JPH0729667B2 - Method and device for automatically attaching inner plug to filling container - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for automatically attaching an inner stopper to a filling container that requires an inner stopper in industries such as pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, foods, and cosmetics. is there.

[Conventional technology]

In a conventional container for filling a liquid agent or the like, when tilting the container to pour the internal liquid from the spout of the container, or when returning the container to the original after pouring, from the edge of the spout to the outer wall surface of the container There were many phenomena that the liquid drips. And as a method of preventing this liquid dripping, there is a method of adjusting the shape of the container mouth to prevent liquid dripping, or a method of attaching a cylindrical inner plug with an open bottom, a so-called hollow inner plug to the spout, etc. Are known.

However, in the method of shaping the shape of the container mouth, it can not be said that the cost of making a container is high and it is not common,
At present, the hollow inside plug is often used.

As an example of mounting such an inner plug, an example using a cap with a built-in stopper is known, but this type of inner plug has a drawback that burrs are generated around the inner plug after opening. there were. If such burrs are present, the liquid will not be drained well, and in the case of pharmaceuticals, it is undeniable that part of the burrs may be mixed into the drug solution, leading to contamination. Furthermore, if you try to fill gas or liquid at the same time with the inner plug attached,
It becomes a large-scale installation and is expensive.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4 which does not have such a problem, a hollow cylindrical inner plug (1 with a collar (18) at the upper end is provided.
In addition to the cap, the one which is attached to the spout (8) of the container (7) in advance as shown in FIG. 5 is used.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, in order to attach the improved inner stopper as shown in FIG. 4 to the spout of the container, it is currently done by hand.

That is, conventionally, many machines are known for attaching blocking plugs to the spouts of various types of containers, but most of them are of the type that is to be attached to a cap or a cap-incorporating type cap. However, it was not applicable to the attachment of the inner plug. Therefore, at present, the inner plug is attached manually, and it has been desired to mechanize it.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

As a result of studies in view of the above, the present invention provides an inexpensive and simple device for automatically mounting inner plugs on a compact filling container and a method thereof.

That is, according to the method of the present invention, hollow cylindrical inner plugs having a flange at the upper end that are continuously supplied are individually separated and further intermittently sent to opening and closing claws to open and close the inner plug with the flange facing upward. After gripping with the claw, insert the lower end of the needle with the inside plug, which has an outer diameter approximately the same as the minimum inner diameter of the hollow part, into the hollow part of the inside plug from above the claw, and open the opening and closing claw at the same time. Holding the inner plug on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end, further lowering the mounting needle, and press-fitting the inner plug into the spout of the filling container supplied below the opening / closing claw. .

Further, in another method of the present invention, instead of the hollow mounting needle of the above means, an inner plug mounting needle having a hollow passage opened at the lower end surface is used, and after the inner plug is pressed into the spout, the hollow mounting needle is hollow. It is characterized in that the filling material is injected into the container through the passage.

Further, the device of the present invention, the supply device for continuously feeding the hollow cylindrical inner plug having a collar at the upper end, and is installed in the middle of the supply chute for continuously moving the fed inner plug,
In addition, after the continuous movement of the inner plug is temporarily stopped, the leading inner plug is separated one by one and intermittently fed, and the intermittently fed inner plug is fed from the tip of the supply chute. , A transfer device for feeding the inner plug to the opening / closing claw that holds the flange upward, and above the opening / closing claw, the outer diameter of the lower end is approximately the same as the minimum inner diameter of the hollow part of the inner plug, and The filling container is provided below the opening / closing claw holding the inner plug, and the upper needle for mounting the inner plug is lowered to lower the lower end portion of the inner plug. Insert into the hollow part,
At the same time, the opening / closing claw is opened to hold the inner plug on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion, and the inner plug mounting needle is lowered to bring the protruding portion of the mounting needle into contact with the collar of the inner plug to open the inner plug. It is characterized by being press-fitted into the spout of the filling container.

