JPH0547043B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is capable of inspecting the height and thickness unevenness of bottle-shaped containers, particularly bottle-shaped containers made of plastic, using a single inspection device. The present invention relates to an apparatus for a bottle-shaped container.

[Prior art] In the manufacturing process of bottle-shaped containers, molding is performed depending on the type of container, but sometimes the molding is not sufficient, or the processing is not completed completely. In some cases, defects such as excessive or insufficient container height or uneven thickness may occur. Among these defects, if the height is too high or too low, it may lead to problems such as poor filling of the contents or poor sealing of the crown or caps, leading to deterioration of the quality of the contents. There have been problems in that the sealing of the crown and caps is poor due to a decrease in the water content or buckling of the container, and the appearance of the container is poor.

For this reason, in the manufacturing process of bottle-shaped containers, there is an inspection process for the height and uneven thickness of the container.Here, the height of the bottle-shaped container and the uneven thickness that occurs mainly in the body are inspected. It was being done. These inspections are generally performed using separate inspection equipment immediately after the processing process in which the defects to be inspected are likely to occur; This was due to a sampling inspection carried out at

[Problems to be solved] As mentioned above, the conventional method for inspecting height and thickness unevenness in bottle-shaped containers is to install inspection equipment for each type of inspection and conduct each inspection separately. Ta. For this reason, a large amount of time is spent inspecting the container during the manufacturing process, which poses a problem in reducing manufacturing time. Furthermore, since the inspection devices are scattered, the inspection cannot be performed comprehensively and efficiently, and there is a problem in that an inspector must be assigned to each inspection device.

Furthermore, since the inspection is carried out by human visual inspection or by sampling, there is a problem in that it is not possible to inspect all bottle-shaped container products quickly and accurately.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is capable of inspecting the height and uneven thickness of bottle-shaped containers.
By performing continuous inspection using one inspection device,
The object of the present invention is to provide a bottle-shaped container inspection device that can accurately and quickly inspect all bottle-shaped container products.

[Means for Solving Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the bottle-shaped container inspection device of the present invention includes a mounting table having a surface on which a bottle-shaped container is placed in an upright state, and a mounting table provided above the mounting table. an elevating body, a driving means for vertically moving the elevating body by a constant stroke, and a contacting body elastically supported by the elevating body and abutting against the top of the bottle-shaped container when the elevating body is lowered. , a height detection sensor for measuring the height position of the abutting body when the elevating body is lowered; and a height detection sensor that is supported by the elevating body and when the abutting body is in contact with a bottle-shaped container;
A driving means for lowering the contacting body by a certain stroke in order to apply a predetermined load to the bottle-shaped container, and indirectly or directly measuring the height position of the contacting body when the load is applied to the bottle-shaped container. It is composed of a sensor for inspecting uneven thickness, and a control means for inspecting uneven thickness after detecting the height of the bottle-shaped container.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of an inspection line including the apparatus of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the main parts of the apparatus.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a conveyance line, and 2 is a bottle-shaped container made of blow-molded plastic.
are placed on belt conveyors 1a and 1b and conveyed continuously. Reference numeral 10 denotes an inspection device consisting of a main turret 100 and an inspection machine 200, and is provided in the middle of the conveyance line 1. The transported bottle-shaped container 2 is inspected by the inspection device 10 for the height of the container and the presence or absence of uneven thickness.

The inspection device 10 is equipped with a supply turret 3, a supply auxiliary turret 4, and a delivery turret 5. The supply turret 3 is connected to the inspection device 10 via the supply auxiliary turret 4 from the belt conveyor 1a.
The bottle-shaped container 2 is supplied to the rotary table 113 of the rotary table 113. The delivery turret 5 transports the bottle-shaped containers 2 that have been inspected to the belt conveyor 1 at the subsequent stage.
It is for transferring to b.

Pockets 3a corresponding to the shape of the body of the bottle-shaped container 2 are formed at four locations on the periphery of the supply turret 3. The supply auxiliary turret 4 performs a rotational movement in synchronization with the rotation of the supply turret 3,
The bottle-shaped container 2 on the belt conveyor 1a is supplied to the pocket 3a. Here, the container contacting part 4a of the supply auxiliary turret 4 is formed of a surface having the same curvature as the body of the bottle-shaped container 2, so that the bottle-shaped container 2 can be reliably transferred through surface contact. .

In addition, 6 is a timing spiral synchronized with the supply auxiliary turret 4, and the belt conveyor 1a
The turret 4 is provided to smoothly transfer the bottles 2 sent to the auxiliary supply turret 4.

