JP2000109184A - Head cap holding device in capping apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cause a rotating force of a capping head under a self-rotation of its throat section to be transferred to a cap through a ball or a disk. SOLUTION: A lower part of a throat 6 of a capping head is provided with through-holes 8a, 8a... and 8b, 8b... of which inner ends are reduced at their diameters. Balls 11a, 11a... having the same outer shape as that of a curvature of each of the grooves 10a, 10a... at the outer circumferential surface of the cap 9a are fitted to the through-pass holes 8a, 8a... and each of at least more than three disks 11b, 11b... having the same thickness and having the same arc as that of a curvature of the grooves 10b, 10b... at the outer circumferential surface of the cap 9b are fitted to the through-holes 8b, 8b... in correspondence with the grooves 10a, 10a... and 10b, 10b... so as to be rotated in an equal angular spaced-apart relation. In this case, outer ends of these balls 11a, 11a... and the disks 11b, 11b... are abutted against the inner circumferential surface of the metallic outer cylinder 12 or a metallic piece 13 having a smooth surface fitted to the throat 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cap retainer for a head in a capping apparatus for wrapping a cap around the mouth of a container, and more particularly to a head for a capping apparatus for wrapping a plastic cap manufactured by soft to semi-rigid injection molding. Related to a cap retainer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-52793 or Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 7-31693, a head cap retainer in a conventional capping apparatus is provided with a rubber ring inside a head in which a cap is fitted so as to be able to move in and out inward and backward. The cap is vertically supported by the protruding balls, and the rotational force is transmitted to the cap by engaging the serrations or projections provided on the inner peripheral surface of the head with the outer peripheral surface of the cap. In addition, in the registered utility model No. 44485, a ball which is always pressed against the inner surface by a screw-type ammunition always projects partly into a hole in the center of the socket to support the bottle cap. Further, instead of using balls and serrations as in JP-A-55-29428, the rubber ring is pressed from above to project the inner peripheral surface inward, and the cap is supported in the up-down direction, and the rubber ring is pressed against the rubber ring. There is also a grip system in which rotational force is transmitted to the cap by frictional force. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open
A plurality of ring-shaped segment-shaped components such as -187290 are brought inward by an external force from above, the cap is held by the stress, and the rotational force is transmitted by the frictional force with the segments. Was.

[0003]

However, in the conventional apparatus described above, in a system as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-29428, an external force such as pressurized air for compressing and deforming an elastic ring made of rubber or the like from above is used. Required, requires a complicated mechanism for its transmission, and is large in size and heavy in weight. Therefore, the flywheel effect of the rotating body at high speed GD ² (weight of rotating body: W (Kgf), rotating diameter: D (m), radius: r = D / 2
GD ² = W × 2r ² (Kgf · m ² ), and as can be seen, the flywheel effect increases with the square of the diameter as the outer diameter of the flywheel, ie, the outer diameter of the head part, increases. . ) Is large, so that the stability of the tightening torque is lacking, while abrasion powder generated by abrasion of the rubber itself is mixed into the product.

Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-187290, a system using segments is also disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-294.
28 No. as well as GD ² is large, lacks high speed, because of the friction type, with knurled itself segments or cap wear, it has occurred that the scum is mixed into the product. Further, similarly to the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-29428, there is a disadvantage that an external force such as pressurized air for moving the segment inward and a complicated mechanism for transmitting the force are required. But only a ball projecting retractably as Registered Utility Model No. 44485, which can be small flywheel effect GD ^2, when diverted capped winding tightening device, the ball of the outer peripheral surface of the cap knurls Over the ridge between the grooves, and cannot be tightened.

On the other hand, if the flywheel effect GD ² is relatively small, the actual open flat tire No.
No. 3,169,931. However, when serrations provided on the inner peripheral surface of the head are engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the cap, the knurl of the cap is manufactured by injection molding of plastic. For this reason, there is no precision such as machining, and deformation and bending always occur, so that the knurl is inserted while cutting a part of the knurl by serration. For this reason, the cap may be damaged and the aesthetics may be impaired, reducing the commercial value, shavings may adhere to the machine and cause various mechanical problems, and shavings may be mixed into the container and cannot be shipped as a product. It is a serious defect to cause. This phenomenon is particularly remarkable when the serration itself is a non-movable body and the mesh length is long. In particular, in the groove 10 of the knurl of the cap 9 as shown in FIG. 5 (a), as shown in FIG. When the serration is engaged with the knurl, the valley of the knurl is easily cut off, and in the case of the grip system, friction is transmitted only to the outwardly swelled portion, causing slip. In each case, chips and abrasion powder are generated.

