JP2002362502A - Sampling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable sampling during a filling operation and to make the structure of a sampling apparatus simple and compact. SOLUTION: A continuous series of containers 4 carried by a carrying conveyor 2 is cut one from another at regular intervals by a screw 6, and the separate containers 4 are supplied to a carrying means 12 via an input star wheel 8. The carrying means 12 has many holding means 18 in order to hold and carry the containers one after another. A filling mechanism 20 having nozzles 20a to 20f perform the filling operation. A taring means 28 and an actual container measuring means 72 are respectively located on the upstream side and downstream side of the filling mechanism in order to measure the weight of each container before and after the filling operation. Each of the container pulled off by the grippers 36 and 76 of the measuring means 28 and 72 are returned to the carrying means after the measurement. I this case, the screw is stopped for a time period corresponding to one rotation, a space for one container is left in the position corresponding to a nozzle to be subjected to sampling, and the holding state of the holding means is suspended. Then, a container is inserted into the empty holding means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sampling apparatus, and more particularly, to extracting a container before filling with liquid by a filler (filling machine), measuring the weight of the container, and then measuring the weight of the container after filling. The present invention relates to a sampling device that measures a weight and calculates an actual filling weight.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a filling machine, in order to confirm the filling accuracy of each filling nozzle, the filling weight into a container is measured by sampling. As an apparatus for sampling such a filling machine, for example, after weighing the empty container in a bypass line provided at the inlet of the filling machine, introducing the container into the filling machine, performing filling, another Measure the weight in the bypass line, calculate the difference between these weights to calculate the internal capacity, temporarily suspend the supply of containers into the filling machine, and operate the machine to connect the sampling cup to each filling nozzle. There has been conventionally known a device which moves the device downward, injects the liquid after opening a filling valve, and measures the amount of the liquid.

[0003]

In the first sampling device, there is a problem that the entire filling system is complicated and large, and in the second sampling device, the measurement operation must be performed manually. And the efficiency was poor. Further, both of the sampling devices have a problem that sampling cannot be performed during the production operation of the filling machine.

[0004] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and has as its object to provide a sampling device capable of performing sampling during continuous operation. Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact sampling device which has a simple structure and does not increase the size of the filling system.

[0005]

A sampling device according to the present invention comprises a plurality of container holding means, a conveying means for moving the holding means to convey the container, and a container holding means for holding the container. A filling mechanism for performing filling, a stopping means for stopping supply of the container to the transporting means, a tare measuring means for extracting a container before filling from a transport path of the transporting means and measuring a tare, and Actual container measuring means for extracting the container from the transport path and measuring the weight thereof, and in particular, the tare measuring device and the actual container measuring device are extracted by holding means which moves without holding the container by the operation of the stopping means. It is characterized by holding a container.

A sampling device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of container holding means, a conveying means for moving the holding means to convey the container, and a container held by the container holding means. A filling mechanism for filling the container, stopping means for stopping the supply of the container to the conveying means, a container measuring the tare by extracting the container before filling from the conveying path of the conveying means, and a container after the filling. Actual container measuring means for extracting the container from the transport path and measuring the weight thereof, wherein the tare measuring means causes the holding means to move without holding the container by the operation of the stop means, and to hold the extracted container, The measuring means causes the holding means from which the container has been extracted by the tare measuring means to hold the container.

Further, in the sampling device according to the present invention, the tare measuring means and the actual container measuring means include a weighing scale for measuring the placed container, and a cover for covering an upper part of the weighing scale. It is characterized by the following.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a filler (filling machine) provided with a sampling device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a driving unit of the sampling device. In the drawing, reference numeral 2 denotes a container transport conveyor for continuously transporting a large number of containers. The containers 4 (see FIG. 2) transported by the transport conveyor 2 are separated at predetermined intervals by an infeed screw 6. It is delivered to the entrance star wheel 8.

