JPH0374564B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an article processing device, and more particularly, to an article processing device that caps an article housed in a holder and then pulls out the article from the holder to separate the article. The present invention relates to an article processing device.

``Prior Art'' Conventionally, when capping an unstable article, the article is usually housed in a holder to stabilize it, and capping is performed in that state. Therefore, in this type of article,
After capping, it is necessary to separate the article and the holder.

``Problems to be Solved by the Invention'' However, in the past, the cap for capping the article and the separating device for separating the article from the holder were constructed separately, and the entire device was large and expensive. was.

"Means for Solving the Problem" In view of such circumstances, the present invention organically combines a capping mechanism for capping an article housed in a holder and a separation mechanism for separating the article from the holder. The present invention provides an article processing device that provides the following features.

In other words, the present invention includes a pair of lifting and lowering rotation shafts that are provided so as to be freely raised and lowered and are interlocked so as to rotate in opposite directions, and a pair of lifting and lowering rotation shafts that are rotatably provided on both of the lifting and lowering rotational shafts, and that the lifting and lowering shafts are provided so as to be able to move up and down integrally with the lifting and lowering rotational shafts. a capping head provided on the casing for capping the article housed in the holder and fed downward when the elevating rotary shaft is lowered; and a clamp member that is opened and closed as the lifting rotation shaft rotates, and when the lifting rotation shaft is raised, the clamp member grips and lifts the capped article, and the article is held in the holder. It is designed to be separated from the

"Function" According to the above structure, it is possible to cap an article by lowering the lifting rotation shaft, it is possible to grip an article by rotating the lifting rotation shaft, and furthermore, the lifting rotation shaft can grip an article by rotating the lifting rotation shaft. The article can be separated from the holder by rising.

Therefore, compared to conventional devices in which such operations are performed using two machines, it is possible to manufacture the device in a smaller size and at a lower cost.

"Example" The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated example.
In FIG. 1, an article to be processed 1 includes a cylindrical container 3 containing a rod-shaped object 2 such as lipstick, a rotating member 4 rotatably provided at the bottom of the container 3, and a rotating member 4 that is rotated by rotation of the rotating member 4. Accordingly, screw means (not shown) is provided for causing the rod-shaped body 2 to protrude and retract from the upper opening of the container.

The article to be processed 1 is transported along with the holder 5 to the supply conveyor with the rod-shaped body 2 protruding from the mouth of the container 3 and the rotary member 4 housed in the holder 5, as shown in FIG. 8.

The articles 1 continuously conveyed by the supply conveyor 8 are synchronized with the rotation of the inlet star wheel 10 by the timing screw 9, and are passed through the inlet star wheel 10 to the first rotating body 11.
will be brought inside. This first rotating body 11 is for rotating the container 3 with respect to the rotating member 4 to draw the rod-shaped body 2 into the container 3, and as shown in FIG. The lower table 13 is attached to the lower table 13 on which the articles 1 from the inlet star wheel 10 are carried in and placed.

On the outer periphery of the lower table 13, semicircular pockets 16 capable of accommodating the holders 5 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (FIG. 4). An arc-shaped guide member 17 (see FIG. (see) are fixed.

Further, on the lower table 13, the articles 1 to be processed stored in the holders 5 in the respective pockets 16 are stored.
A first clamp mechanism 2 that grips the rotating member 4 of the article to be processed 1 and fixes the rotating member 4 to the rotating body 11 when the object is slightly raised as will be described later.
0 is set.

Each of the first clamp mechanisms 20 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
As shown in the figure, the lower table 13
a pair of rotating shafts 21 pivotally supported by a pair of rotating shafts 21, a pair of clamp members 22 attached to each rotating shaft 21, and each rotating shaft 2
1, and a pair of gears 23 that mesh with each other and interlock both rotating shafts 21 so as to rotate in opposite directions. Both clamp members 22 are urged toward each other by a spring (not shown), and in a natural state, both clamp members 22
The rotary member 4 can be gripped between them.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a lever 24 is attached to the lower end of one of the pair of rotating shafts 21.
By engaging a cam follower 25 provided at the tip of the lever 24 with a fixed cam 27 fixed to the frame 26, the pair of clamp members 22 are opened at a predetermined position against the spring. We are making it possible to expand.