[0006] The use of knurls on the outer peripheral surface of the cap also depends on the overall design of the product in which the cap is used, but usually, when the product is delivered to the consumer, the consumer tries to open the cap. In order to prevent slipping and opening when it is done, it is usual to adopt a non-slip as the main purpose, and determine the tightening torque of each cap to secure sealing depending on the type of contents, etc. Generally, the details of the knurl are determined so that the cap commercialized according to the standard can be easily opened. On the other hand, soft to semi-rigid injection-molded plastic caps have large dimensional errors and deformation compared to machining due to their manufacturing means,
In addition, there is also deformation due to thinning, and in order to fit the ball of the present invention rotatably, the tip of the through-hole is reduced in diameter at 90 to 120 degrees. In consideration of machining accuracy and angle accuracy of diameter reduction, the size of the ball protruding from the inner wall surface of the throat is about several percent of the diameter of the ball. Has a diameter of at least 3
Since が 5 mm or more is required, the knurl must have a curvature equal to or larger than the curvature corresponding to the diameter. In the case of a knurl with a curvature equal to or less than the above curvature, the ball does not adhere to the groove of the knurl and causes a problem in transmission of rotational force,
Further, when the ball diameter is reduced, a problem occurs in preventing the ball from falling off at the reduced diameter portion, and the holding of the cap is also hindered. As described above, when the knurl width on the outer peripheral surface of the cap becomes narrow, it becomes impossible to hold the ball and transmit the rotational force.

In the following description, two types of caps having the same outer dimensions but differing only in the width of the knurled groove on the outer peripheral surface thereof are shown in FIG. Is the cap 9b, and the wider groove itself is the groove 10a, and the narrower groove is the groove 10b.
The cap 9 and the groove 10 are referred to as cap 9 and groove 10, respectively, when it is not necessary to distinguish them in the description.

When the cap 9 is held by using a ball protruding inward from the holder, the width of the groove 10a of the knurl of the cap 9a is 3 to 5 as shown in FIG.
In the case of about 9 mm, the size of the ball closely contacting the groove is a practical size, but in the case of a cap 9b having a narrow groove 10b having a groove width of about 2 mm or less, the diameter of the ball 11a is reduced to the groove 9b. To make close contact, it must be made smaller, but there is a limit to this. If a ball having a diameter suitable for the groove 10a is used, as shown in FIG. The contact between the ball 11a and the groove 10b of the knurl is greatly reduced, the torque transmission capability is reduced, the cap 9b and the ball 11a idle, and the torque for tightening the cap is properly adjusted. Not only does it fail, but it also damages the knurl side walls.

For this purpose, the inventor of the present invention has invented a device using a disk 11b instead of the ball 11a as shown in FIG.
b, the width of the groove 10 of the knurl of the cap 9 is reduced when the cap 9a and the cap 9b are used alternately or mixed, or when the form of the outer periphery of the cap is changed such as by changing the pitch of the knurl of the cap 9. If it changes, replace the capping head with a ball 11a or disc 11
It is necessary to replace it with the one using b.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention addresses these drawbacks and provides a capping device for winding two or more types of caps having the same external dimensions and differing only in the width of the knurled groove on the outer peripheral surface thereof into a container. Without changing the capping head every time the width of 10 changes, the conventional serration is unnecessary, and the outer peripheral surface of the cap is not damaged when engaging with the outer peripheral surface of the cap, and no shavings are generated. Further, the engagement between the throat 6 and the cap 9 does not require a power such as an external force from above and a control device therefor. Further, the structure can be simple and small, and the cap can be securely tightened with an appropriate tightening torque. It is intended to provide a cap retainer capable of performing the following.

[0011]

According to the present invention, a through hole 8a whose inner end is reduced in diameter is formed in a lower portion of a throat 6 of a capping head.
.. And 8b, 8b.
a, 8a... have grooves 10a on the outer peripheral surface of the cap 9a,
Balls 11a, 11a having the same outer shape as the curvature of 10a.
, The through holes 8b, 8b,... Have the same thickness as the grooves 10b, 10b,... On the outer peripheral surface of the cap 9b, and the disks 11b, 11b,. And at least three grooves 10a, 10a,.
and the outer ends of the balls 11a, 11a... and the disks 11b, 11b. Metal outer cylinder 12 or metal piece 13 with smooth surface
2 is a cap retainer for a head in a capping device which is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the head.