The inlet starwheel 8 has a plurality (18 in this embodiment) of container receiving pockets 8a at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery, and receives the containers 4 one by one in each pocket 8a. The sheet is rotated and transported in the direction of arrow R in FIG. The infeed screw 6 is driven by a servomotor, and normally rotates continuously to supply the container 4 one by one to each pocket 8a of the star wheel 8, but by stopping one rotation, An empty pocket 8a that does not hold the container 4 can be formed at an arbitrary position. An arcuate guide 10 is arranged on the outer periphery of the container transporting portion (upper portion in FIG. 1) of the entrance starwheel 8 so as to support the outer peripheral side of the container 4 being rotated and transported.

Each pocket 8 of the entrance star wheel 8
The container 4 housed in the container a and conveyed by rotation is delivered to the conveying means 12 of the filler. The transporting means 12 has a number of container holding means 18 attached to an endless chain 16 wrapped around four wheels 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D. Is transported. In this embodiment, as the container holding means 18, an elastic holding means is used in which a pair of arms are always attracted by a spring or the like so as to approach each other, and the container 4 is pushed and held between the two arms. The container holding means 18 holds and transports the containers 4 one by one. Needless to say, the container holding means 18 may have another configuration.

As described above, the endless chain 16 is wrapped around the wheels 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D, so that the entire apparatus can be made elongated. In addition, the filling of medicines and the like is performed under aseptic conditions. For this reason, the upper portion of the device for transporting and filling the container 4 is surrounded by the chamber 70. As described above, if the device is elongated so that it can be reached by extending the arm to any part of the device, even if trouble such as dropping or biting of the container 4 occurs in the chamber 70, human Can be dealt with by inserting an arm through a glove provided on the side wall of the chamber without entering the chamber, and the sterile state can be maintained.

Further, by using the elastic holding means as described above, the container holding means 18 does not require an opening / closing mechanism on the container holding means 18 side, so that the container 4 can be freely inserted and removed. Therefore, sampling can be performed at an arbitrary timing without involving operation control on the container holding unit 18 side.

A filling mechanism 20 is provided above the container transfer path of the transfer means 12. In this embodiment, the filling mechanism 20 includes six filling nozzles 20a, 20b, 20
c, 20d, 20e, and 20f, and these six filling nozzles 20a to 20f simultaneously fill the six containers 4 while moving following the traveling direction of the transport means 12.

A plugging machine 22 is provided downstream of the filler. The container 4 which has been filled by the filling mechanism 20 is delivered from the container holding means 18 to a wheel 22a of the plugging machine 22, The plugging is performed while being rotated and conveyed in the plugging machine 22. The stoppered container 4 is discharged onto the discharge conveyor 26 via the outlet star wheel 24 and sent to the next step.

A tare measuring means 28 for measuring the weight of the empty container 4 before filling is provided at the corner where the wheel 14A is disposed upstream of the position where the filling mechanism 20 is provided. The tare measuring means 28 extracts the container 4 from the container holding means 18 of the conveying means 12 and delivers the container 4 to the weighing scale 30, and measures the weight and then transfers the container 4 to the conveying means 12 again.
And

The construction and drive of the tare measuring means 28 will be described with reference to FIGS. The container delivery means 32 includes an openable / closable gripper 36 attached to the rotating body 34. The gripper 36 has a pair of arms 36a and 36b.
36b is constantly biased in a closing direction by a biasing means such as a spring.
Opened by 8, 40.

Cams 38, 4 for opening and closing the gripper 36
Numerals 0 are provided at two positions: a position P1 where the container 4 is withdrawn and inserted from the conveying means 12 and a position S1 where the container 4 is delivered to the weighing scale 30. Since the opening and closing timings are different between when the gripper 36 extracts the container 4 from the transporting means 12 and when the container 4 is inserted into the transporting means 12, the cam 38 at the extracting and inserting position P1 is moved up and down two steps 38a and 38b. And each has a different cam curve. The cam 38 is attached to a piston rod 42 a of an air cylinder 42 which is fixed upright, and the cam follower 36 of the gripper 36 is operated by the operation of the air cylinder 42.
c is engaged with the lower side 38a and the upper side 38b
Can be moved up and down to the height at which it engages.

When the gripper 36 takes out the container 4 from the container holding means 18 of the transfer means 12, the lower side 38a of the cam 38 is engaged with the cam follower 36c, and the pulling position P1 is closed. The arms 36a and 36b of the gripper 36 approaching the position are opened just before the extraction position. And these open arms 3
The gripper 36 is closed when the container 4 held by the container holding means 18 is located between 6a and 36b.

The container 4 held by the gripper 36
Is inserted into the container holding means 18, the upper side 38b of the cam 38 is engaged with the cam follower 36c. The gripper 36 holding the container 4 reaches the extraction / insertion position P1 of the container 4 while being closed, and after being inserted into the container holding means 18, is opened by the upper cam 38b. The arrangement of the upper and lower portions 38a and 38b of the cam 38 is not limited to the above-described configuration in which the lower side 38a is for extraction and the upper side 38b is for insertion, and may be reversed.

A cam 40 provided on the weighing scale 30 side
The slide table 44 allows the rotating body 34 to advance and retreat in the radial direction, so that the gripper 36 is opened when the rotating body 34 advances outward in the radial direction, and the gripper 36 is closed when the rotating body 34 retreats inward. Has become.

The rotating body 34 of the container delivery means 32
Is a vertical rotating shaft 4 rotatably supported on a base 46.
8 is fixed. The rotating shaft 48 is transmitted from a driving source (not shown) on the filling machine side via a speed reducer 50, a planetary gear unit 52, a parallel index gear unit 54, a one-position clutch 56, a brake 58 and the like. Rotate.

The driving of the filling machine is transmitted to the outer peripheral gear of the planetary gear unit 52, and the rotation of the outer peripheral gear causes the planetary gear to revolve around the central sun gear. The revolution of the planetary gear is transmitted to the parallel index gear unit 54. This parallel index gear unit 5
4, the rotating body 34 to which the gripper 36 is attached can be stopped at the transfer position S1, and the rotation speed can be changed.

The parallel index gear unit 5
The drive is connected to the rotary shaft 48 from a fourth output shaft 54a via a belt 60, a one-position clutch 56 and a brake 58. The gripper 36 attached to the rotating body 34 is slowly accelerated from the transfer position S1 by the parallel index gear unit 54, and the conveying unit 12 is moved before the extraction / insertion position P1.
After the transfer of the container 4 is performed, the container 4 is moved so as to decelerate slowly and stop at the transfer position S1. The one-position clutch 56 disconnects and connects the drive, and the brake 58 prevents the gripper 36 from moving while the clutch is disconnected.

Further, the sun gear at the center of the planetary gear unit 52 can be rotated by a stepping motor 62. By rotating this sun gear, the phase is changed and sampling nozzles 20a to 20a to perform sampling.
Change 20f. In this embodiment, the filling mechanism 20
Are provided with six filling nozzles 20a to 20f, so that the stepping motor 62 rotates the central sun gear 1/6 of a rotation to cause a phase shift of one nozzle.

The weighing scale 30 includes a load cell unit 64
Is provided on the load cell unit 64.
And put on it to measure the weight. The weighing scale 30 is provided with a cover 66 that covers the upper part of the load cell unit 64. The cover 66 is attached to the slide table 68 and can be moved.
When the weight of the container 4 is measured by the tare measuring means 28, the moving cover 66 is moved above the load cell unit 64. Chamber 7 equipped with this filling machine
0 (see FIG. 1), a laminar flow is formed by blowing air from above to below to prevent dust and the like from rising, and by covering the load cell 64 with the moving cover 66, The laminar flow is prevented from affecting the load cell 64.

The movable cover 66 is formed so as to cover the side surface except for the advancing surface, and the advancing surface side is formed in such a shape that it can be in close contact with the peripheral surface of the cylindrical cover on the upper part of the container transfer means 32. By sealing the inside of the moving cover 66 in close contact, the effect can be further enhanced.