Furthermore, the first rotating body 11 is the lower table 1
It is equipped with two parallel disks 31 above 3,
A second clamp mechanism 32 is provided on the disc 31 for gripping the container 3 of the article to be processed 1 and rotating the container 3 to draw the rod-shaped body 2 into the container 3.

Each of the above-mentioned clamp mechanisms 32 has a disk 31
an elevating drive shaft 33 that can be freely raised and lowered; and an air chuck means 34 that is provided at the lower end of each elevating drive shaft 33.
This air chuck means 34 includes:
As shown in FIG. 5, the pressure chamber 36 of the cylinder 35
When compressed air is supplied inside and the piston 37 is pushed down, the inner diameter of the ring-shaped elastic member 38 is reduced to close the pair of clamp members 39, thereby gripping the container 3. It is becoming possible to do this.

On the other hand, when the compressed air is discharged from the pressure chamber 36, the inner diameter of the ring-shaped elastic member 38 is expanded due to its own elasticity, and the pair of clamp members 39 are closed to the O-ring 40. The container 3 can be opened and expanded due to its elasticity, thereby releasing the grip on the container 3.

In addition, in FIG. 3, the adjacent lifting drive shaft 33
A guide rod 4 is installed vertically at each intermediate position.
3 is arranged and fixed to the disc 31, and a bracket 4 is attached to the guide rod 43 so as to be able to rise and fall freely.
4 is rotatably supported on the elevating drive shaft 33, and a cam follower 45 is attached to the bracket 44. Then, the cam follower 45 is engaged with a fixed cam 47 attached to a fixed member 46 provided on the outer periphery of the main shaft 12, so that the elevating drive shaft 33 can be moved up and down according to the cam curve of the fixed cam 47. I have to.

Further, gears 49 are provided on the upper outer periphery of the elevating drive shaft 33, and each gear 49 is meshed with a gear 50 rotatably supported on the disc 31. Each of the gears 50 is integrally provided with a friction roller 51, and when each friction roller 51 comes into contact with a fixed friction plate 52 attached to the fixed member 46 due to the rotation of the disk 31, the friction roller 51 It is designed to be rotationally driven by.

This friction plate 52 is connected to the pair of clamp members 3
9 grips the container 3 and then comes into contact with the friction roller 51, and when the container 3 is rotated via the friction roller 51, gears 50, 49, lifting drive shaft 33, and air chuck means 34, the rod-shaped body 2 is rotated. The container 3 is provided over a range such that the container 3 can be rotated with respect to the rotating member 4 sufficiently to be drawn into the container 3.

In the above configuration, when the holder 5 containing the bottom part of the article to be processed 1 is sequentially transferred from the inlet star wheel 10 into each pocket 16 of the first rotary body 11, the clamp member 22 of the first clamp mechanism 20 is expanding. When the holder 5 is accommodated in the pocket 16, the holder 5 is placed in the first pocket 16.
As the rotating body 11 rotates, its outer peripheral portion is supported by the arc-shaped guide member 17, and each pocket 1
6 and is transported as the first rotating body 11 rotates.

When the holder 5 and the article to be processed 1 are transported by the first rotating body 11, the elevating drive shaft 33 of the second clamp mechanism 32 is first lowered by the fixed cam 47, and the pair of expanded and expanded Clamp member 3
Insert container 3 relatively between 9 and 9. When the container 3 is inserted between the clamp members 39, the flow path of a flow path switching valve (not shown) is switched and compressed air is supplied to the pressure chamber 36 of the air chuck means 34, thereby closing the clamp member 39. Container 3
grasp. At this time, the friction roller 51 is not in contact with the friction plate 52, and the elevating drive shaft 33
rotation is stopped.

When the clamp member 39 grips the container 3,
The elevating drive shaft 33 is slightly raised by the fixed cam 47, and the rotary member 4 of the article to be processed 1 is positioned between the clamp members 22 of the first clamp mechanism 20. Then, the clamp member 22 is closed by the fixed cam 47 and grips the rotating member 4.

At this time, the article to be treated 1 is set to be raised within a range in which the lower end of the rotating member 4 does not come off from inside the holder 5, and when the article to be treated 1 is lowered later. This ensures that it can be returned into the holder 5.

