the container to slip off during filling or capping.

The present invention aims to provide a container processing device that can reliably cap a container while holding it above the flange.

The first invention of the present invention is a container processing device that fills and caps containers having an outwardly protruding flange, and is characterized in that it comprises a first rotating wheel having a plurality of first grippers on its outer periphery that grip the underside of the flange, a filling means that is provided corresponding to each of the first grippers and fills the container with contents, a second rotating wheel that is disposed downstream of the first rotating wheel and has a plurality of second grippers on its outer periphery that grip the upper side of the flange, a cap supplying means that supplies caps, a support means that can support the underside of the flange of the container transported by the second rotating wheel, and a capping means that is provided downstream of the cap supplying means and caps the container, and is characterized in that the underside of the flange is supported by the support means when capping the container.

The second invention of the present invention is a container transport device according to the first invention, characterized in that the cap supply means is a cap supply chute provided above the second rotating wheel, and the cap held at the downstream end of the cap supply chute is engaged with the container transported by the second rotating wheel, thereby removing the cap from the cap supply chute and placing it on the container.

The third invention of the present invention is a container transport device according to the first or second invention, characterized in that the support means is a pair of rails arranged on both sides of the container being gripped and transported by the second gripper and abutting against the underside of the flange.

The fourth invention of the present invention is a container transport device according to the first or second invention, characterized in that the support means is a third gripper that is provided on the second rotating wheel and capable of gripping the lower side of the flange and that can be opened and closed independently of the second gripper, and that the third gripper opens when the second gripper receives a container from the first gripper to prevent interference with the first gripper, and closes before the container reaches the capping means to grip the lower side of the flange.

The present invention provides a container processing device that can reliably cap a container while holding it above the flange.

1 is a plan view showing a partial arrangement of a container processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the filling wheel of FIG. 1 in the vicinity of its outer periphery. FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the filling wheel and the vicinity of the outer periphery of the capping wheel at a position where a container is transferred from the filling wheel to the capping wheel of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the outer periphery of the capping wheel of the first embodiment at a position where a support rail is provided. FIG. 5A to 5C are side views showing a time series of processes from cap supply to capping in the capping wheel of the first embodiment. 13 is a side view of a capping head used in a modified example of the container processing apparatus of the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a container processing apparatus according to a second embodiment. 13 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a capping head provided on a capping wheel of a second embodiment, in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the capping wheel. FIG. 13 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the outer periphery of the capping wheel, showing the structure of an opening and closing mechanism of a neck gripper of the capping wheel of the second embodiment. FIG. A partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the outer periphery of the filling wheel and the capping wheel at the container transfer position in the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the outer periphery of the capping wheel of the third embodiment at the position where capping is performed.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a container processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The container processing device 10 of the first embodiment is a device that alternately grips and transports, for example, plastic containers V by their necks between rotating wheels, and fills and caps the containers V. The container processing device 10 is equipped with a filling wheel (first rotating wheel) 14 that receives the containers V from the supply wheel 12, and a capping wheel (second rotating wheel) 16 that receives the containers V that have been filled by the filling wheel 14, and the containers V capped by the capping wheel 16 are discharged downstream via a discharge conveyor 18.

The supply wheel 12, filling wheel 14, and capping wheel 16 convey the container V by alternately gripping the upper and lower parts of the flange Vf that protrudes outward from the neck of the container V with neck grippers provided along the outer periphery of the rotating wheel of each device. In this embodiment, the neck gripper of the supply wheel 12 grips the upper part of the flange Vf, the neck gripper (first gripper) 20 of the filling wheel 14 (see FIG. 2) grips the lower part of the flange Vf, and the neck gripper (second gripper) 22 of the capping wheel 16 (see FIG. 3) grips the upper part of the flange Vf again. In other words, the neck grippers of adjacent wheels are at different heights, preventing interference between the grippers of both wheels during transfer.

Figure 2 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view near the outer periphery of the filling wheel 14. Neck grippers 20 are arranged radially outward at a predetermined interval along the outer periphery of the filling wheel 14. Each neck gripper 20 has a pair of gripper pieces 20A, and each gripper piece 20A is attached to a leaf spring 20B attached to the left and right of the gripper base block. The left and right leaf springs 20B are biased by springs 20C in a direction to close the gripper pieces 20A, and the neck portion below the flange Vf of the container V handed over from the supply wheel 12 is pushed between the gripper pieces 20A, so that the lower part of the flange Vf is gripped by the neck gripper 20.

