JP2000177713A - Container supplying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely separate containers one by one, and to realize the supply even when a peripheral surface of the containers is made almost perpendicular by providing a suction head which has suction parts on a tip surface and a side surface, inserts the suction parts in an opening part of the container at the forward-most tip of the stacked containers, sucks an inner bottom surface of the container by the suction part on the tip surface and sucks an inner side surface of the container by the suction part on the side surface. SOLUTION: A suction head 11 is formed hollow cylindrical, a tip surface 16a of a tip part 16 is formed slightly smaller than a bottom surface of a container, and a side wall 17 is formed almost perpendicular. Four tip suction parts 16b to be communicated with a hollow part of the suction head 11 are provided in the tip part 16, and two side suction parts 17a to be communicated with the hollow part of the suction part 11 are provided on the side wall 17 opposite to each other with an angular interval of 180 deg.. The hollow part of the suction head 11 is communicated with a vacuum device, and the hollow part is evacuated by the vacuum device. Thus, an inner bottom surface and an inner side surface of containers C stacked with their opening part facing downward are sucked by the tip suction part 16b and the side suction part 17a.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container supplying apparatus, and more particularly to a container supplying apparatus capable of surely supplying containers one by one from containers stacked side by side in close contact with each other. It relates to a supply device.

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, as a supply device for a truncated cone-shaped container formed of a flexible material such as plastic or paper having a small thickness, a container in which stacked containers are held with its opening downward. A loading table, a suction head that is inserted into the lowermost container and suctions and separates the inner bottom surface of the container, a vacuum device that depressurizes the suction head to perform a suction operation, and a driving device that drives the suction head. What is provided is known. In this conventional container supply device, a suction unit for suctioning the container is provided at the tip end surface of the suction head, and after inserting the suction head into the lowermost container to suck the bottom surface of the container, the suction head is lowered. Thus, the containers can be supplied separately from the stacked containers one by one.

However, when containers are stacked so that their peripheral surfaces are nearly vertical, the side surfaces of the containers are in close contact with each other, and the bottom surface of the container is adsorbed as in the above-described conventional container supply device. There is a problem that the containers are not easily separated by simply performing the operation, but are separated while a plurality of containers are overlapped at once. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and is a container that can surely be separately supplied one by one even to a container whose peripheral surface is almost vertical. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a supply device.

In order to achieve the above object, a container supply apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is a container supply apparatus for separating and supplying containers one by one from a stacked container. The apparatus has a suction portion on the front end surface and the side surface, is inserted into the opening of the most advanced container among the stacked containers, suctions the inner bottom surface of the container by the front end suction portion, and suctions the container by the side suction portion. This is provided with a suction head for sucking the inner surface. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the container supplying apparatus according to the first aspect, further including an auxiliary suction member for pressing a side surface of the stacked containers toward the side suction unit of the suction head. The container supply device according to claim 3 of the present invention is the container supply device according to claim 1 or 2,
An air ejection head that blows air into a gap between a container that is sucked by the suction head and a container that is not sucked is provided. By configuring the container supply device of the present invention as described above, the container supply device of the present invention,
For example, the suction head is inserted into the lowermost container of the container platform where the stacked containers are held downward, and the suction assisting member approaches from the outside of the container and presses the side of the container toward the side suction part of the suction head. By doing so, the container is deformed and the inner side surface of the container is sucked by the side suction portion of the suction head. afterwards,
When the suction assisting member separates outward, the deformation of the non-sucked container returns to its original state, and a gap is formed between the suctioned container and the non-sucked container to separate the containers. Then, the air blown from the air jet head enters the gap, and the containers can be more easily separated from each other.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 7 show an embodiment of a container supply device of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a container supply device, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a part of a suction head, and FIG.
6 to 6 are enlarged views for explaining the change of the suction head and its surroundings in the step of supplying the containers, and FIG. It is a side view of an apparatus. As shown in FIG. 7, the container supply device 1 is provided above a conveyor 2 for transferring a tray to which containers are supplied. The container supply device 1 and the conveyor 2 are fixed to a covered frame 3. And the caster 4
Is provided so that the entire tray supply device including the container supply device 1, the conveyor 2, and the frame 3 can move. Then, the containers supplied to the trays are transferred by the conveyor 2, taken out together with the trays in the take-out section 5, and supplied to other devices and the like. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the container supply device 1 adsorbs the container stacking table 10 on which the containers C are stacked and placed with the container C facing downward, and the lowermost container among the stacked containers from below. Then, a plurality of suction heads 11 that are separated from other stacked containers and supplied onto a tray,
1 is provided with a vacuum device 13 for reducing the pressure and a driving device 12 for rotating and moving the suction head 11 up and down. A plurality of suction heads 11 are provided in a row on a hollow rotary shaft 15. Each of the suction heads 11 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. , And the side wall 17 is formed substantially vertically. The distal end portion 16 is provided with four distal end suction portions 16b communicating with the hollow portion of the suction head 11, and the side wall 17 faces side suction portions 17a communicating with the hollow portion of the suction head 11 at an interval of 180 degrees. It is provided at two locations. The hollow portion of the suction head 11 is
3 and the hollow portion is depressurized by the vacuum device 13. Therefore, when the vacuum device 13 is operated, air is sucked from the tip suction part 16b and the side suction part 17a, so that the inner bottom face and the inside face of the container are sucked by the tip suction part 16b and the side suction part 17a. . Further, a sliding member 18 that penetrates through the distal end portion 16 and slides up and down by its own weight is provided at the distal end portion 16 of the suction head 11, and the sliding member 18 is attached to the distal end portion 16 with good airtightness. A tapered portion 19 is formed so as to fit into a tapered hole formed on the distal end surface 16a side so as to fit. A locking member 20 is fixed to an end of the sliding member 18 located on the hollow portion side of the suction head 11 with a bolt, and when the suction head 11 rotates and the tip end face 16a faces downward. The sliding member 18 is slid by its own weight and protrudes by a fixed length by the locking member 20 to stop. With this configuration, when the suction head 11 is turned upward, the sliding member 18 slides toward the hollow portion side of the suction head 11 and the hollow portion of the suction head 11 is sealed by the tapered portion 19. Therefore, as described above, the hollow portion is sucked by the vacuum device 13, and the container is reliably sucked by the tip suction portion 16b and the side suction portion 17a. Further, when the suction head 11 is directed downward, the sliding member 18 protrudes from the tip end face 16a of the suction head 11, so that the suctioned container is securely separated from the suction head 11. As described below, the rotating shaft 15 to which the suction head 11 is fixed is turned 180 degrees by the driving device 12 to rotate the suction head 11 upward and downward and to move the suction head 11 up and down. And by moving up and down. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the driving device 12 that rotates the suction head 11 and raises and lowers the rotation shaft 15.
A driven gear 21 that is fixed to and rotates the rotary shaft 15;
A rotating gear 22 for rotating the driven gear 21 and a rotating gear 2
2, a connecting rod 23 connected to the connecting rod 2, a slide frame 26 on which the rotating gear 22, the driven gear 21, and the rotating shaft 15 connected to the connecting rod 23 are installed, and a rail 27 for guiding the slide table 26. The rotating rod 24 is connected to a connecting rod 23 and vertically moved and rocked to rotate the rotating gear 22, a motor 25 for driving the rotating crank 24, and a transmission member for connecting them. I have. The rotating crank 24 is driven and rotated by the motor 25, and the connecting rod 23 is driven by the rotation of the rotating crank 24, and the connecting rod 23 swings and moves up and down. When the connecting rod 23 swings, the rotary gear 22 connected to the connecting rod 23 reciprocates by a predetermined angle, and the driven gear 21 reciprocates by a predetermined angle in accordance with the reciprocating rotation, and is supported by the driven gear 21. Rotating shaft 15 is 1
It reciprocates 80 degrees. The rotation angle of the rotating shaft 15 is
By adjusting the diameter of the rotating crank 24, the length of the connecting rod 23, the number of teeth of the rotating gear 22 and the driven gear 21, etc., 180
Set to the degree. In addition, since the connecting rod 23 moves up and down simultaneously with the swing by the rotation of the rotary crank 24, the turning gear 22, the driven gear 21 and the turning shaft 15 provided on the slide base 26 are guided by the rail 27 to move up and down. It works. Therefore, the suction head 11 fixed to the rotation shaft 15 rises while the suction head 11 is upwardly directed as the rotation shaft 15 rotates,
Further, as the rotating shaft 15 is reversed, the suction head 11 descends while being directed downward. As described above, the suction head 11 is rotated upward by the driving device 12 to ascend upward and enter the inside of the container C. When the vacuum device 13 is operated, the container C is sucked by the suction head 11, and In this state, if the suction head turns downward while rotating, and the vacuum device 13 is stopped, the suctioned container C is detached from the suction head and placed on the tray. . The container loading table 10 has a section in which the container C is placed by the fixing rod 31. The container C is stacked at a position corresponding to the position where the suction head 11 is lifted. Further, the containers C placed in the section formed by the fixing rod 31 are stacked with the opening facing downward, and the suction head 11 can move up and enter the container. I have. Further, the container loading table 10 is provided with an adjusting screw for adjusting the height of the bottom of the lowermost container C to be almost the highest point when the suction head 11 is raised. The height can be adjusted by the handle 32. 40