When the first clamp mechanism 20 grips the rotating member 4, the friction roller 51 comes into contact with the friction plate 52, and the friction force causes the vertical drive shaft 33 to
When the air chuck means 34 rotates to rotate the container 3 relative to the rotating member 4, the rod-shaped body 2 is drawn into the container 3 by screw means (not shown).

When the rod-shaped body 2 is drawn into the container 3 in this manner, the friction roller 51 comes to separate from the friction plate 52, and in this state, the grip of the rotating member 4 by the first clamp mechanism 20 is released. Ru.
Then, when the elevating drive shaft 33 is slightly lowered and the article 1 to be processed is accommodated in the holder 5 again, the flow path of the flow path switching valve (not shown) is switched and the pressure chamber 3
Compressed air is discharged from 6, thereby causing the clamp member 39 of the second clamp mechanism 32 to expand and release its grip on the container 3.

Thereafter, the elevating drive shaft 33 is raised to the original height position, and the above-described operations are repeated to sequentially draw the rod-like bodies 2 of the articles 1 into the container 3.

Next, when the rod-shaped body 2 cannot be drawn into the container 3 for some reason, the reject mechanism 55 shown in FIG. This allows the material to be discharged from the product processing line to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 2, the reject mechanism 55 is located downstream of the position where the first clamp mechanism 20 and the second clamp mechanism 32 have finished pulling the rod-shaped body 2 into the container 3, and The guide member 17 is disposed upstream of the transfer position of the processed article 1 from the first rotating body 11 to the second rotating body 63, and at that position, the guide member 17 guides the holder 5.
A notch 17a is formed in the.

The second rotary body 63 is equipped with a cap supply mechanism 65 that covers the container 3 into which the rod-shaped body 2 is retracted with a cap 64 (see FIG. 1).
Since capping cannot be performed if the object remains protruding from the container 3, the object to be processed 1 is transferred to the second rotating body 63.
The defective articles can be discharged from the first rotating body 11 before being supplied.

As shown in FIG. 4, the above-mentioned reject mechanism 55 is equipped with a swing arm 57 supported by a shaft 56 on the upper surface of the lower table 13 so as to be swingable in a horizontal plane. The aforementioned semicircular pocket 16 is formed.

Each of the swing arms 57 is normally held at a predetermined non-operating position by a return spring (not shown), and in this state, the pocket 16 is
The rotating body 11 is opened outward in the radial direction, so that the holder 5 conveyed from the inlet star wheel 10 can be smoothly accommodated in the pocket 16.

And a shaft 56 to which each swing arm 57 is fixed.
An actuation lever 58 extending from the shaft 56 inward in the radial direction of the first rotating body 11 is integrally attached to the actuation lever 58, and each actuation lever 58 is attached at the position of the notch 17a.
A cam member 59 that is moved in and out by a cylinder device (not shown) provided on the frame 26 is provided on the movement locus of the tip of the frame 26 .

The cam member 59 is normally held at a position where it does not come into contact with the operating lever 58, but when a defective article is detected by a sensor such as a phototube (not shown), the cam member 59 is moved by the cylinder device to the operating lever 58.
The swing arm 58 is protruded to a position where it comes into contact with the
Rotate clockwise in Figure 4 to open pocket 1 above.
The holder 5 in the holder 6 can be discharged onto a rotary table 60 provided adjacent to the first rotating body 11.

Next, the cap supply mechanism 65 provided on the second rotating body 63 will be explained. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the second rotating body 63 includes a rotary table 69 attached to the upper part of the drive shaft 68, The rotary table 69 is provided with a cap storage section 70 consisting of radial slits formed at equal intervals.
A guide member 71 is arranged and fixed below the rotary table 69 over a required rotation range to prevent the cap 64 housed in the cap storage section 70 from falling.

The caps 64 are housed in the chute 73 in a state in which they are horizontally in parallel contact with each other, and are designed to fall within the chute 73 due to their own weight. The lower end opening of the chute 73 is opened above the cap storage section 70, which is moved as the rotary table 69 rotates, and the head of the cap 64 is radially outwardly opened from the chute 73. Each cap storage compartment 7
0 one by one.

The guide member 71 is designed to maintain the cap 64 in a horizontal state at the position where the cap 64 is supplied from the chute 73 to the cap storage section 70;
An inclined surface 74 is formed on the front side in the rotational direction,
The opening side of the cap 64 can be guided downwardly by the inclined surface 74.