Furthermore, another one of the devices of the present invention comprises an inner plug mounting needle having a hollow passage opened at the lower end surface, in place of the inner plug mounting needle of the above device, and after press-fitting the inner plug into the spout, The filling is injected into the container through the hollow passage of the mounting needle.

[Operation and Example]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to examples. The material of the inner plug used below may be synthetic resin, rubber or the like, but when the purpose of the inner plug is to prevent dripping, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride or the like is preferable. Can be raised.

Example 1 First, an outline of the entire apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.

An aligning and feeding machine (1) for continuously feeding the inner stoppers by aligning the collar with the flange upward is installed at one end, and the inner stoppers fed from this are supplied to the upper portion of the inclined supply chute (2). . Then, the inside plugs that move in a row on the chute (2) are separated one by one by an intermittent feeding device (3) installed in the middle of the supply chute (2), and the lower part of the supply chute (2). Move to the tip. Next, the inner plug is sent from its tip to the opening / closing claw (5) by the transfer device (4),
It is gripped here. Further, it is attached to the spout (8) of the filling container (7) supplied below the opening / closing claw (5) by the inner plug mounting needle (6) installed above the opening / closing claw (5).

Next, such a device will be described in more detail.

In FIG. 1, the feeder (1) in which the hollow inner plugs are arranged in a line with the flange side facing upward and continuously fed out may be a normal vibrating parts feeder or the like.

The supply chute (2) provided with an inclination so as to move the inner plug by its own weight or by vibration has a structure in which the lower surface side of the flange portion of the inner plug is supported by two rails.

The intermittent feeding device (3) at the center of the supply chute (2) is, as shown in detail in FIG. 2, an M-shaped hook having two hook hands (9a) and (9b). By rotating the central portion about the rotation axis (11) within an angle range of about 90 ° from the state shown in Fig. 2, the inner plug (10a) (1) that moves continuously
0b) (10c) ... are separated one by one at the head and sent downstream. That is, in the movement of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, the hook (9a) on the downstream side is first lowered and the head of the continuously moving inner plug (10a) is locked. When an inner plug is required at the downstream opening / closing claw (5), the signal causes the M-shaped hook to rotate around the rotation shaft (11) so that the hand (9a) of the hook rises. As a result, the inner stopper (10
a) moves on the supply chute (2) to the downstream side. At the same time, the hook (9b) on the upstream side is lowered and the second stopper (10
Since it enters the hollow part of b), it is locked and the second and subsequent inner stoppers do not move. Next, when the hook is rotated about the rotating shaft (11) in the opposite direction by about 90 °, the hook's hand (9b) inserted in the hollow part of the upstream side inner plug (10b) moves between the inner plugs. In order to prevent the hooks from overlapping with each other, the inside plug is moved upward while being disengaged from the inside plug (10b). Therefore, the continuously connected inner plugs (10b) (10c) move to the downstream, but since one hook's hand (9a) is lowered, these inner plugs are again in the second position.
It is locked in the state shown.

As the intermittent feeding device (3), there is a rotation system using a cam plate in addition to the swinging system of the hook. This is the third
As shown in the figure, using a rotating cam plate (13) with a plurality of protrusions (12) protruding radially from the outer peripheral surface, first insert the protrusions (12) into the hollow part of the inner plug (10a) at the beginning. Inner stoppers (10a) (10b) that are continuously connected by being placed
(10c) Stop moving. When the inner plug is required on the downstream side, the signal causes the rotary cam plate (13) to rotate around the rotary shaft (11) by an angle corresponding to one protrusion in the direction of the arrow in the figure. By this operation, the first inner plug (10a) is separated and moved downstream, and the rotating protrusion (12) is inserted into the hollow portion of the second inner plug (10b), and the second and subsequent inner plugs (10) are inserted. 10b) (10c) ... are again locked by the cam plate (3). At this time, the number and length of the protrusions are appropriately determined depending on the diameters of the inner plug and the hollow portion.

As the material of the two hooks (9a) (9b) in the swinging device of the intermittent feeding device (3) and the protrusion (12) in the rotating method, metal or synthetic resin can be used, but it is preferable. Is more effective than stainless steel or Teflon.

