JP2002037443A - Bottle aligning method and bottle aligning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bottle aligning method and an apparatus, capable of preventing blocking of bottles in distributing bottles in a line in the process of transferring a number of bottle groups in an erect dense state. SOLUTION: In the process of continuously transferring countless bottles substantially uniform in size in an erect dense state to the transfer surface in one direction, the bottles are slightly vibrated right and left in the transfer direction while being distributed to be sequentially guided in a line among a number of aligning guides installed in parallel along the transfer direction on the downstream part in the transfer direction. Preferably slight vibration is intermittently applied to the bottles.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for aligning bottles. More specifically, in the process of continuously transferring innumerable bottles of substantially uniform size in one direction in an upright and dense state with respect to the transfer surface, a bottle alignment method for aligning the bottles in a number of rows and It concerns the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, when bottling contents such as liquids, powders, granules or tablets, the bottles are washed with a bottle washing device and then bottled. Conventionally, for example, in order to supply bottles to a washing apparatus, a transfer means such as a conveyor for continuously transferring an innumerable number of bottles having a substantially uniform size in one direction in an upright and dense state with respect to a transfer surface is directed toward the washing apparatus. In the middle of the transfer means, guide members for dividing the bottle being transferred to the right and left in the transfer direction are arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the transfer means. In the terminal area of the transfer means, a number of alignment guides for sequentially guiding the bottles in a line are provided in parallel along the transfer direction. At the upstream end of each of the even-numbered (or odd-numbered) alignment guides from one side of the transfer means, a distribution guide that swings in a direction opposite to the transfer direction with the upper part of the transfer surface as a fulcrum is provided. It is installed in series with the alignment guide.

In the aligning device, the transfer means is operated at a reduced speed to continuously transfer the bottles in the direction of the washing device. In the middle of the transfer, the blocking or cross-linking phenomenon of the bottles is prevented by the guide member. By each moving sorting guide, each bottle is sequentially sorted and guided between the alignment guides on both sides immediately before the alignment guide (upstream of the alignment guide). The bottles guided between the alignment guides are transported while forming a continuous row, transported to the end of the alignment guides, sent to the respective holders by the pickup device, and held in a posture suitable for cleaning by the holders. In this state, they are sequentially supplied to the cleaning device. It should be noted that the sorting guide that swings to the upstream end of all the alignment guides is not installed (the sorting guides are installed in series with every other alignment guide). This is to prevent the bottles from being collided immediately before and after the alignment guides, and the bottles are simultaneously sorted and guided from the left and right.

[0004]

According to this kind of aligning apparatus, the bottles are processed in the following steps and aligned in a line while a large number of bottles are transported in an upright and dense state as described above. . In other words, the bottle group is largely divided right and left in the middle of the transfer to prevent blocking ⇒ The bottle being transferred is narrowly divided left and right on the downstream side and guided between the alignment guides ⇒ The bottles are transferred while being aligned in a line . In the process in which the bottles are processed in this way, when the bottles being transferred are sorted by the sorting guides between the left and right alignment guides, not all the bottles come into contact with the sorting guides. While receiving a load in the distribution direction indirectly by the distribution guide, there are a considerable number of bottles that can enter between adjacent distribution guides without contacting the distribution guide. Therefore, depending on the movement of these considerable numbers of bottles and the timing of the swinging of the sorting guides, it is often the case that several bottles abut against each other on the upstream side of the alignment guide between the sorting guides to cause blocking. When the bottles are blocked from each other, the bottles stop at the corresponding portion, so that the flow of the subsequent bottles temporarily stops, and the bottles are not smoothly aligned.In addition, the bottles are strongly pressed upstream from the blocking generation part. , Giving the bottle fatigue and causing the bottle to break.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to prevent the blocking of bottles when sorting the bottles in a line in the process of transporting a large number of bottles in a vertical and dense state, and to arrange the bottles smoothly in a line. Bottle alignment method. It is another object of the present invention to provide a bottle aligning apparatus capable of smoothly and reliably performing an aligning method for achieving the above-described object.

[0006]

The bottle alignment method according to the present invention is configured as follows to solve the above-mentioned problems. That is, in the bottle alignment method according to the first aspect, in the process of continuously transferring countless bottles having substantially uniform sizes in one direction in an upright and dense state with respect to the transfer surface in the transfer direction downstream in the transfer direction. It is characterized in that the bottles are finely vibrated to the left and right in the transfer direction while sorting the bottles so as to sequentially guide them in a line between a number of alignment guides installed in parallel along the bottle.

A bottle alignment method according to a second aspect is characterized in that, in the alignment method according to the first aspect, minute vibrations are applied intermittently to the bottle.