The lower surface of the rotary table 69 receives the falling cap 64 at a position radially inward of the cap storage section 70 while rotating so that the opening thereof faces downward by the inclined surface 74, and holds the cap 64 in an almost upright position. A semi-cylindrical guide member 75 is provided to guide the drop in the suspended state.

Furthermore, a lower table 76 is attached to the drive shaft 68 below the rotary table 69.
A semicircular pocket 77 for storing the holder 5 is formed on the outer periphery of the lower table 76 at a position below each of the guide members 75. A guide member 78 is arranged and fixed around the lower table 76 to prevent the holder 5 housed in the pocket 77 from falling off (see FIG. 2).

Therefore, the cap 6 rotates and falls with the opening facing downward due to the inclined surface 74.
During the fall, the rotation of the container 4 is stopped by the guide member 75, and the container 4 is stood upright, and then continues to fall in this state to be covered with the container 3 below.

When the container 3 is covered with the cap 64 in this way, the article 1 to be processed is transferred from the second rotating body 63 to the third rotating body 63.
It is delivered to the rotating body 81.

This third rotating body 81, as shown in FIG.
a capping mechanism 82 that presses down the cap 64 placed on the container 3 and press-fits the lower end opening of the cap 64 into the rotary member 4 of the article to be processed 1 (see FIG. 1);
is provided with a separation mechanism 83 that raises the capped object to be processed 1 and separates the object to be processed 1 from the holder 5.

The third rotating body 81 includes a main shaft 85 , a lower table 86 attached to the main shaft 85 and on which the article 1 from the second rotating body 63 is carried and placed, and the lower table 8
6 and a disk 87 attached to the main shaft 85 above. Pockets 86a are formed on the outer periphery of the lower table 86 to accommodate the holders 5 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. (see).

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the separation mechanism 83 for lifting the article 1 to be processed relative to the holder 5 is provided through the lower table 86 and the disc 87 so as to be able to rise and fall and rotate freely. Equipped with a pair of elevating rotation shafts 89, 90, both elevating rotation shafts 89,
A bracket 91 is rotatably provided between the lower ends of the brackets 90.

Then, attach the cam follower 9 to this bracket 91.
2 and attach the cam follower 92 to the frame 93.
By engaging the lifting cam 94 provided in the
The lifting rotation shaft 8 follows the cam curve of the lifting cam 94.
9 and 90 can be raised and lowered together.

Further, a pair of clamp members 97 (see FIG. 10) for gripping the article to be processed 1 are attached to each pair of lifting and lowering rotation shafts 89 and 90, and
A pair of clamp members 97 can be opened and closed via the gear 98 by attaching gears 98 that mesh with each other and rotating one of the lifting and lowering rotation shafts 89 in forward and reverse directions. The clamp members 97 are urged toward each other by a spring (not shown), and in their natural state, the cap 64 of the article to be processed 1 can be gripped between the two clamp members 97.

Further, a spline 99 is formed at the lower end of one of the vertical rotation shafts 89, and a cylindrical member 10 is attached to a bracket 100 attached to the lower table 86.
1 is rotatably supported, and the spline 99
is spline-fitted to this cylindrical member 101.

Then, a lever 102 is attached to the cylindrical member 101, and a cam follower 1 is attached to the lever 102.
Fixed cam 10 with 03 attached to the frame 93
4, and when the cam follower 103 engages with the fixed cam 104, the elevating rotation shaft 89,
By rotating 90, the pair of clamp members 97 can be opened.

Furthermore, a cylindrical casing 107 constituting the above-mentioned capping mechanism 82 is rotatably attached to the outer periphery of one of the lifting rotation shafts 89, and a fork-shaped portion 107a provided at the upper end of the casing 107.
By engaging the other vertically rotating shaft 90 in a vertically movable manner, the casing 107 engages with the vertically rotating shaft 89
This prevents it from rotating as the .

A protrusion 108 is integrally formed on the casing 107 so as to face outward in the radial direction of the third rotating body 81 (see FIG. 11), and a capping head 109 is attached to the tip of the protrusion 108. It is set up so that it can be raised and lowered freely. This capping head 109 is
It is located directly above the article 1 to be processed in the holder 5 housed in the pocket 86a, and is biased downward by a spring 110.