Is a suction assisting member, and the suction assisting member 40 is provided to reliably suck only the lowermost container from the containers stacked by the suction head 11 and to separate the sucked container from other containers. It is. As shown in FIG. 3, the suction assisting member 40 is formed in a smooth rod shape with a rounded end, and is disposed on the left and right sides of the container below the container placed on the container loading table 10 with the container interposed therebetween. Then, the suction assisting member 40 acts so that the tip thereof contacts the container and presses the side wall thereof, and the inner side surface of the container presses against the side surface suction portion 17a of the side wall 17 of the suction head 11 to deform the side wall of the container. Thus, it is intended to surely perform the suction of the container by the suction head. When the suction assisting member 40 separates from the container, only the container to be sucked is sucked by the suction head 11 to maintain the deformed state, and the container not to be sucked does not exert the suction force of the suction head 11. Since the original shape of the container is restored, a gap is formed between the container to be adsorbed and the container not to be adsorbed, and the containers are separated from each other. The suction assisting member 40 is driven by a hydraulic cylinder, a solenoid, or the like. Numeral 50 denotes an air ejection head, which is provided for reliably separating the adsorbed container from other containers, and is formed between the container to be adsorbed and the container not to be adsorbed. Air is blown into the gap to be made to ensure separation of the container. The air ejection head 50 is provided symmetrically with respect to the suction head 11, and includes a mounting base 51 and a nozzle body 52. The mounting base 51 is supported by a frame so that the vertical position can be adjusted. A female screw for screwing a bolt to the mounting base 51 is drilled, and the nozzle body 52 is mounted on the mounting base 51 so as to be adjustable in position. It can be adjusted so that air is blown from slightly below the depth of the container adsorbed at the position. The nozzle main body 52 is provided with spouts 55 for blowing air between the containers on the left and right sides, respectively, and a supply flow path 56 communicating with the spouts 55 is formed. Is provided in communication with the intake 57.
The air inlet 57 is connected to a supply source such as a blower, a compressor, and an air tank (not shown). In addition,
It is effective that the ejection port 55 is provided slightly inclined to the container side so that air can easily enter the gap between the containers. The nozzle body 52 is provided with a long hole 59, and the nozzle body 52
Is mounted on the mounting base 51 so as to be adjustable by bolts 58.
The nozzle body 52 is moved back and forth on the mounting base 51 so that the nozzle body 52 is located between the side wall 17 of the suction head 11 and the upper edge of the container.
Prior to operation, the container supply device configured as described above first adjusts the height position of the container. Container loading table 1
The container is stacked at 0, and the height of the container loading table 10 is adjusted by the handle 32 to a height at which the tip end surface 16a of the suction head 11 substantially contacts the bottom of the lowermost container. Next, the height of the suction assisting member 40 is set to a position higher than the edge of the lowermost container, and the container is deformed when the suction assisting member 40 approaches. Further, the air ejection head 50 is adjusted. By moving the mounting base 51 up and down, the injection port 5 of the nozzle body 52 is moved.
5 is adjusted to a height slightly lower than the edge of the container stacked at the lowermost stage of the container loading table 10, and if the position of the injection port 55 is too far from the suction head 11, the nozzle body 52 is attached to the mounting base 51. Is loosened, the nozzle body 52 is brought close to the suction head 11 to a predetermined position, and the bolt 58 is tightened and fixed at an appropriate position. When the adjustment of the container loading table 10, the suction assisting member 40, and the air ejection head 50 is completed, the tray supply device is operated to sequentially supply the trays to the conveyor 2, and the conveyor 2 sends the trays under the container supply device 1. To wait. In this case, if the container supply device 1 is operated continuously and the conveyor 2 is stopped only at the moment when the containers are transferred from the container supply device 1 to the tray, the containers can be efficiently transferred from the container supply device 1 to the tray. Can be. Then, in the container supply device 1, the motor 25 is driven to rotate the rotary crank 24, and the connecting rod 23 connected to the rotary crank 24 is driven to move up and down while swinging. The swinging of the connecting rod 23 causes the rotating gear 22 to rotate, the driven gear 21 meshed with the rotating gear 22 to be rotated, and the rotating shaft 15 to which the driven gear 21 is attached to be rotated. 11 is rotated 180 degrees. At the same time, the vertical movement of the connecting rod 23 causes the rotation shaft 15 to move up and down. The suction head 11 rises due to the rise of the rotating shaft 15, and enters the inside of the container as shown in FIG. In accordance with this rise, the suction assisting part 40 approaches as shown in FIG. 4, and the inside of the suction head 11 is made negative pressure by the vacuum device 13. As a result, the surrounding air is sucked from the tip suction part 16b of the tip face 16a and the side wall 17a, and accordingly the bottom and side surfaces of the container are sucked by the tip suction part 16b and the side suction part 17a, respectively. here,
As shown in FIG. 5, when the suction assisting unit 40 is separated (retreats), the outer container is restored and returns to the original shape, but the suction force of the suction head 11 acts on the sucked container. The shape of the container cannot be returned to the original shape, and a gap is formed between the container that has adsorbed and the container that has returned. As a result, separation between these containers can be facilitated. Further, since the air is ejected from the air ejection head 50 into the gap between the containers, a container having a small taper which is difficult to separate can be easily separated. Then, the suction head 11 is lowered by the lowering of the rotating shaft 15 as shown in FIG. 6, leaving the restored container on the container mounting table 10 and discharging the sucked container. Further, when the rotating shaft 15 is lowered and rotated to point below the horizontal line, a force is exerted on the sliding member 18 to push down on the container bottom surface due to its own weight. So, when the container reaches the tray,
If the degree of vacuum in the vacuum device 13 is reduced or the suction is stopped, the cup is pushed by the sliding member 18 and separated from the suction head 11 and transferred to a tray. Subsequently, the motor 25 is driven,
The connecting rod 23 is swung up to raise the suction head 11 by one.