A bottle aligning apparatus according to the present invention is configured as follows to solve the above-mentioned problem. In other words, the bottle aligning device according to claim 3 transfers the bottles being transferred in the middle of the transfer means for continuously transferring innumerable bottles having a substantially uniform size in one direction in an upright and dense state with respect to the transfer surface. A number of alignment guides for arranging guide members for dividing the transfer direction into left and right sides at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the transfer means, and sequentially guiding bottles in a line in a region downstream of the guide members of the transfer means. Are installed in parallel along the transfer direction, and the upper end of the transfer surface is supported at the upstream end of each odd-numbered or even-numbered alignment guide from one side of the transfer means or in the vicinity of the end. A sorting guide that swings in the opposite direction to the transfer direction is installed so as to be in series with the alignment guide,
At the upstream end of each of the other alignment guides or near the end, a diaphragm is installed so as to be in series with the alignment guide, and the respective diaphragms are intermittently finely vibrated in the width direction of the transfer means. It is characterized by controlling.

A bottle aligning apparatus according to a fourth aspect is characterized in that, in the aligning apparatus according to the third aspect, each diaphragm is finely vibrated in synchronization with the swing of each of the distribution guides.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the bottle aligning apparatus according to the third or fourth aspect, the width of the vibrating plate (length along the bottle transfer direction) is 2-3 times the diameter of the bottle. It is characterized by being.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the bottle aligning apparatus according to any one of the third to fourth aspects, the bottle aligning apparatus does not interfere with the bottle being transported above the transport surface along the width direction of the transport means. A vibrating bar is installed on each of the vibrating plates, and each of the vibrating plates is attached to each of the rods detachably attached to the vibrating bar, and a vibrator is attached to the vibrating bar.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a bottle aligning method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 shows an embodiment of an apparatus for aligning bottles according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the apparatus for aligning bottles is installed with respect to an apparatus for cleaning bottles. FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial plan view of a main part of the alignment device, FIG. 3 is a partial sectional side view of the device of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a diaphragm mounting portion.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 7 denotes a pre-stage transfer means comprising a conveyor, and a predetermined interval is provided on a side portion of the pre-stage transfer means 7 so that the transfer means 1 in the aligning apparatus of this embodiment is connected. And an appropriate number of transfer means 1
On the extension of the bottles, bottle cleaning devices 8 are respectively installed. The innumerable bottles not shown in the figure are continuously supplied to the upstream side (the lower side in FIG. 1) of the former-stage transfer means 7 in the upright and dense state, and are concentrated in the direction of arrow b (the upper side in the figure). It is continuously transported as it is. The periphery of the front transfer means 7 is surrounded by a not-shown entrance of the transfer means 7 and a guide wall (not shown) except for the entrance 1a of each transfer means 1. The bottle group is constantly loaded in a direction other than the reverse direction. Therefore, at the entrance 1a of each transfer means 1 which is continuous with the side of the former transfer means 7, a part of the bottle group which is densely transferred by the former transfer means 7 continuously protrudes to the transfer means 1 side, respectively. These bottle groups are continuously transferred by the transfer means 1 in the direction of arrow c in FIGS.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the middle of the transfer means 1, a guide member 2 for dividing the bottle a being transferred to the left and right in the transfer direction is provided at a predetermined interval in the width direction of the transfer means 1. They are placed side by side and float slightly above the transfer surface. In this embodiment, a mounting bar 20 is fixed to a side frame (not shown) of the transfer means 1 along the width direction so as to be located above a transfer surface, and a horizontal arm 21 and a vertical bar 22 are respectively attached to the mounting bar 20. The guide member 2 is attached in a suspended manner via the. Each guide member 2
Since the guide surface for the bottle a is formed in a substantially gentle V-shape in plan view, the bottle is divided into left and right in the transport direction.

In a region downstream of the guide member 2 of the transfer means 1, a number of alignment guides 3 for sequentially guiding the bottles a conveyed in a group in a line are installed in parallel along the transfer direction. I have. In this embodiment, pipe-like mounting bars 30, 30 are horizontally mounted along the width direction so as to float above the transfer surface on the side frame of the transfer means 1, and each alignment guide 3 is mounted on the mounting bar 30. Attached. As shown in FIG. 2, guide walls 10 are provided on both sides of the transfer means 1 so that the bottle a does not protrude from the transfer surface to the side.
Also serves as an alignment guide.