The delivery turret 5 performs a rotational movement in synchronization with the rotation of the rotary table 113 of the inspection device 10,
The bottle-shaped container 2 on the mounting table is transferred to the subsequent belt conveyor 1b. The bottle connecting portion 5a of the delivery turret 5 is also formed of a surface having the same curvature as the body of the container 2, so that the bottle-shaped container 2 can be reliably transferred through surface contact.

The above-mentioned supply turret 3, supply auxiliary turret 4, and delivery turret 5 are replaceable according to the size and shape of the bottle-shaped container 2 to be transported.

Note that 7 in FIG. 1 is a container presence/absence detection sensor, which detects whether or not a bottle-shaped container is fed from the supply turret 3 to the inspection device 10. Further, 8 is a control section, which controls the operation of the inspection device 10 and related conveyors, turrets, etc. based on various signals.

In FIG. 2, which shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the main parts of the inspection device, 111 is a column, and the upper end is a pedestal 112.
The lower ends are each fixed by a base (not shown). Reference numeral 113 denotes a rotary table rotatably attached to the lower part of the column 111, and a plurality of pockets 114 equipped with a mounting table 114a on which a bottle-shaped container is placed in an upright state are provided at equal intervals on the outer periphery. The rotary table 113 is rotated by a driving force transmitted from a motor (not shown) through a gear 113a. A rotating body 115 is rotatably attached to the support column 111 and rotates integrally with the rotary table 113. Support rods 116 are protruded from appropriate positions on the periphery of the rotating body 115.

Reference numeral 117 denotes a disk holding the inspection machine 200, which is fixed to the support rod 116 and is rotatably attached to the middle part of the support column 111. A cam member 118 is fixed to the support column 111, and a cam groove 118a is provided on the circumferential surface of the cam member. This cam groove 118a
In Fig. 1, the inspection section (approximately between A and B) becomes low, and the non-inspection section (approximately between B and A) becomes low.
It has become high in

Six inspection machines 200 are held on a disk 117 at positions corresponding to the pockets 114 of the rotary table 113. In this inspection machine 200, 2
Reference numeral 11 denotes a holding cylinder whose outer periphery is fixed to a disk 117, and within which an elevating body 212 is supported in a vertically movable manner. 213 is a key piece provided on the side surface of the elevating body 212, and the key groove 2 formed in the holding tube 211
11a to prevent the elevating body 212 from rotating within the holding cylinder, and a cam roller 214 that engages with the cam groove 118a is attached.

Reference numeral 215 denotes an air cylinder mounted on the upper part of the elevating body 212. The upper end of the piston rod serves as a detection end 216 for inspecting uneven thickness, and the lower end is fixed to a connecting rod 217 that moves up and down within the elevating body 212.

A contact member 218 is attached to the lower end of the connecting rod 217 so as to be movable up and down, and a detection end 219 for height inspection is provided on the side thereof. 221 is a pressing spring, which is interposed between the nut 217a fixed in the middle of the connecting rod 217 and the contact body 218;
The contact body 218 is elastically supported and urged downward. This contact body 218 has a reference member 218a rotatably attached thereto, which directly contacts the bottle-shaped container. This reference member 218a does not necessarily need to be provided on the abutting body 218, but is effective in obtaining an accurate abutting state with the container 2.

Reference numeral 222 denotes a sensor for height inspection, which is disposed so as to face the detection end 219 at the position where the height inspection is performed (point C in FIG. 1). Reference numeral 223 denotes a sensor for inspecting thickness unevenness, which is disposed so as to face the detection end 216 at a position (point D in FIG. 1) where uneven thickness inspection is performed. Although various types of sensors can be used, a proximity switch is used in this embodiment.

Next, the operation of the inspection apparatus having the above configuration will be explained.

Bottle-shaped container 2 sent from conveyance line 1
is fed into the supply turret 3 by the supply auxiliary turret 4 and rotated. Here, the presence or absence of a container is determined by the sensor 7, and the result is output to the control section 8. When the control unit 8 receives a signal indicating that there is no container, it performs processing such as ignoring all subsequent test data performed in a pocket in which no container is present.