At the same time as turning by 80 degrees, it is made to penetrate the container and rise to the highest point in the initial state. At this time, the next tray is transferred downward to the container supply device 1 by the conveyor 2, and the operation of separating the container from the suction and transferring it to the tray is repeated in the same manner as the above-described operation. Then, the tray to which the container has been transferred is transferred by the conveyor 2, taken out by the take-out unit 5, and supplied to another device or the like. According to the container supply device of the present invention configured as described above, the container is deformed to press the side wall against the suction opening to facilitate the suction,
Because a gap was created due to the difference in shape between the container that was deformed by suction and the container that was restored and returned to the original shape,
The container is easily separated. In addition, since the air is blown into the gap to separate the containers, the separation of the containers becomes easier and the containers can be separated reliably. Note that the present invention is not limited to the above description, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container supply device comprising:
In a container supply device that separates and supplies containers one by one from a stacked container, the device has a suction unit on a tip surface and a side surface,
Since it is provided with a suction head that is inserted into the opening of the most advanced container of the stacked containers and suctions the inner bottom surface of the container by the front end suction unit and suctions the inner surface of the container by the side suction unit, Since the opening is provided so as to be adsorbed from the bottom and side surfaces of the container, the container is strongly adsorbed to that extent, which facilitates separation from the non-adsorbed container. Further, the container supply device according to claim 2 of the present invention is provided with the suction assisting member for pressing the side surface of the stacked containers toward the side suction portion of the suction head in addition to the configuration of claim 1. In addition to the effect of the first aspect, since the side wall of the container is pressed against the opening, the container can be further strongly attracted, and the adsorbed container and the unadsorbed container can be easily separated. Furthermore, the container supply device according to claim 3 of the present invention, in addition to the configuration according to claim 1 or 2, further includes air that blows air into a gap between the container that is adsorbed by the adsorption head and the container that is not adsorbed. Because it has a jet head,
In addition to the effects of the first or second aspect, the side wall of the container is pressed against the opening to adsorb and deform the container, and air is blown into the gap between the undeformed container and the non-adsorbed container to separate the container. Containers can be separated more easily. As described above, the container supply apparatus of the present invention is capable of reliably separating and supplying one container at a time even if the peripheral surface is almost vertical. Since the process proceeds smoothly, an effect of improving productivity can be exhibited.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a container supply device showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a part of a suction head.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating a state near a suction head in one step of supplying a container by the container supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view illustrating a state near a suction head in one process of supplying a container by the container supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view illustrating a state near a suction head in one step of supplying a container by the container supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view illustrating a state near a suction head in one step of supplying a container by the container supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a tray supply device provided with a container supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Container supply device 2: Conveyor 3: Frame 4: Caster 10: Container loading table 11: Suction head 12: Drive device 13: Vacuum device 15: Rotating shaft 16: Bottom 17: Side wall 18: Sliding member 19: Taper Member 20: locking member 21: driven gear 22: rotating gear 23: connecting rod 24: rotating crank 25: motor 26: slide base 27: rail 31: fixed rod 32: handle 40: suction assisting member 50: air ejection head 51: Mounting stand 52: Nozzle body 55: Spout 56: Supply channel 57: Inlet 58: Bolt 59: Slot

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A container supply device for separating and supplying containers one by one from a stacked container, the suction device being provided on a front end surface and a side surface, and being provided at an opening of the most advanced container among the stacked containers. A container supply device, comprising a suction head which is inserted and suctions the inner bottom surface of the container by a front end suction unit, and suctions the inner side surface of the container by a side suction unit. 2. The container supply device according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary suction member for pressing the side surfaces of the stacked containers toward the side suction portion of the suction head. 3. The container supply device according to claim 1, further comprising an air ejection head that blows air into a gap between the container that is adsorbed by the adsorption head and the container that is not adsorbed.