A pressing guide (14) is provided on the supply chute (2) at the position where the intermittent feeding device (3) is installed so that the flanges of the moving inner plugs do not overlap each other.

The inner plug separated by the intermittent feeding device (3) and sent to the downstream of the supply chute (2) is the supply chute (2).
Self-propelled to the tip of. Then, the inner stopper stopped at the tip portion is reliably sent to the opening / closing claw (5) further ahead by the transfer device (4) such as a feed cylinder. An air blowing nozzle may be used instead of the feed cylinder.

The opening / closing claw (5) grasps the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of the inner plug (10), which has moved with the flange upward, from the side, and holds or separates in that direction at that position.

At this time or in advance, the filling container (7) to which the inner plug (10) should be attached is supplied below the opening / closing claw (5), and the container (7) which is the press-fitting point of the inner plug (10) is poured. The center line of the mouth (8) and the center line of the inner stopper (10) held by the opening / closing claw (5) are aligned.

The inner plug mounting needle (6) is operated in such a state that the outer diameter of the lower end of the inner plug mounting needle (6) is almost the same as the minimum inner diameter of the hollow portion of the inner plug (10). The projection (15) is formed in the central part. The inner stopper needle (6) is installed at a position where its axis is substantially aligned with the center line of the inner stopper (10). Then, the inner plug mounting needle (6) is lowered to insert the lower end portion thereof into the hollow portion of the inner plug (10). At this time, the opening / closing claw (5) is simultaneously opened to release the grasping of the inner plug (10) by the opening / closing claw (5), but the outer diameter of the lower end of the inner plug mounting needle (6) and the minimum inner diameter of the hollow part Are almost equal, so the inside plug (1
0) is retained by engaging with the lower end. Then, by further lowering the inner stopper attachment needle (6), the lower end of the inner stopper attachment needle (6) is inserted into the spout (8) of the container (7), and then the inner stopper (10) is also removed. Hit the spout (8). Subsequently, the inner plug mounting needle (6) descends and the protrusion (15) contacts the brim. However, since the inner plug mounting needle (6) still descends, the inner plug is attached to the spout (8) by the protrusion (15). ) Is press-fitted in and the installation of the inside plug is completed.

The shape of the lower surface of the protruding portion (15) may be any shape, but it is preferable that the protruding portion (15) is brought into contact with the flange of the inner plug (10) with a flat surface.

According to the above device, the inner plug can be automatically attached.

<Example 2> In the inside plug automatic mounting device described in Example 1 above, a hollow passage (16) is formed in the axial direction in the inside plug mounting needle (6) as shown in FIG. The filler needle (6) is opened at the lower end surface, and the filler introduction tube (17) is attached to the upper end.

According to such a device, gas, liquid,
When it is necessary to fill a filling material such as powder or granules,
After lowering the inner plug attachment needle (6) to press the inner plug into the spout (8), the tube (17) and the hollow passage (16)
The filling can be injected through. If a flow rate adjusting device is provided in the middle of the tube (17), it is convenient to adjust the flow rate of the fluid to be filled.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, the following effects are achieved.

(1) By using the device for automatically mounting inner plugs of the present invention,
The inner plug mounting work that was performed by hand is automated, which greatly reduces the inner plug mounting time and labor, and greatly improves workability.

(2) By hollowing the inner plug mounting needle with the protruding portion for mounting the inner plug, gas or liquid etc. can be filled into the container at the same time as the mounting work, and the process can be shortened. To do.