As described above, the tare measuring means 28 is provided on the upstream side of the filling mechanism 20, and the container 4 after the filling is transferred to the corner where the wheel 14B on the downstream side of the filling mechanism 20 is disposed. There is provided an actual container measuring means 72 for extracting the weight from the 12 transport paths and measuring its weight. As in the case of the tare measuring unit 28, the actual container measuring unit 72 also withdraws the container 4 from the container holding unit 18 of the transporting unit 12 by the weighing scale 74 and the gripper 76 and transfers the container 4 to the weighing scale 74 to measure the weight. And a container delivery means 78 for returning to the transport means 12 later.
The configurations and operations of the container delivery means 78 and the weighing scale 74 are the same as those of the container delivery means 32 and the weighing scale 30 of the tare measuring means 28, and therefore the description thereof is omitted.

As described above, the filling section is defined by the wheels 14A,
Provided on a straight path between 14B, the container removal / insertion positions P1 and P2 for sampling are corners where the wheels 14A and 14B before and after the filling section are arranged. Since the transport interval of the container 4 is widened at this corner, the container 4 can be inserted and removed without interfering with the front and rear containers without increasing the overall transport interval of the transport unit 12.

The operation of the sampling device according to the above configuration will be described. A large number of containers 4 are continuously conveyed by the container conveying conveyor 2 and the infeed screw 6
And is delivered to the entrance star wheel 8 at predetermined intervals. The entrance star wheel 8 is provided in each pocket 8a.
The container 4 is received therein, rotated and conveyed, and delivered to the container holding means 18 of the conveying means 12. In this embodiment, as the container holding means 18, an elastic holding means is used in which a pair of arms are always attracted by a spring or the like so as to approach each other, and the container 4 is pushed and held between the two arms. Container holding means holds and transports the containers 4 one by one.

A filling mechanism 20 having six filling nozzles 20a to 20f is provided above the container conveying path by the conveying means 12, and the six containers 4 held by the container holding means 18 are used for this filling mechanism. 20 6 filling nozzles 2
0a to 20f, the charging mechanism 2
0 moves along with the transporting means 12 while moving
Fill inside.

The filled container 4 is held by the container holding means 18 of the transport means 12 by the wheel 22a of the stoppering machine 22.
The plugs are taken out while being transported by the wheel 22a. After the plugging is performed by the plugging machine 22, each container 4 is discharged onto the discharge conveyor 26 by the outlet starwheel 24 and sent to the next step.

When the filling weight is measured by sampling, the container 4 corresponding to the nozzle number to be sampled is transported by the gripper 36 provided in the container transfer means 32 of the tare measuring means 28 to the transport means 12.
From the container holding means 18. In this embodiment, the number of filling nozzles 22a to 22f is six, and the inlet starwheel 8 has pockets 8a of an integral multiple of the number of nozzles (three in this example, 18), Since the filling nozzles 20a to 20f for filling the container 4 are determined by the positions of the pockets 8a, the container 4 delivered to the container holding means 18 from the pocket 8a corresponding to the filling nozzles 22a to 22f is removed and inserted. When the container 4 reaches the position P1, the container 4 is removed from the gripper 36.
Withdraw. The current position of each pocket 8a is always recognized based on a pulse signal from an encoder (not shown). When the container 4 is extracted by the tare measuring means 28, the container 4 is not limited to the container 4 corresponding to the nozzle, and another container 4 may be extracted.

The gripper 36 of the container delivery means 32
In this embodiment, the fixed position is the position immediately above the weighing scale 30 (delivery position S1), and the position 180 degrees rearward of the fixed position (container extraction / insertion position P1).
In 1), the container 4 is extracted and inserted. When performing sampling, the transfer position S
The movement of the gripper 36 stopped at 1 is started, and the container 4 corresponding to the filling nozzles 20a to 20f for performing the sampling is rotated and moved so that the gripper 36 reaches the take-out / insertion position P1 when reaching the take-out / insertion position P1. Let it.