[0012]

The throat 6 of the capping head descends while revolving, and synchronously with the throat 6, for example, as shown in FIG.
., Or the disks 11b, 11 are fitted from above into a cap 9 supplied by known cap supply means as shown in FIG.
.. wrap around the ridges between the grooves 10, 10... by the taper having a smaller diameter as it goes above the cap 9, and the balls 11a, 11a. Is the groove 1 on the outer peripheral surface of the cap 9
0, 10... Are smoothly guided and fitted. FIG. 8A shows a cap 9a, a ball 11a, and a disk 11b.
The ball 11a is in close contact with the groove 10a of the cap 9a, slightly compresses the elastic piece 14 via the metal piece 13, and holds the cap 9a by the reaction force.
On the other hand, the disk 11b is not in contact with the groove 10a.
FIG. 8C shows a state in which the cap 9b is fitted to the ball 11a and the disk 11b. The ball 11a is closely attached to the upper end of the groove 10b of the cap 9b, and compresses the elastic piece 14 via the metal piece 13. The cap 9a is held by the reaction force. On the other hand, the disk 11b is in close contact with the groove 10b.

The throat 6 starts rotating after the mating is completed, and thus the rotational force of the capping head due to the rotation of the throat 6 is applied to the throat 6 by the balls 11a, 11a.
Alternatively, the light is transmitted to the cap 9 via the disks 11b, 11b, and the cap 9 is wound around the container. FIG. 8B shows a state in which the throat 6 rotates and transmits the rotational force to the cap 9a after the fitting shown in FIG.
1a is further retracted by the transmitted torque, and the retraction compresses the rear elastic piece 14, and the cap 9
a while transmitting a part of the rotational force to the disk 11b.
Is in a non-contact state as shown in (a) in the fitted state, but the ball 11a retreats as described above, so that the relative relationship with the cap 9a changes, and the ball 11a comes into close contact with the side wall of the groove 10a, and the rotational force To communicate. That is, the rotation force is transmitted by both the ball and the disk. On the other hand, in the case of the cap 9b,
As shown in FIGS. 8 (c) and 8 (d), the rotation force is substantially transmitted only by the disk 11b which is in close contact with the groove 10b.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 3 are a vertical sectional view and a plan sectional view of a cap retainer below a revolving and rotating head in a capping apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, a cylindrical throat holder 2 is fitted to a rotating shaft 1 below the revolving head so as to rotate through a vertical movement and a rotation transmitting pin 3, and is fitted to a stopper 5 at a lower end of the rotating cloth 1 by a spring 4. Press it.

An upper outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical capping head throat 6 is screwed to a lower inner peripheral surface of the throat holder 2 with a screw 7. , And 8b, 8b,... Are alternately provided at equal angular intervals in the radial direction corresponding to the grooves 10, 10,. Are reduced in diameter, and the through holes 8a, 8a,.
As shown in (b), the through holes 8b, 8b.
(C) As shown in (d), each inner end has a vertical angle of 90 °.
A frustoconical surface and a truncated pyramid surface of about 120 ° are formed. The through holes 8a, 8a,...
The balls 11a having the same outer shape as the curvatures of 0a, 10a,.
.., And the through holes 8b, 8b... Have the same thickness as the width of the grooves 10b on the outer peripheral surface of the cap 9b and the same circular arc as the curvature of the grooves. ,
11b... Are fitted into the through holes so that at least three or more of them 11b rotate at equal angular intervals in the radial direction corresponding to the grooves 10 of the cap 9, respectively. These balls 11a, 11a... And disks 11b, 11b.
.. Or 8b, 8b... Does not escape inward. The outer ends of the balls 11a, 11a... And the disks 11b, 11b.
3 against the inner peripheral surface. More specifically, the ball 11
a, 11a,... through metal pieces 13 and elastic pieces 14 having smooth surfaces, and the outer ends of the disks 11b, 11b. The metal outer cylinder 12 is brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface.

Next, the operation of this apparatus will be described. The throat 6 of the capping head descends while revolving and, in synchronism therewith, fits from above into a cap 9 supplied by a known cap supply means such as shown in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-232797. 11a,
11a... Or balls 11a, 11a... And disks 11b, 11b.
0 ... and the balls 11a, 11
.. or balls 11a, 11a... and disks 11b, 11b.
.., And the cap 9 is fitted with the balls 11a, 11a.
11a... And the disks 11b, 11b. Throat 6
The rotation of the throat 6 is started by the rotation of the throat 6, and the rotating force of the throat 6 is increased by the balls 11a, 11a... And the disks 11b, 11b.
, And the cap 9 is wound around the container.

That is, in the case of the cap 9a having a large knurl groove 10, the balls 11a, 11a.
.. acts to transmit the rotational force, and in the case of the small cap 9b having the groove 10 of the knurl, the disk 11b,
11b act to transmit the rotational force. Therefore, even if the width of the groove 10 of the knurl of the cap 9 changes, both can be accommodated, and the capping head is connected to the balls 11a, 1b.
1a... Or disks 11b, 11b.

As shown in FIG. 6, the soft to semi-rigid plastic cap 9 has a groove width on the outer peripheral surface, and is fitted so as to rotate at an equal angular interval in the radial direction corresponding to the groove. By being engaged with a throat having a plurality of combined balls and disks, the throat can be held and transmitted with a rotating force, and can be further reduced in size and weight without generating cutting debris and abrasion powder. GD ² (flywheel effect) of the head including the throat is minimized, and the tightening torque is greatly stabilized.
In addition, a complicated mechanism such as an external force for holding the cap or a control device for the external force is not required, and a capping device that is inexpensive and easy to handle can be provided.

[0019]

As described above, in the present invention, the balls 11a, 11a... And the disks 11b, 11b.
The grooves 10 on the outer peripheral surface of the cap 9
10 are smoothly guided and fitted to each other, so that positioning between the throat 6 and the cap 9 is unnecessary, and the rotational force of the rotation of the throat 6 is smaller than that of the throat 6 by the ball 11.
a, 11a... and the discs 11b, 11b... are transmitted to the cap 9, so that conventional serrations are unnecessary, and the outer periphery of the cap when engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the cap like serrations. There is no such thing as scratching the surface, impairing the appearance and lowering the product value, cutting chips adhering to the machine and causing various mechanical problems, shavings entering the container and making it impossible to ship as a product In addition, since the engagement between the throat 6 and the cap 9 does not require a power such as an external force from above and a control device therefor, the holding of the cap and the transmission of the rotational force are minimized, the weight is simple and light. The structure is simple and compact, the load on the main motor can be reduced, and its characteristics are not impaired. In the present invention, the disk 1
1b, 11b... Are used, so that even if the width of the groove of the knurl of the cap becomes small, the disks 11b, 11b.
..Caps that securely contact the bottom of the groove of the knurl, do not reduce the torque transmission capacity, and do not damage the side wall of the knurl, and can securely wind the cap with the proper tightening torque. It is.

In the present invention, the balls 11a, 1
1a... And the disks 11b, 11b... Are used, so that the cap 9a and the cap 9b are used alternately or mixedly or in the form of the outer periphery of the cap such as a change in the knurl pitch of the cap 9. By the change, even if the width of the groove 10 of the knurl of the cap 9 is changed, it can be adapted to both, and the capping head can be changed to the balls 11a, 1
It is not necessary to replace the disk with only the disks 1a... Or only the disks 11b, 11b.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a cap retainer below a head in a capping device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are enlarged views of main parts B and C of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

4A and 4B are a sectional view and an end view of the through hole 8a in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 4C and 4D are a sectional view and an end view of the through hole 8b in FIG.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are explanatory views showing states before and after reducing the thickness at the time of molding the cap.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are a plan view and a side view of the cap 9a, FIGS. 6B and 6D are a plan view and a side view of the cap 9b,
(E) is a comparison diagram of the grooves of the caps 9a and 9b.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are explanatory views showing details of the state of engagement between the caps 9a and 9b and the ball, respectively.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are explanatory views of a fitting state of the cap 9a and the throat and a state of transmitting a rotational force, and FIG.
(D) is an explanatory view of a fitting state of the cap 9b and the throat and a state of transmitting a rotational force.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a case where a disk is used instead of a ball.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6 Throat 8a Through-hole for ball 8b Through-hole for disk 9a Cap with wide groove on outer peripheral surface 9b Cap with narrow width of groove on outer peripheral surface 10a Groove on outer peripheral surface of cap of 9a 10b Groove on outer peripheral surface of cap of 9b 11a, 11a ... Ball 11b, 11b ... Disk 12 Outer cylinder 13 Metal piece 14 Elastic body piece

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A lower portion of a throat (6) of a capping head has through holes (8a, 8a...
b, 8b,...), and the through holes (8a, 8a,.
・) Have grooves (10a, 10a) on the outer peripheral surface of the cap (9a).
a.) of the same shape as the curvature of the ball (11a, 11a).
...), the through holes (8b, 8b ...) have the same thickness as the grooves (10b, 10b ...) on the outer peripheral surface of the cap (9b), and have the same arc as the curvature of the grooves. Disk (11
b, 11b,...) at least three grooves (10
a, 10a... and 10b, 10b...) so as to rotate at equal angular intervals in the radial direction, and the balls (11a, 11a.
b ...) has an outer end which is fitted into the throat (6) and which has a smooth surface, and which comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of a metal outer cylinder (12) or a metal piece (13). vessel. 2. The balls (11a, 11a...)
The outer end is directly inserted into the throat (6) through the metal piece (13) and the elastic piece (14) having a smooth surface and directly on the disk (11b, 11b...). The cap retainer according to claim 1, wherein the cap retainer is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder (12).