The bottle-shaped container 2 is then transferred to a supply turret 3.
Rotary table 11 in inspection device 10 by
3 into the pocket 114, and placed on the mounting table 114.
It is placed on a. When the container 2 is placed on the mounting table 114a and rotated and conveyed by the rotary table 113 to point c in FIG. 212 is lowered. Lifting body 2
12 descends to the bottom dead center, the reference member 218a of the contact body 218 comes into contact with the top of the bottle-shaped container. In this state, the distance between the height inspection proximity switch 222 and its detection end 219 is detected by the proximity switch 222, and the height of the container is inspected by comparing it with a set value in the control section 8. .

As a result, if the interval is within the set value, it is determined that it is normal, if it is too large, the container height is insufficient, and if it is too small, the container height is determined to be over.

When this container height inspection is completed, the container 2 is moved to the rotary table 113 according to instructions from the control unit 8.
The material is transported to point D, where a thickness unevenness inspection is performed. That is, the air cylinder 21 of the elevating body 212
5. Air is supplied to the upper chamber, the connecting rod 217 is lowered, and a load is applied from the upper part of the container by the elevating body 212. In this case, if the container has a thin part due to uneven thickness, that part will buckle and the container will shrink. Therefore, the contact body 218 descends and the air cylinder 21
Since the piston link No. 5 also descends, the detection end 216 at the tip of the piston rod facing the proximity switch 223 for thickness unevenness inspection also descends. As a result, the distance between the two 216 and 223 increases, and the proximity switch 223 detects this change and sends it to the control section 8.
In other words, the height position of the abutting body 218 is thereby indirectly measured by the proximity switch 223.

Note that it is also possible to directly inspect the height position of the contact body 218 when a load is applied using the height inspection sensor 222. In this case, the height inspection sensor 222 It can also be used as a sensor for inspecting uneven thickness.

Note that the load can be adjusted by changing the supply pressure to the air cylinder 215 and the amount of compression of the spring 221.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but also includes the following modifications, for example.

Based on height inspection and uneven thickness inspection functions,
In addition to this, the bottle-shaped container inspection device is equipped with other inspection functions (for example, a pinhole inspection function).

A bottle-shaped container inspection device that uses a device that linearly transports containers instead of the main turret that makes up the inspection device.

A bottle-shaped container inspection device in which an elevating body is raised and lowered using means other than cam grooves and cam rollers, such as cylinder means.

A bottle-shaped container inspection device that uses a drive means other than a cylinder, such as a cam mechanism, to apply a load to the container during thickness unevenness inspection.

A bottle-shaped container inspection device that performs a thickness unevenness inspection by measuring the height of a connecting rod between an elevating body and a contacting body using a thickness unevenness inspection sensor.

A bottle-shaped container inspection device in which the supply turret is removed and the containers are sent directly from the auxiliary supply turret to the main turret.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a single inspection device automatically performs height inspection and thickness unevenness inspection of all bottle-shaped container products sent from the production line, etc. be able to. Therefore, the height and thickness deviation of the bottle-shaped container can be quickly and accurately inspected, and the process can be shortened and the number of workers can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of an inspection line including an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the main parts of the apparatus according to the embodiment. 10: Inspection device, 100: Main turret,
200: Inspection machine, 212: Elevating body, 215: Driving means, 217: Connecting rod, 218: Abutting body, 22
1: Spring, 222: Height inspection sensor, 2
23: Sensor for uneven thickness inspection.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A mounting table having a surface on which a bottle-shaped container is placed in an upright state, an elevating body provided above the mounting table, and a driving means for moving the elevating body up and down with a constant stroke. a contacting body that is elastically supported by the elevating body and comes into contact with the top of the bottle-shaped container when the elevating body is lowered; and a height position of the abutting body when the elevating body is lowered. a sensor for detecting a height to be measured, and a sensor that is supported by the elevating body, and when the abutting body is in contact with the bottle-shaped container, the abutting body is held at a certain level in order to apply a predetermined load to the bottle-shaped container. A drive means for lowering the stroke, a sensor for inspecting thickness unevenness that directly or indirectly measures the height position of the abutting body when a load is applied to the bottle-shaped container, and a sensor for detecting the height of the bottle-shaped container. A bottle-shaped container inspection device characterized by comprising a control means for performing a thickness unevenness inspection. 2. A patent characterized in that a thickness unevenness inspection sensor that indirectly measures the height position of a contacting body when a load is applied to a container measures the height position of a moving part in a drive means. A bottle-shaped container inspection device according to claim 1. 3. Claim 1, characterized in that the sensor also serves as a height inspection sensor that directly measures the height position of the abutting body when a load is applied to the container. inspection equipment for bottle-shaped containers.