As described above, the rotation speed of the gripper 36 is
It can be changed by the parallel index gear unit 54, and at the extraction / insertion position P1 of the container 4,
The rotation speed of the gripper 36 is set to be equal to the traveling speed of the transport means 12 so that the transfer can be performed stably. When the gripper 36 reaches the withdrawal insertion position P1 in order to withdraw the container 4 from the transport means 12, the cam 38 is raised by the cylinder 42,
The cam follower 36c at the lower end of the gripper 36 is engaged with the lower side 38a of the cam 38.

When the gripper 36 approaches the extracting / inserting position P1, the gripper 36 is opened by the lower side 38a of the cam 38. When the container 4 held by the holding means 18 enters the gripper 36 thus opened,
The gripper 36 is closed by the cam curve of the lower side 38a of the cam 38 to grip the container 4. Then, gripper 3
When the container 6 continues to rotate while holding the container 4, the container 4 is taken out from the container holding unit 18 of the transfer unit 12 and is rotated and transferred by the gripper 36 as it is.

When the gripper 36 rotates 180 degrees from the container removal / insertion position P1 and reaches the transfer position S1 to the weighing scale 30, the rotation of the gripper 36 of the container transfer means 32 stops. When the gripper 36 stops, it is slowly decelerated by the parallel index gear unit 54 and then stops at the transfer position S1. While the gripper 36 is stopped at the transfer position S1, the brake 58 is operated and the clutch 56 is disconnected. After the gripper 36 holding the container 4 stops,
The cam 40 on the weighing scale side is advanced by the slide table 44. Then, the cam follower 36c is pushed out to open the gripper 36, and the container 4 is separated from the gripper 36 and placed on the weighing scale 30. When the empty container 4 is weighed by the weigh scale 30, the cam 40 is retracted inward by the slide table 44, the gripper 36 is closed, and the container 4 is gripped again.

The gripper 36 gripping the container 4 starts to rotate again, moves to the extracting / inserting position P1 of the container 4, and returns the container 4 to the transport means 12. The weighing scale 30
When the gripper 36 stopped during the measurement of the container 4 starts rotating again, after the clutch 56 is released, the brake 58 is applied until it is connected in one position, and released together with the connection. The gripper 36
By the action of the parallel index gear unit 54, the vehicle starts smoothly, accelerates slowly, becomes at the same speed as the conveying means 12 before the extraction / insertion position P1, and returns the container 4 to the container holding means 18.

When the container 4 whose weight has been measured by the tare measuring means 28 is returned to the transporting means 12, the container holding means 18 of the transporting means 12 usually moves while holding all the containers 4. A space for inserting the measured container 4 must be provided. Then, the screw 6 is stopped by one rotation to make a space in the pocket 8a of the inlet star wheel 8 corresponding to the filling nozzles 20a to 20f for filling the measured container 4. The container holding means 18 corresponding to the position of the space formed in the pocket 8 a by the stop of the screw 6 moves empty without receiving the container 4 from the inlet starwheel 8. The gripper 36 holding the weighed container 4 is moved at the timing when the empty holding means 18 reaches the container extracting / inserting position P1, and the container is moved to the container holding means 18 at the extracting / inserting position P1. Insert 4.

After the weight is measured, the container 4 delivered to the container holding means 18 moves to the position of the filling mechanism 20, and then the nozzles 20a to 20c of the number for performing the sampling are transferred.
Filling is performed below 20f. The filled container 4 is transported by the transport means 12 as it is,
When the container reaches the container removal position P2 by the actual container measuring means 72, it is extracted from the container holding means 18 by the gripper 76 of the container delivery means 78 provided in the actual container measuring means 72. The extracted container 4 is then put on the weighing scale 74 at the delivery position S2 and weighed,
It is returned to the transporting means 12 again and sent to the next stoppering machine 22. After the tare (weight of the empty container) is measured by the tare measuring means 28 in this way, the container 4 is filled, and then the same container 4 is measured again by the actual container measuring means 72, and the filled container 4 is measured. By calculating the difference between the weight of the specific filling nozzle and the weight of the empty container 4, the filling weight by the specific filling nozzle can be accurately measured.