(3) The device of the present invention is an inexpensive, simple and compact device that can be attached to an existing machine as a unit, and maintenance and inspection are easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of essential parts showing an intermittent feeding device in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is another example of the intermittent feeding device. 4 is a side sectional view showing an inside plug, and FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a mounted state of the inside plug. 1 ... Alignment feeder, 2 ... Supply chute, 3 ... Intermittent feeding device, 4 ... Transfer device, 5 ... Opening / closing claw, 6 ... Inner stopper needle, 7 ... Filling container, 8 ... Pouring Mouth, 9a, 9b …… Hook's hand, 10,10a, 10b, 10c …… Inner plug, 11 …… Rotating shaft, 12 …… Protrusion, 13 …… Rotating cam plate, 14 …… Pressing guide, 15 …… Protrusion, 16 ... Hollow passage, 17 ... Filling material introduction tube, 18 ...
… Tsuba.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A hollow cylindrical inner plug having a flange at the upper end, which is continuously supplied, is individually separated and further intermittently sent to an opening / closing claw, and the inner plug with the flange facing upward is attached to the opening / closing claw. After grasping by the above, the lower end of the inner plug-attaching needle having an outer diameter substantially the same as the minimum inner diameter of the hollow part is inserted into the hollow part of the inner plug from above the claw, and at the same time, the opening / closing claw is opened to An inner stopper is held on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end, the mounting needle is further lowered, and the inner stopper is press-fitted into the spout of the filling container supplied below the opening / closing claw. Automatic stopper mounting method. 2. A hollow cylindrical inner plug having a flange at the upper end, which is continuously supplied, is individually separated and further intermittently sent to an opening / closing pawl, and the inner plug having the flange facing upward is attached to the opening / closing pawl. After grasping with the claw, the lower end portion of the inner plug-attaching needle having a hollow passage opened at the lower end surface and having an outer diameter substantially the same as the minimum inner diameter of the hollow portion is inserted into the hollow portion of the inner stopper from above the claw. Insert the same, open the opening and closing claw at the same time to hold the inner stopper on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end, further lower the mounting needle, press the inner stopper into the spout of the filling container supplied below the opening and closing claw. A method for automatically mounting an inner plug to a filling container, which comprises injecting a filling material into the container through a hollow passage in the mounting needle. 3. A supply device having a flange at the upper end for continuously feeding hollow cylindrical inner plugs, and a supply chute for continuously moving the fed inner plugs. After temporarily stopping the continuous movement of the, the intermittent feed device that intermittently separates the inner plugs at the beginning and sends them one by one, and the intermittently sent inner plugs from the tip of the supply chute A transfer device that feeds the flange to the open / close claw that holds the flange upward,
Above the open / close claw, the outer diameter of the lower end is approximately the same as the minimum inner diameter of the hollow portion of the inner stopper, and the inner stopper is provided with a protruding portion in the center of the inner stopper, and the inner stopper is attached. The filling container is supplied below the grasped open / close claw, the upper needle for attaching the inner plug is lowered, and the lower end of the needle is inserted into the hollow part of the inner stopper, and at the same time, the open / close claw is opened to the outer peripheral surface of the lower end. A filling method characterized in that the inner plug is held, and the inner plug mounting needle is further lowered to bring the protruding portion of the mounting needle into contact with the collar of the inner plug to press the inner plug into the spout of the filling container. A device that automatically attaches the inner stopper to the container. 4. A supply device having a flange at its upper end for continuously feeding a hollow cylindrical inner plug and a supply chute for continuously moving the fed inner plug, and the inner plug is provided. After temporarily stopping the continuous movement of the, the intermittent feed device that intermittently separates the inner plugs at the beginning and sends them one by one, and the intermittently sent inner plugs from the tip of the supply chute A transfer device that feeds the flange to the open / close claw that holds the flange upward,
Above the open / close claw, the outer diameter of the lower end is approximately the same as the minimum inner diameter of the hollow portion of the inside plug, and there is a protruding portion that projects in the radial direction at the center, and a hollow passage that opens at the lower end surface is provided. It has an inner plug attachment needle and has a filling container supplied below the opening / closing claw that holds the inner plug, and the upper inner plug attachment needle is lowered to insert the lower end into the hollow part of the inner plug, and at the same time open and close. Open the claw to hold the inner plug on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end, and further lower the inner plug mounting needle to bring the protruding portion of the mounting needle into contact with the collar of the inner plug to fill the inner plug. A device for automatically mounting inner plugs into a filling container, which is characterized in that the filling material is injected into the container through a hollow passage in the mounting needle.