A filling nozzle (filling means) 24 that supplies the filling liquid into the container V is disposed above each neck gripper 20, and the filling liquid is filled into the container V while the container V is transported along the outer periphery of the filling wheel 14.

Figure 3 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the filling wheel 14 and the capping wheel 16 near the outer periphery immediately before the position (transfer position P) where the container V is transferred from the filling wheel 14 to the capping wheel 16. Neck grippers 22 are arranged radially outward at predetermined intervals along the outer periphery of the capping wheel 16. The neck gripper 22 has a pair of gripper pieces 22A, and the base end of each gripper piece 22A is attached to the lower end of a rotating shaft 26 that is attached perpendicularly to the capping wheel 16.

The rotating shaft 26 is rotatably supported by the capping wheel 16 and the support member 16A extending downward from the capping wheel 16, and the rotating shaft 26 is engaged through a gear 28 provided in the middle thereof, and rotates in opposite directions by the same angle. One end of a lever 30 is provided on one side of the rotating shaft 26, and a cam follower 32B that engages with a fixed cam 32A is provided on the other end of the lever 30. The other end of the lever 30 is connected to the capping wheel 16 via a spring 32C, and is biased by the spring 32C in a direction to close the gripper piece 22A. In other words, when the cam 32A is not engaged with the cam follower 32B, the lever 30 is positioned inward in the wheel radial direction by the biasing force of the spring 32C, and the gripper piece 22A is maintained in a closed state. On the other hand, when the cam follower 32B engages with the cam 32A and is pushed outward in the radial direction of the wheel against the biasing force of the spring 32C, the lever 30 rotates the rotating shaft 26 in a direction that opens the gripper piece 22A. Note that Figure 3 shows the state just before the cam follower 32B and the cam 32A separate and the neck gripper 22 is completely closed.

The neck gripper 22 is positioned at a height that grips the upper cylindrical portion of the flange Vf of the container V held by the neck gripper 20 of the filling wheel 14. At the transfer position P where the container V is transferred from the filling wheel 14 to the capping wheel 16, the cam follower 32B and the cam 32A are disengaged and the neck gripper 22 is closed. The neck gripper 22 extracts the container V from the neck gripper 20, which is gripping the lower portion of the flange Vf, and transports the container V along the outer periphery of the capping wheel 16.

As shown in FIG. 1, a cap supply chute (cap supply means) 34 is disposed above the capping wheel 16 to supply caps C to be placed on containers V. The downstream portion of the cap supply chute 34 is disposed diagonally so as to descend along the outer periphery (container transport path) of the capping wheel 16 downstream of the receiving position P of the capping wheel 16. The cap C located at the downstream end of the cap supply chute 34 partially extends diagonally downward from the tip of the cap supply chute 34 and engages with the edge of the mouth of the container V transported by the neck gripper 22, and is placed diagonally over the mouth of the container V (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

Immediately downstream of the cap supply chute 34, a pair of support rails (support means) 36 are fixed along both sides of the transport path of the container V, engaging with and supporting the underside of the flange Vf. Above the support rails 36, a capping roller (capping means) 38 is disposed, which presses the cap C, which is placed diagonally over the mouth of the container V, against the mouth to cap it. The capping roller 38 is constantly rotated at a predetermined speed by a drive means (not shown).

Figure 4 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the outer periphery of the capping wheel 16 at the position where the support rail 36 is provided. In the section where the support rail 36 is provided, as shown in Figure 4, the container V is gripped by the neck gripper 22 and transported along the outer periphery of the capping wheel 16, while the lower surface of the flange Vf is supported from the radial inside and outside of the wheel by the support rail 36. In this embodiment, with the lower part of the flange Vf supported by the support rail 36, the cap C is pressed against the mouth of the container V by the capping roller 38 to cap it (see Figure 5). The neck gripper 22 is then released on the discharge conveyor 18, and the filled and capped container V is handed over to the discharge conveyor 18 and discharged downstream.

Figures 5(a) to (d) are diagrams showing the state of the capping wheel 16 from cap supply to capping in chronological order, and are side views of the container V at each position as seen from the outside of the wheel. As shown in Figure 5(a), in the capping wheel 16, the container V is conveyed while being gripped above the flange Vf by the neck gripper 22. As shown in Figure 5(b), the cap C supplied obliquely from the cap supply chute 34 engages with the front edge of the mouth of the container V, is pulled out, and is placed on the mouth of the container V while inclined in the direction of travel. Then, as shown in Figure 5(c), the support rails 36 engage from both sides below the flange Vf, and the container V is conveyed by the neck gripper 22 with the flange Vf supported by the support rails 36. In addition, in the section where the flange Vf is supported by the support rails 36, a capping roller 38 is arranged above the container conveying path, and the rotation axis of the capping roller 38 is arranged so as to be horizontal and perpendicular to the conveying path. As shown in Figures 5(c) and 5(d), the capping roller 38 rides up from the front edge side of the cap C that is placed diagonally on the container V, and presses the cap C onto the mouth of the container V. This causes the cap C to fit into the mouth of the container V, completing the capping of the container V.

As described above, according to the container processing device of the first embodiment, the container is gripped above the flange with the neck gripper while the support rail supports the bottom of the flange, so that the container can be capped reliably without lowering during the capping operation. As a result, even in a container processing device using a neck gripper, the intermediate wheel can be omitted and the container can be transferred directly from the filling wheel to the capping wheel, reducing installation space.

Figure 6 is a side view of a capping head used in a modified version of the container processing device 10 of the first embodiment. In the capping wheel 16 of the first embodiment, a cap C placed at an angle on the mouth of a container V supported by a support rail (support means) 36 is pressed against the mouth by a capping roller 38 to cap the container, but in the modified version, a capping head (capping means) 39 shown in Figure 6 is used instead of the capping roller 38.

The stoppering heads 39 are arranged, for example, radially on the rotating body 39A. The stoppering heads 39 are slidably held on shafts 39B that extend radially from the rotating body 39A and are biased outward by springs 39C. The rotating body 39A rotates in synchronization with the movement of the neck gripper 22, and the downward-facing stoppering heads 39 are pressed against the cap C placed on the container V supported by the neck gripper 22 and the support rail 36, and the cap C is fitted onto the mouth of the container V.

As described above, the modified version of the first embodiment provides the same effects as the first embodiment.

The container processing device of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. Figure 7 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the container processing device 40 of the second embodiment. In the capping wheel 16 of the first embodiment, the cap C is supplied directly to the mouth of the container V from the cap supply chute 34, and the cap C is capped into the container V by the capping roller 38. In contrast, in the container processing device 40 of the second embodiment, the cap C is supplied to the capping head (capping means) 44, which then caps the container with the cap C. Note that the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same reference symbols are used for similar configurations, and their description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, capping wheel 42 of container processing device 40 of the second embodiment is provided with capping heads 44 along its outer periphery in correspondence with each neck gripper 43. Caps C are handed over to capping head 44, for example, upstream of receiving position P. A cap supply disk (cap supply means) 46 is disposed adjacent to capping wheel 42 upstream of receiving position P. Caps C are supplied onto cap supply disk 46 from cap supply chute (cap supply means) 48. Cap holding pins 46A protruding from the disk surface are provided at a predetermined interval on the outer periphery of cap supply disk 46, and each cap C is supplied from cap supply chute 48 in a face-down state so that it can be hooked onto cap holding pins 46A.

Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the capping wheel 42 near the outer periphery, showing the configuration of the capping head 44 provided on the capping wheel 42. The capping head 44 is provided below the tip of the arm 50, and uses a suction mechanism (not shown) to suck and hold the top surface of the cap C on the cap supply disk 46.

The base end of the arm 50 is attached to the upper end of a vertical lifting rod 52. The lifting rod 52 is supported so as to be able to move up and down via a spline mechanism or the like on a cylindrical portion 54 which is rotatably attached to the capping wheel 42. The lifting rod 52 extends below the cylindrical portion 54, and a lifting cam follower 56A is provided at its lower end for lifting and lowering the lifting rod 52. The lifting cam follower 56A engages with a cam groove of a lifting cam 56B which is arranged to surround the capping wheel 42.

