JPH0688230B2 - Method and device for cutting plastic container - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cutting method and apparatus for cutting plastic containers having various types of circular cross sections (for example, cylindrical plastic containers) at predetermined portions.

[Prior Art and Technical Background] In recent years, interest in water purification has increased, and various purification devices have been developed. In particular, it has been found that the use of a large number of cylindrical plastic products is suitable as a bed for microorganisms and improves the quality of treated water. At that time,
It has been found that the most preferable cylindrical product is a so-called Yakult (trade name) container having a waist in the middle.

Generally, pipe-shaped plastic products can be manufactured by extrusion molding, but it is not possible to manufacture cylindrical products having a waist in the middle.

However, containers of various shapes are usually mass-produced by blow molding, and a container having a waist in the middle is also produced.

For example, when treating about 100 tons of water per day, the purification device requires about 800,000 tubular bodies. Therefore, mass production technology of constricted tubular body is desired,
I haven't found anything satisfying yet.

Therefore, if a container that has already been mass-produced is cut, a cylindrical plastic product having a desired structure can be easily obtained.

It is known to use heater blades when cutting plastic products. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 62-185679 discloses a technique in which a cylindrical film is cut in the axial direction and heat-sealed, but it cannot be applied to the cutting of a cylindrical container.

Generally, the heater wire is unsuitable for use in cutting (a predetermined portion of) a large number of plastic containers in consideration of the life of the heater wire. That is, the life of the heater wire is exhausted while cutting a large number of plastic containers, and the heater wire must be replaced each time, which is very complicated, and it is very difficult to cut plastic containers. There is the problem of increasing the effort expended.

Further, the conventional technique has a problem that continuous cutting is difficult.

Due to various problems as described above, the conventional technique is insufficient for cutting (a predetermined portion of) a large number of plastic containers.

A technique for transporting a bottle lying on a conveyor and cutting it is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 50-22385. However, in such a known technique, the cutting position is specified, and since the cutter is used, the cutting portion becomes sharp and the hand or the like may be damaged in handling.

Further, Japanese Patent Publication No. 45-3350 discloses a technique of separating the flash from the neck of the hollow body. However, such a known technique is applied only to the vicinity of a portion having a groove such as a neck, and the cut portion becomes sharp, and there is a possibility that the hand may be damaged at the cut portion in the subsequent handling work.

[Problem to be solved] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for cutting a plastic container which can easily cut a large amount of plastic containers at a predetermined position and which does not sharpen the cut portion.

[Means for Solving the Problems] According to the method for cutting a plastic container of the present invention, a plastic container having a circular cross section in a traveling passage having a traveling belt on one side and an upright plate on the other side is provided. The shaft is supplied in an upright position, the side surface of the plastic container is engaged and guided by the guide portion of the upright plate provided in the traveling passage, and thus the plastic container is conveyed while being rotated in an upright state, A heater blade extending through the window of the upright plate into the traveling passage cuts a predetermined portion of the plastic container that rotates.

According to the apparatus for cutting a plastic container of the present invention, a traveling belt is provided on one side of a traveling passage that supplies a plastic container having a circular cross section in an upright state, and an upright plate is provided on the other side, and the upright plate is provided. The plate is formed with a guide portion that engages with and guides the side surface of the plastic container, and further has a heater blade that extends through the window portion of the upright plate into the traveling passage and reaches the plastic container that is conveyed while rotating. Has been.

[Operation] Therefore, the container sandwiched by the traveling belt and the guide portion in the traveling passage travels and moves while rotating due to friction with the traveling belt provided on one side of the traveling passage. Then, the body portion comes into contact with the heater blade during the movement, and the periphery is cut by the rotational movement. Therefore, by appropriately setting the position where the heater blade is provided, the cutting process is performed at a predetermined position of the body portion, that is, a portion to be cut.

Therefore, if a plastic container to be cut is manually or automatically arranged in each traveling passage, a predetermined portion of the container can be easily cut and removed.

Here, since the heater blade has a much longer life than heater wires and the like, even if a large number of plastic containers are cut, fatigue damage does not occur, and replacement work is not necessary. . Therefore, it is suitable for cutting a large number of plastic containers.

Since the heater blade melts the cut portion, the cut portion does not become sharp and the hand is not scratched.

Further, the cutting position can be changed by adjusting the position of the heater blade, and the position of the upright plate may be changed according to the diameter of the container, so that any container can be cut at any position.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

1 to 3 show a first cutting device embodying the present invention.
An example is shown. In the first embodiment, the cutting device is provided with a base portion 1, and a traveling path of the container C (reference numeral P in FIG. 3).
The traveling belt 2 is arranged on one side of the. The traveling belt 2 is interlocked with a drive unit (not shown) and a guide roller 3 and is traveling along a holding plate 18 facing the heater blade 7. The holding plate 18 is provided to apply a necessary frictional force between the traveling belt 2 and the container C. The guide roller 3 is rotatably attached to the base 1.

A guide portion 4 that engages with the side surface S of the container C is provided on the opposite side of the traveling belt 2 in the traveling path of the container C, and the surface of the guide portion 4 on the container C side rotates the container C. The shape is such that the container can be rotated and run without tilting the shaft. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the surface of the guide portion 4 on the container C side is flat, and the engagement is set so as to make surface contact with the side surface S of the container C.

