JPH0479889B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a method for driving a gripper in a caser or an uncaser.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For example, a caser is used to transfer a certain number of bottle products sent on a conveyor to a packaging box and send them out. This caser is equipped with a gripper device that grips a plurality of aligned bottles at once and moves them to a predetermined location. As an example of this gripper device,
Publication No. 43102 "Bottle gripping device in bottle packaging machine"
is disclosed. This bottle gripping device eliminates the need for bulky and easily damaged air pipes by incorporating the air supply path provided in the gripper for gripping bottles into the bottle support plate, and furthermore, when lowering the gripper using compressed air, etc. If the gripper hits the bottle without being able to fit into the neck, the gripper will escape upwards and activate the safety device, preventing the bottle from being destroyed and the device from being damaged.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, the conventional bottle gripping device described above has the following problems. In other words, the structure that allows the gripper to escape upward when it fails to fit on the neck of the bottle and hits the bottle while lowering it, and also activates the safety device due to this, is complex.
Manufacturing costs increase. In addition, as the structure is complex, there are many unstable elements,
This may cause a malfunction, and in the event that a malfunction occurs, the bottle will be damaged and the device will be damaged.

[Means to solve the problem]

The means for solving the above problems are as follows. That is, the present invention is a method for driving a gripper in a caser or an uncaser, in which the gripper is lowered to grip a bottle that has been aligned and stopped, and then the gripper is driven to move the gripped bottle to another position. The driving method is as follows: When the gripper reaches a position where it can be lowered by its own weight, the brake of the motor with a brake that drives the gripper up and down is activated, thereby stopping the gripper; Once the bottles are lined up and stopped at the predetermined position, the above steps are carried out. The step of releasing the brake and lowering the gripper at a low speed by its own weight using resistance such as mechanical friction of the motor and the transmission mechanism between the motor and the gripper; the lowered gripper fits into the bottle neck. driving the gripper in the caser or uncaser, the method comprising: operating the gripper to grip the bottle neck when the gripper is at a position where it can be gripped; and driving the gripper by the motor to move the bottle to another position; It's a method. The position of the gripper is detected by known means such as a limit switch or a photoelectric switch. Function When the gripper reaches a position where it can be lowered by its own weight, the brake of the motor with a brake is activated and the motor stops. When the transported bottles are lined up and stopped at a predetermined position, the brake of the motor is released and the motor becomes free. As a result, the gripper descends at a low speed due to its own weight using resistance such as mechanical friction of the motor and the transmission mechanism between the motor and the gripper. When the lowered gripper fits into the neck of the bottle and reaches a position where it can be gripped, the gripping mechanism of the gripper operates to grip the neck of the bottle. Then, the motor is activated to move the bottle gripped by the gripper to another position such as a storage box. Further, when the bottles are not lined up and stopped at a predetermined position, the gripper remains in the stopped position and waits. Then, once the bottles are aligned, the brake on the motor is released and the gripper descends at low speed under its own weight to grip the bottle, as described above. In this way, the gripper descends at low speed while resisting mechanical frictional resistance due to its own weight, so even if some malfunction occurs and the gripper descends without the bottles being aligned, the gripper's pressing force is small, so the bottles will It will not be destroyed and the equipment will not be damaged.

【Example】

The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings showing one embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of essential parts showing an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 30 denotes a machine frame, and rotating sprockets 32, 32a are rotatably attached to the machine frame 30.
Chain 3 is attached to rotating sprockets 32 and 32a.
4, 34a is wrapped around the chain 34, 3
4a is driven by a motor with a brake (not shown). Furthermore, a fixed shaft 36 is provided between the chains 34 and 34a.
has been erected. This fixed shaft 36 has a bearing 3
A gripper head 38 is provided via 7.
A plurality of grippers 39 are provided hanging below the gripper head 38.
Due to the action of the bearing 37, it is always in a hanging state due to its own weight. In addition, gripper head 3
8 and the gripper 39 are prevented from swinging by a rocking stop device 40 using a link mechanism. The machine frame 30 includes a first limit switch 42 and a second limit switch 4 that detect the movement of the gripper head 38 integrated with the gripper 39.
4 is installed. The first limit switch 42 and the second limit switch 44 are activated by contact between a press plate 46 attached to the chain 34. (Operation) The operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. When the gripper head 38 passes the top of the rotating sprockets 32, 32a and reaches a position where it can be lowered by its own weight by driving the chains 34, 34a by the motor, the first limit switch 42 is activated.
detects this, activates the brake, and stops the motor. When the transported bottles B are aligned and stopped at a predetermined position, an alignment signal is sent and the brake of the motor is released. As a result, the motor becomes free, and the gripper 39 descends at a low speed under its own weight using resistance such as mechanical friction of the motor and the transmission mechanism between the motor and the gripper. When the lowered gripper fits into the neck of bottle B and reaches a position where it can be gripped, the second limit switch 44 detects this and operates the gripping mechanism of the gripper 39 to grip the bottle neck. Then, the motor rotates in the reverse direction to raise the gripper 39 and move the gripped bottle B to the position of the storage box (not shown). When the bottles B are not aligned and stopped at a predetermined position and the alignment signal is not sent, the gripper 39
to wait in the stopped position. After that, when the alignment signal for bottle B is sent, the brake of the motor is released in the same way as above, and the gripper 39 uses resistance such as mechanical friction of the motor and the transmission mechanism between the motor and the gripper to operate at a low speed due to its own weight. Descend and grab bottle B. In this way, the gripper descends at low speed while resisting mechanical friction resistance due to its own weight, so even if the gripper 39 descends without an alignment signal being sent due to some kind of failure, the gripper 39
Since the pressing force is small, bottle B will not be destroyed and there is no risk of damage to the device. Note that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

【Effect of the invention】

The present invention has the above configuration and has the following effects. In other words, when lowering the gripper to grip a bottle, instead of lowering it using a driving force such as an electric motor or compressed air as in the past, the motor with a brake is stopped and then the brake is released. By using resistance such as mechanical friction in the transmission mechanism between the grippers, it is lowered at a low speed by its own weight. Therefore, even if the gripper falls due to malfunction when the bottle is not aligned and stopped at the specified position, the pressing force of the gripper is small, so the bottle will not be destroyed and the equipment will not be damaged. There is no need to worry about damage. In this way, a simple mechanism has the same function as the conventional bottle gripping device without the need for a complicated safety device, which reduces failures and reduces manufacturing costs.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of essential parts showing an embodiment of the present invention. 39: Grizpur.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A method for driving a gripper in a caser or an uncaser, in which the gripper is lowered to grip a bottle that has been aligned and stopped, and then the gripper is driven to move the gripped bottle to another position. , This driving method is a process in which, when the gripper reaches a position where it can be lowered by its own weight, the brake of the motor with a brake that drives the gripper to move up and down is activated, thereby stopping the gripper; When the bottles are aligned and stopped at a predetermined position, , the step of releasing the operation of the brake and lowering the gripper at a low speed by its own weight using resistance such as mechanical friction of the motor and the transmission mechanism between the motor and the gripper; the lowered gripper fits into the bottle neck; When the gripper is in a position where it can be gripped, the gripper is actuated to grip the bottle neck, and the gripper is driven by the motor to move the bottle to another position; driving method.