On the other hand, a lever 58 is provided at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 54. A swinging cam follower 60A is provided at the tip of the lever 58 for swinging the arm 50 that holds the stoppering head 44. The swinging cam follower 60A engages with a swinging cam 60B that is fixedly arranged along the outer periphery of the capping wheel 42. A spring 62 is wound around the approximate center of the cylindrical portion 54, with one end of the spring 62 fixed to the cylindrical portion 54 and the other end fixed to the capping wheel 42. In other words, the cylindrical portion 54 and the lever 58 are rotationally biased by the spring 62 so that the swinging cam follower 60A is pressed against the swinging cam 60B.

The drive mechanism of the neck gripper 43 provided on the capping wheel 42 is configured by turning the opening and closing mechanism of the neck gripper 22 of the first embodiment upside down, as shown in the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 9. That is, the gripper pieces 43A constituting the neck gripper 43 are attached to the upper ends of the rotating shafts 26, and the rotating shafts 26 are engaged with each other through the gears 28. At the lower end of one rotating shaft 26, a lever 30 is provided with a cam follower 32B at its tip that engages with the cam 32A, and the lever 30 is biased by a spring 32C in the direction in which the neck gripper 43 is closed. As in FIG. 3, FIG. 9 shows the state immediately before the cam follower 32B and the cam 32A separate and the neck gripper 43 is completely closed. The configuration of the filling wheel 14 and the neck gripper 20 is omitted in the figure.

As shown in FIG. 7, at the entrance of the support rail 36, the arm 50 is positioned in a radial direction of the capping wheel 42, and the capping head 44 is positioned in a raised position. When the flange Vf of the container V reaches the capping position supported by the support rail 36, the capping head 44 is lowered by the engagement of the lifting cam follower 56A and the lifting cam 56B, and the cap C adsorbed to the underside of the capping head 44 is attached to the mouth of the container V.

The capping head 44 is then raised to its original height by the engagement of the lifting cam follower 56A and the lifting cam 56B, and moves toward the cap supply disk 46 while maintaining the orientation of the arm 50. The outer periphery of the cap supply disk 46 is positioned so that it overlaps with the outer periphery of the capping wheel 42, and at this position the lifting rod 52 is lowered by the engagement of the lifting cam follower 56A and the lifting cam 56B until the capping head 44 abuts against the top surface of the cap C on the cap supply disk 46. As a result, the cap C is attracted to the capping head 44, and the lifting rod 52 is raised to its original height.

Then, the arm 50 is swung backward in the conveying direction in front of the filling wheel 14 by the engagement of the swaying cam follower 60A and the swaying cam 60B so that the capping head 44, which has adsorbed the cap C, does not interfere with the filling nozzle 24. This causes it to be retracted inside the capping wheel 42, preventing interference between the capping head 44 and the filling nozzle 24 at the transfer position P. During this time, the container V is transferred from the neck gripper 20 of the filling wheel 14 to the neck gripper 43 of the capping wheel 42 at the transfer position P.

As described above, the container processing device of the second embodiment provides the same effects as the first embodiment.

Next, a container processing device of the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. With the capping wheels of the container processing devices of the first and second embodiments, the capping operation is performed while the underside of the flange Vf of the container V is supported by the support rail 36. On the other hand, the capping wheel of the third embodiment is provided with a support gripper (third gripper, support means) 64, which supports the underside of the flange Vf during capping, instead of the support rail 36. Note that the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same reference symbols are used for similar configurations and their description is omitted.

Figure 10 corresponds to Figure 3 of the first embodiment and is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the filling wheel 14 and the vicinity of the outer periphery of the capping wheel 66 at the transfer position P, and Figure 11 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the outer periphery of the capping wheel 66 at the position where capping is performed.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the neck gripper 22 (gripper piece 22A) provided on the capping wheel 66 of the third embodiment is opened and closed by an opening and closing mechanism consisting of a rotating shaft 26, a gear 28, a lever 30, a cam 32A, a cam follower 32B, and a spring 32C, as in the first embodiment. Note that in the third embodiment, the rotating shaft 26 is rotatably supported by the capping wheel 66 and a support member 66A extending downward from the capping wheel 66.

As described above, the capping wheel 66 of the third embodiment is provided with a support gripper 64 corresponding to each neck gripper 22. The support gripper 64 is located directly below the neck gripper 22 at a height that grips the lower part of the flange Vf of the container V gripped by the neck gripper 22 (at a position where it abuts the lower surface of the flange Vf). In the capping wheel 66, the opening and closing mechanism of the neck gripper 22 (rotating shaft 26, gear 28, lever 30, cam 32A, cam follower 32B, spring 32C) is located above the gripper piece 22A. Meanwhile, the opening and closing mechanism of the support gripper 64 is configured by roughly reversing the opening and closing mechanism of the neck gripper 22.