When the container 4 measured by the actual container measuring means 72 is returned to the transport means 12, the screw 6 is screwed in the same manner as when the container 4 measured by the tare measuring means 28 is returned to the transport means 12. Stop one rotation to make a space at the position corresponding to the nozzle number,
This holding means 1 that has been moved empty without holding
The container 4 after the measurement is inserted into 8.

Incidentally, the actual container measuring means 72 to the transporting means 1
When the container 4 is returned to the container 2, the empty space for one container may be made by stopping the screw 6 as described above, and the container 4 may be inserted into the space. When the container 4 corresponding to the nozzle for sampling is extracted, the container 4 may be inserted into the space from the gripper 76 of the actual container measuring means 72. In the case where the actual container after the measurement is returned to the transporting means 12 and only one nozzle is sampled, the empty space is inserted with the screw 6 and the container is filled with a plurality of nozzles. When 4 is continuously sampled, it is faster to insert it into the space extracted by the tare measuring means 28 because the cycle time becomes faster and the speed can be increased.

The present invention is not limited to the structure described in the above embodiment, and it goes without saying that the shape, structure and the like of each part can be appropriately modified and changed. For example, the gripper 3 of the tare measuring unit 28 and the actual container measuring unit 72
6, 76 may be provided in two sets. Also, the filling nozzle 20a
Number of 20f and pocket 8 of inlet starwheel 8
The number of “a” is not limited to the number in the above-described embodiment.

[0043]

As described above, according to the present invention, there are provided a large number of container holding means, a conveying means for moving the holding means and conveying the container, and filling the container held by the container holding means. A filling mechanism, a stopping means for stopping the supply of the container to the conveying means, a container for extracting the container before filling from the conveying path of the conveying means and measuring a tare, and the conveying the container after filling the container. Actual container measuring means for extracting the weight from the path and measuring the weight thereof, wherein the tare measuring means and the actual container measuring means hold the extracted container by holding means which moves without holding the container by operation of the stopping means. Thus, sampling can be performed during continuous operation, and sampling can be performed by designating an arbitrary nozzle number. Further, the configuration of the entire filling system does not become complicated and a large space is not required.

Further, as in the second aspect of the present invention, the tare measuring means causes the holding means which moves without holding the container by the operation of the stopping means to hold the extracted container, In the case where the container is held by the holding means from which the container is extracted by the tare measuring means, the same effect as in the first invention can be obtained.

Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention,
Since the tare measuring means and the actual container measuring means are provided with a weighing scale for measuring the placed container and a cover for covering the upper part of the weighing scale, the wind flow by the laminar flow is used for the weight measurement by the load cell. Accurate weighing can be performed without any influence.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a filling system including a sampling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a driving unit of the sampling device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 4 container 6 stop means (screw) 12 transport means 18 container holding means 20 filling mechanism 28 tare measuring means 66 cover 72 actual container measuring means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A container comprising a plurality of container holding means, a conveying means for moving the holding means to convey a container, a filling mechanism for filling a container held by the container holding means, and a Stop means for stopping the supply of the container, a tare measuring means for extracting the container before filling from the transport path of the transport means and measuring the tare, and an actual container for extracting the container after filling from the transport path and measuring its weight A sampling unit, wherein the tare measuring unit and the actual container measuring unit cause the holding unit that moves without holding the container by the operation of the stopping unit to hold the extracted container. 2. A container comprising a plurality of container holding means, a conveying means for moving the holding means to convey a container, a filling mechanism for filling a container held by the container holding means, Stop means for stopping the supply of the container, a tare measuring means for extracting the container before filling from the transport path of the transport means and measuring the tare, and an actual container for extracting the container after filling from the transport path and measuring its weight Measuring means, and the tare measuring means, while the holding means moving without holding the container by the operation of the stopping means, holds the extracted container, and the actual container measuring means, the container is extracted by the tare measuring means. A holding device for holding the container. 3. The tare measuring means and the actual container measuring means include a weighing scale for measuring a placed container, and a cover for covering an upper part of the weighing scale. Item 3. The sampling device according to Item 2.