As shown in FIG. 3, the guide portion 4 is attached to a comparatively upper portion of a window portion 6 of an upright plate 5 which is vertically installed on the base portion 1. Then, the heater blade 7 projects through the window portion 6,
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heater blade 7 has a main body 8 in which a heater 9 and a thermocouple 10 for temperature control are incorporated. Here, the main body 8 of the heater blade 7 is fixed to the base portion 1 by the bolt 13 via the upper and lower heat insulating plates 11 and 12 and the support portion 12a.

The apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 cuts the top portion T of the container C by the heater blade 7 in a manner described later, but at that time, a strange odor is generated due to melting of the plastic. Therefore, a smoke exhaust duct 14 (Fig. 3) is provided above the heater blade 7. An opening (not shown) is provided on the downstream side of the heater blade 7 and below the opening, and the container Ca removed by cutting the top portion T is collected in the container discharge chute 16 through the opening. There is. Further, a top discharge chute 15a is provided at the end of the upright plate 5 so as to discharge the top T cut from the container C.

Reference numeral 17 in the figure denotes an air nozzle for blowing the top T toward the top discharge chute 15a. Here, although not shown, it is possible to provide an air nozzle that blows off the container Ca whose top T has been cut and removed to the container discharge chute 16.

In order to prevent the guide portion 4 from being affected by the heat of the heater blade 7 and changing its elasticity to cause so-called “blurring” and causing inconvenience in the transportation of the container, the inside of the guide portion 4 is cooled by a tube. It is possible for the medium to flow in.

In operation, when the container C is manually or automatically supplied to the traveling passage P (FIG. 3) on the base 1, the container C is sandwiched between the traveling belt 2 and the upright plate 5, and the arrow Y While rotating in the direction, the traveling belt 2 moves in the traveling direction X, that is, to the right in FIG. Then, even if the side portion S of the container C engages with the guide portion 4, it moves in the arrow X direction while rotating in the arrow Y direction.

When the container C comes into contact with the heater blade 7, the contacted portion is cut, and the top portion T is cut into a ring shape by the rotational movement of the container C and removed from the container C. The container Ca whose top T has been cut is discharged from the container discharge chute 16,
The cut top T is discharged from the top discharge chute 15a.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is a device for cutting the top portion T of the container C, but if the position of the heater blade 7 is adjusted, other desired portions of the container C can be cut. It is possible.

4 to 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the container C has a recess D in the middle of the body T. And this second
The embodiment is shown as cutting a bottom B of a container C having a recess D in the middle of the barrel T. The guide portion 4 is formed with an arcuate convex portion 4a that engages with the concave portion D of the container C.

Since the second embodiment cuts the bottom portion B of the container C, the heater blade 7 is arranged below the case of the first embodiment. A bottom discharge chute 15 for collecting the bottom B of the cut container is provided below the heater blade 7.
Further, a container discharge chute 16 for discharging the container Ca whose bottom B is cut is provided at the end of the upright plate 5. further,
For example, the container Ca is discharged from the container Ca by the air nozzle 17
It is also possible to blow it away.

In the operation of the second embodiment, the recess D of the container C is guided by the guide portion
When the container C is relatively strongly sandwiched and moves in the arrow X direction while rotating in the arrow Y direction, the portion where the heater blade 7 abuts on the same portion T is cut, Container C
The bottom portion B is cut into a ring shape by the rotating motion of the. Then, the cut bottom B is discharged from the bottom discharge chute 15, and the container Ca cut from the bottom B is discharged from the discharge chute 16.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention has the following excellent effects.

(I) The predetermined position of the container can be cut by simply projecting the heater blade into the traveling passage, and the cut portion is melted so that it is not sharp and easy to handle.

(Ii) Since a heater blade is used, it is suitable for mass production with a long life.

(Iii) Since the plastic container is used as the traveling belt and the upright plate and is conveyed while standing upright and rotating, the cutting work and the subsequent processing of the cutting portion and the main body are easy.

(Iv) Various dimensions can be easily cut with a simple structure.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a main part of a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the entire apparatus used in the first embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view of an essential part of a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a front view of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the entire apparatus used in the second embodiment. C: container, P: traveling passage, 1 ... base, 2 ... traveling belt, 4 ... guide, 5 ... upright plate, 6 ... window, 7 ...
... heater blade

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (56) References JP 62-185679 (JP, A) JP 45-3350 (JP, B1) JP 50-22385 (JP, Y1)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plastic container having a circular cross section is supplied with its shaft upright to a traveling passage having a traveling belt provided on one side and an upright plate provided on the other side, and the container is provided in the traveling passage. The guide portion of the upright plate engages and guides the side surface of the plastic container, and thereby conveys the plastic container while rotating in an upright state, and a heater blade extending through the window portion of the upright plate into the traveling passage. A method for cutting a plastic container having a circular cross section, which is characterized in that a predetermined portion of the plastic container which is rotated is cut. 2. A traveling belt is provided on one side of a traveling passage for supplying a plastic container having a circular cross section in an upright state, and an upright plate is provided on the other side, and the upright plate is a side surface of the plastic container. A guide portion for engaging with and guiding with, and further provided with a heater blade extending through the window portion of the upright plate into the traveling passage to reach the plastic container conveyed while rotating. A cutting device for a plastic container having a circular cross section.