That is, on the outer periphery of the capping wheel 66, below the neck gripper 22, the support gripper 64 is arranged radially outward along the outer periphery. The support gripper 64 has a pair of gripper pieces 64A, and the base end of each gripper piece 64A is attached to a rotating shaft 68 that is attached perpendicularly to the capping wheel 66.

The upper end of the rotating shaft 68 is rotatably fitted inside the rotating shaft 26 of the neck gripper 22, and its upper end is supported by a support member 66A. The lower end of the rotating shaft 68 is supported by a lower rotating body 66B of the capping wheel 66. The rotating shafts 68 are engaged through their gears 70 and rotated by the same angle in opposite directions. One end of a lever 72 is provided on one side of the rotating shaft 68, and a cam follower 74B that engages with a fixed cam 74A is provided on the other end of the lever 72. The other end of the lever 72 is connected to the lower rotating body 66B via a spring 74C, and is biased by the spring 74C in the direction of closing the gripper piece 64A.

In the first embodiment, in the section where the support rail 36 is provided, the engagement between the cam 74A and the cam follower 74B is released, and the support gripper 64 is maintained in a closed state. On the other hand, at the transfer position P, the cam follower 74B is pushed outward in the wheel radial direction against the biasing force of the spring 74C by the cam 74A, and the lever 72 rotates the rotating shaft 68 in a direction to open the gripper piece 64A. As a result, the support gripper 64 is opened widely to a position where it does not interfere with the neck gripper 20 of the filling wheel 14. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the gripper piece 64A of the support gripper 64 is widely opened, and FIG. 11 shows a state in which the support gripper 64 is closed and the lower part of the flange Vf is gripped by the gripper piece 64A. As shown in FIG. 11, the capping roller 38 presses the cap C against the mouth of the container V while the lower surface of the flange Vf of the container V is supported by the support gripper 64, and attaches the cap C to the mouth of the container V. Alternatively, the neck gripper 22 may be opened after the support gripper 64 grips the bottom of the flange Vf of the container V.

As described above, the container processing device of the third embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first and second embodiments.

10 Container processing device 14 Filling wheel (first rotating wheel)
16 Capping wheel (second rotating wheel)
20 Neck gripper (first gripper)
22 Neck gripper (second gripper)
24 Filling nozzle (filling means)
34 Cap supply chute (cap supply means)
36 Support rail (support means)
38 Capper roller (capper means)
39, 44 Capper head (capper means)
46 Cap supply disk (cap supply means)
48 Cap supply chute (cap supply means)
64 Support gripper (third gripper, support means)
C Cap V Container Vf Flange

Claims (4)

In a container processing apparatus for filling and capping containers having outwardly protruding flanges,
a first rotating wheel having a plurality of first grippers provided on an outer periphery thereof for gripping the lower portion of the flange;
a filling means provided corresponding to each of the first grippers and configured to fill the container with a content;
a second rotating wheel disposed downstream of the first rotating wheel and having a plurality of second grippers provided on an outer periphery thereof for gripping an upper portion of the flange;
a cap supplying means for supplying a cap;
a support means capable of supporting a lower surface of the flange of the container conveyed by the second rotating wheel;
a capping means provided downstream of the cap supplying means for capping the container,
A container processing apparatus comprising: a support means for supporting a lower surface of the flange when the container is capped. The container processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap supplying means is a cap supplying chute provided above the second rotating wheel, and the cap held at the downstream end of the cap supplying chute is engaged with the container transported by the second rotating wheel, thereby removing the cap from the cap supplying chute and placing it on the container. The container processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support means is a pair of rails arranged on both sides of the container being gripped and transported by the second gripper and abutting against the underside of the flange. the support means is a third gripper provided on the second rotating wheel, capable of gripping a lower portion of the flange, and capable of opening and closing independently of the second gripper;
3. The container processing device according to claim 1, wherein the third gripper opens when the second gripper receives a container from the first gripper to prevent interference with the first gripper, and closes before the second gripper reaches the capping means to grip the lower part of the flange.

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