From one side of the transfer means 1 to the upstream end (or near the end) of every other alignment guide 3,
Distributing guides 4 swinging in a direction opposite to the transfer direction with the upper part of the transfer surface as a fulcrum are arranged in series with the corresponding alignment guides 3. Each sorting guide 4
Is fixed to a rotation shaft 40 provided on a side frame (not shown) so as to extend along the width direction above the transfer surface of the transfer means 1, and the rotation shaft 40 has a range of 20 to 45 °. 2, it slowly swings from the position indicated by the solid line in FIGS. 2 and 3 to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line, for example, at intervals of several seconds. The upstream end of the sorting guide 4 in the transport direction is configured to project from the corresponding alignment guide 3 at an acute angle in a direction opposite to the transport direction in a plan view. The bottle a is guided between the left and right alignment guides 3 while being distributed to the left and right in the transfer direction.

Near the upstream end of each of the other alignment guides 3 not corresponding to the distribution guide 4 (or the corresponding end), a diaphragm 5 is connected in series with each of the corresponding alignment guides 3 and has a transfer surface. It is installed so that it rises from. In this embodiment, a vibrating bar 50 is installed above the transfer surface along the width direction of the transfer means 1 so as not to interfere with the bottle a being transferred, and a horizontal rod 51 is installed so as to be orthogonal to the vibrating bar 50. The vibration plate 5 is attached to the tip of each rod 51. Each rod 51 has the rod 5
1 is covered with a fixing tool 53 having a shape covering
The position of the diaphragm 5 can be adjusted by attaching the bolt 3 to the vibrating bar 50 with the bolt 54 and loosening the bolt 54 to adjust the length of the rod 51. A vibrator 52 having a structure for rotating the eccentric cam by air is attached to an appropriate position of the vibration bar 50, and the vibration of the vibrator 52 is transmitted to the vibration plate 5 via the vibration bar 50 and the rod 51. . The width w of the diaphragm 5 is (transfer means 1
Is preferably two to three times the diameter of the bottle a in consideration of the transfer speed of the transfer means 1,
In this embodiment, the diameter is set to twice the diameter of the bottle a.

Both ends of the vibration bar 50 are penetrated and held by a synthetic resin block 56 supported by a support frame 55 so that the vibration of the vibrator 52 is easily transmitted to the vibration bar 50.
Each support frame 55 is fixed to a side frame (not shown) of the transfer means 1.

A transfer guide plate 11 is provided at the end of the transfer means 1.
A convex arc-shaped chute 6 is provided so as to correspond to the space between the respective alignment guides 3 via. Each shoot 6
The guide plate 1 has a cross-sectional groove shape and has a slit at the bottom along the length direction, and passes between the alignment guides 3.
1 is picked up by a rotating pick-up arm 60 whose tip projects from between the slits of the chutes 6, and is supplied to the bottle holder (not shown) of the cleaning device via the chutes 6. ing.

Next, the operation of the bottle aligning apparatus of the above embodiment will be described together with the bottle aligning method. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the group of bottles a, which are decelerated and transported along the arrow c in the upright and dense state by the transport means 1, are largely distributed to the left and right in the transport direction by the guide member 2, so that blocking is performed. Is prevented. Further, the bottle a to be transported is distributed to the left and right in the transport direction intermittently by the diaphragm 5 while being distributed to the left and right by the distribution guide 4 that pivots (the pivot angle = 30 °) to the upstream side in the transport direction. And are guided in a line between the rear alignment guides 3. Not all the bottles a are in contact with the diaphragm 5, but the vibrations of the diaphragm 5 are applied to the bottles a that do not contact the diaphragm 5 via the other bottles a that come into contact with the diaphragm 5.
As described above, bottles a that are continuously transferred in an upright and dense state are:
When the bottles are distributed between the rear left and right alignment guides 3 by the distribution guides 4, fine vibrations are applied by the vibration plate 5, so that the rearward alignment guides 3 are smoothly moved between the rear alignment guides 3 without blocking. Will be guided to.

The amplitude of the vibration of the diaphragm 5 is preferably several microns to several tens of microns, and the frequency is preferably 170 to 220 Hz. In this embodiment, the vibration frequency is set to a little over 208 Hz. The vibration plate 5 is preferably vibrated slightly every few seconds for several seconds from the relation with the transfer speed of the transfer means 1. In this embodiment, the vibration plate 5 is set to vibrate for three seconds at three-second intervals. It is preferable that the vibration of the diaphragm 5 is intermittently vibrated as described above to prevent fatigue of the bottle a. Therefore, it may be vibrated continuously depending on the average thickness of the bottle a.

In this embodiment, by setting the width of the diaphragm 5 to be approximately twice the diameter of the bottle a, each bottle a passes through the side of the diaphragm 5 in relation to the transfer speed of the transfer means 1. At this time, it is configured such that micro-vibration is almost uniformly applied to each bottle a. That is, when the vibration plate 5 is vibrated for three seconds at a time at approximately three-second intervals in relation to the transfer speed of the transfer means 1, the vibration is transmitted to each bottle a substantially uniformly. It is preferable that the application of the vibration to the bottle a by the vibration plate 5 is synchronized with the swing of the distribution guide 4. In this embodiment, the distribution guide 4 is positioned slightly downstream of the diaphragm 5, and when the distribution guide 4 swings in the upstream direction in the transfer direction with the upper portion serving as a fulcrum, the distribution guide 4 moves to the side of the diaphragm 5. The vibration plate 5 is configured to move and the vibration plate 5 is configured to vibrate while the distribution guide 4 is swinging to the upstream side in the transfer direction.

[0023]

According to the method for arranging bottles according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the process of transporting a large number of bottles in an upright and dense state, the bottles are sorted in a line in the horizontal direction in the transport direction with respect to the bottle a. , The bottles a can be smoothly aligned in a line while preventing the bottles a from blocking.

According to the method for aligning bottles according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the minute vibration is applied intermittently to the bottle a, fatigue of the bottle can be prevented.

According to the apparatus for aligning bottles according to the third aspect of the present invention, the odd-numbered or even-numbered alignment guides 3 are arranged at the upstream end or near the end from one side of the transfer means 1.
A sorting guide 4 swinging in a direction opposite to the transfer direction with the upper part of the transfer surface as a fulcrum is installed in series with the alignment guide 3, and an upstream end of each of the other alignment guides 3 or a vicinity of the end. The diaphragm 5 is installed so as to be in series with the alignment guide 3, and each diaphragm 5 is controlled so as to intermittently vibrate finely in the width direction of the transfer means 1, so that the above-described effect is achieved. The alignment methods 1 and 2 can be performed smoothly and reliably.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an embodiment of a bottle aligning device according to the present invention, in a state where the aligning device is installed in a bottle cleaning device.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial plan view of a main part in the alignment device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial side sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a diaphragm mounting portion.

[Explanation of Symbols] a bottle 1 transfer means 1a entrance 10 guide wall 10a terminal end portion of guide wall in transfer direction 11 transfer guide plate 2 guide member 20 mounting bar 21 horizontal arm 22 vertical bar 3 alignment guide 30 mounting bar 4 distribution guide 40 times Active shaft 5 Vibration plate 50 Vibration bar 51 Rod 52 Vibrator 53 Fixture 54 Bolt 55 Support frame 56 Block 6 Chute 60 Pickup arm 7 Pre-stage transfer means 8 Bottle cleaning device b, c Transfer direction w Width of diaphragm

Claims (6)

[Claims] In the process of continuously transferring innumerable bottles of almost uniform size in one direction in an upright and dense state with respect to a transfer surface, a large number of bottles installed in parallel with the transfer direction at a downstream portion in the transfer direction. A method for arranging bottles, characterized in that the bottles are slightly vibrated to the left and right in the transfer direction while sorting the bottles so as to sequentially guide them in a line between the alignment guides. 2. The bottle alignment method according to claim 1, wherein the micro-vibration is applied intermittently to the bottle. 3. The bottle a being transferred is divided into right and left portions in the transfer direction in the middle of the transfer means 1 for continuously transferring innumerable bottles a of substantially uniform size in one direction in an upright and dense state with respect to the transfer surface. The guide members 2 are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the transfer means 1, and a bottle a is provided in a region downstream of the guide members 2 of the transfer means 1.
Are arranged in parallel along the transfer direction, and the upstream end of each of the odd-numbered or even-numbered alignment guides 3 from one side of the transfer means 1 or In the vicinity of the end, a sorting guide 4 that swings in a direction opposite to the transfer direction with the upper part of the transfer surface as a fulcrum is installed in series with the alignment guide 3, and the upstream end of each of the other alignment guides 3. A vibrating plate 5 is installed in series or in the vicinity of the end so as to be in series with the alignment guide 3, and the vibrating plate 5 is controlled so as to vibrate intermittently in the width direction of the transfer means 1. And the bottle alignment device. 4. The bottle alignment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the diaphragms 5 is finely vibrated in synchronization with the swing of each of the sorting guides 4. 5. The bottle according to claim 3, wherein a width of the diaphragm 4 (a length along a transfer direction of the bottle) is two to three times a diameter of the bottle a. Alignment device. 6. A vibrating bar (50) so as not to interfere with the bottle (a) being transferred above the transfer surface along the width direction of the transfer means (1).
Are installed, and each of the vibration plates 5 is attached 51 to each of the rods detachably attached to the vibration bar 50,
The bottle aligning device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein a vibrator (52) is attached to a proper position of the vibrating bar (50).