In the above configuration, the pair of clamp members 97
In this case, the holder 5 moves from the second rotating body 63 to the third rotating body 8.
It is opened when it is delivered to holder 5, and holder 5
is accommodated in the pocket 86a and guided by the guide member 88.

When the holder 5 is accommodated in the pocket 86a and transported as the third rotating body 81 rotates, the clamp member 97 remains open.
A pair of lifting and lowering rotation shafts 89, 9 are connected by the lifting cam 94.
0 is lowered, and the capping head 109 is brought into contact with the cap 64 that covers the container 3, and the cap 64 is lowered by the weight of the capping head 109, the elevating rotation shafts 89, 90, etc.
is pressed down to cap the lower end opening of the cap 64 on the rotating member 4.

When capping by the capping head 109 is completed, the pair of clamp members 97 are closed by the fixed cam 104 while the capping head 109 is in contact with the cap 64, and the cap 64 is gripped. grip the article 1 to be processed. In this state, the elevating rotation shaft 8 is moved by the elevating cam 94.
9 and 90 are raised, the article 1 to be treated is lifted from the holder 5, and the article 1 to be treated and the holder 5 are separated.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the third rotary body 81 has a first discharging means 115 and a second discharging means 116 for separately discharging the mutually separated article 1 and holder 5 to the outside. It is equipped with

Second ejection means 116 for ejecting the holder 5
is equipped with a guide member 117 that engages with the holder 5 on the lower table 86 and guides it to the outside, and a star wheel 118 forming a pocket 118a for accommodating the holder 5. The holder 5 that has been pulled out is discharged onto the holder discharge conveyor 119 by the star wheel 118 and the guide member 117.

On the other hand, the article to be processed 1 held and lifted by the pair of clamp members 97 is moved by the guide member 1
17, and the first ejecting means 11
The articles are discharged onto the article discharge conveyor 123 by the pocket 121a of the outlet star wheel 121 and the guide member 122 which constitute the article discharge conveyor 123.

Note that when the rod-shaped body 2 is drawn into the container 3, the upper end of the rod-shaped body 2 does not need to be completely buried in the container 3, and may protrude slightly depending on the size of the cap 64. Of course.

Further, in the above embodiment, the capping head 1
09 is designed to press down the cap 64 already placed on the container, but the cap is not limited to this. For example, the capping head 109 can be configured to grip the cap by negative pressure or a chuck. It is also possible to provide a cap supply mechanism for directly supplying caps to the capping head 109.

``Effects of the Invention'' As described above, in the present invention, the capping head and the clamp member are operated by the lifting and lowering and rotation of the lifting rotation shaft, and thereby the capping head and the clamping member are actuated by the lifting and lowering rotation shaft. Since the device and the holder can be separated from each other, it is possible to manufacture the device in a smaller size and at a lower cost than the conventional device in which such an operation is performed by two machines.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing an example of a processed article 1 to be processed according to the present invention, and shows the state accommodated in a holder 5, and FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention. , FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the first rotating body 11, FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing the reject mechanism 55 in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the second clamp mechanism 32 in FIG. Enlarged sectional view showing main parts,
6 is an enlarged plan view of the second rotating body 63, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 6, FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the third rotating body 81, and FIG. 9 is a pair of rotating shafts. 89,
The partially sectional front view of 90, FIGS. 10 and 11 are sectional views taken along the - line and - line of FIG. 9, respectively. 1... Article to be processed, 3... Container, 5... Holder, 81... Third rotating body, 82... Capping mechanism, 83... Separation mechanism, 89, 90... Lifting rotation shaft, 94... Lifting Cam, 97... Clamp member, 104... Fixed cam, 107... Casing, 109... Capping head, 115...
First ejection means, 116...Second ejection means, 119
... Holder discharge conveyor, 123 ... Article discharge conveyor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pair of lifting and lowering rotation shafts that are provided so as to be freely raised and lowered and are interlocked so as to rotate in opposite directions; a casing that is rotatably provided on both of the lifting and lowering rotational shafts and that is raised and lowered together with the lifting and lowering rotational shafts; A capping head is provided on the casing and caps the article housed in the holder and fed downward when the elevating rotary shaft is lowered; and a clamp member that is opened and closed as the cap rotates, and the clamp member grips the capped article and lifts the capped article when the lifting rotation shaft is raised, thereby separating the article from the holder. An article processing device characterized by: