JP2004269265A - Reversing/erecting transport device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To thoroughly remove foreign matter in continuously transported vacant containers. <P>SOLUTION: This reversing/erecting transport device is disposed between a front transport means 16a for continuously erecting and transporting a number of vacant forming containers (vacant containers) 26 to a predetermined position and a back transport means 16b. The reversing/erecting transport device includes: a reversing/erecting transport means 28 for continuously reversing/erecting incoming vacant containers from the front transport means 16a and delivering the same to the back transport means 16b; and fluid injection means having jet nozzles 52a, 52b, 52c for injecting a fluid toward the inside of the reversed vacant container. The reversing/erecting transport means 28 is provided with a rotary disk, the peripheral surface of which serves as a delivery surface for the vacant container 26 and a guide member 38 with a drop preventing function disposed on both sides of a vacant container conveying surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a foreign matter removing device for removing foreign matter in an empty container. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for removing foreign matter in a molded container which is suitable for eliminating the presence of foreign matter in an empty container before filling the beverage.

  In the present specification, as a molded container, a plastic food and beverage container, more specifically, a beverage container will be described as an example, but the present invention is applicable to other materials such as ceramics, glass, and metal. The present invention can be applied to a container, and further, can be applied to other uses such as a container for medicine.

  1 shows an example of a flow sheet (flow chart) in a beverage filling plant for filling a beverage into an empty plastic beverage container.

  Basically, a container storage tank 12, a container straightening machine (container aligning and raising machine) 14, a printing machine 18, and a beverage filling machine 20 are arranged along a process flow. Then, the container storage tank 12 and the container leveling machine 14 are connected by a container transport pipe 22, and also along the container leveling machine 14, the printing machine 18 and the beverage filling machine 20, the first conveyor 16, Two conveyors 17 are arranged and can be sequentially conveyed to each process. The beverage filling plant is usually installed in a dust-free and aseptic factory.

  The outline of the flow of the beverage filling plant will be described below. Beverage filling plants typically operate at high speed continuous filling from a productivity standpoint. For example, in the case of a 65 mL beverage container, the throughput per plant is about 600 bottles / min (36000 bottles / h), which is high-speed filling.

  In the container storage tank 12, a very large number (for example, 200,000 to 400,000) of empty beverage containers (hereinafter, referred to as “empty containers”) are usually put. As the beverage container (empty container), one manufactured by blow molding or the like from a plastic material (for example, polystyrene) is usually used.

  With the bottom outlet (not shown) connected to the container transport pipe 22 of the container storage tank 12 opened, the empty container in the container storage tank 12 is usually emptied by a container straightening machine by air conveyance and the weight pressure of the upper container. 14 sequentially. At this time, the feeding is controlled so as to be a number corresponding to the filling capacity of the beverage filling machine 20.

  The container straightening machine 14 makes the sequentially fed empty containers stand (erect), and sends the empty containers to the printing machine 18 via the first conveyor 16. The printing machine 18 prints marks and other decorations on the outer surface of the empty container. Then, the empty container after printing is filled and sealed with the beverage by the beverage filling machine 20 by the second conveyor 17 to be a product.

  As described above, in the beverage filling step, since the beverage is filled in the dust-free and aseptic factory using the molded beverage container, there is essentially no foreign substance present in the empty container.

  However, there is no possibility that foreign matter is present in the empty container.

  For this reason, it has been demanded that there is no contamination (zero defect). However, a foreign matter removing device that meets the demand is not publicly known as far as the present inventors know.

Although this does not affect the inventiveness of the present invention, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-133775, the container is turned upside down in the process of transport, and air is blown into the mouth of the container turned upside down. The foreign matter is blown off by blowing and air blowing. However, the above-described container reversing device is not suitable for high-speed continuous filling of a beverage container into a beverage container, that is, high-speed continuous transport. This is because, in order to remove foreign matter from the empty container before filling the beverage, the above-mentioned apparatus needs to temporarily stop transporting the container onto the conveyor because the entire conveyor is inverted when the container is inverted.
JP-A-8-133775

  An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for removing foreign matter in a molded container, which can eliminate the presence of foreign matter in an empty container that is continuously conveyed at high speed.

  Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present inventors have intensively researched and developed and conceived an apparatus for removing foreign matter in a molded container having the following configuration.

Between a front conveying means (first conveying means) and a rear conveying means (second conveying means) for continuously erecting (standing) a plurality of empty forming containers (empty containers) to predetermined positions, respectively. A foreign matter removal device in a molding container to be arranged,
A reversing / standing carrier means for continuously reversing / standing the empty container sent from the first carrier means and sending it to the second carrier means, and an ejection port for injecting a fluid toward the inside of the reversed empty container or Fluid ejection means provided with an ejection nozzle,
The reversing / standing transport means includes a rotating disk having a peripheral surface serving as a feed surface of an empty container, and a guide member disposed on both sides of the feed surface and having a fall prevention function.

  Since the reversing / standing transporting means rotates while rotating on the peripheral surface of the rotating disk, when performing fluid ejection continuously, the fluid ejecting direction is slightly changed and it is easy to go to the corner of the container. This is certainly possible as compared with the case where it is performed. Further, even if a difference occurs in the transport speed between the first transport unit and the second transport unit, it is possible to easily cope with the difference by changing the rotational speed of the rotating disk.

  In the above configuration, the empty container to be applied is usually made of plastic. This is because it is frequently used for beverages.

  When the fluid ejecting means is a gas ejecting means, the handling becomes easier as compared with the liquid.

  In the above-described configuration, the configuration including the suction port or the suction nozzle facing the inside of the empty container in the inverted state may reduce the possibility that foreign matter falling from the empty container due to the gas injection will fly up and re-enter the container. Can be eliminated.

  When the empty container to be applied is made of plastic, it is preferable that the empty container is further provided with a static eliminator so that the empty container can be neutralized by being positioned in front of the injection port or the injection nozzle of the air injection means. Can be reliably removed.

  As a static eliminator, a static eliminator capable of supplying ions to an empty container is practical because it can perform non-contact static elimination.

  The foreign matter removal device of the present invention, as an empty container, is applied to a food and beverage filling container that needs to eliminate the presence of foreign matter in the empty container before filling, and the effect of the present invention becomes more remarkable. .

  The method of removing foreign matter in the molded container using the above foreign matter removing device has the following configuration.

When continuously transporting the empty containers, which are sent from a container storage tank into which a large number of empty molded containers (empty containers) are charged, to a filling station in an upright state, a method for removing foreign matter in the empty containers is used. So,
Inverting and erecting by transporting the empty container along the upright circumferential surface during the transport,
In the inverted state, gas is injected toward the inside of the empty container.

  In the above-described method for removing foreign matter in the molding container, it is desirable that the empty container be made of plastic and that static elimination of the molding container be performed before gas injection for the same reason as described above.

  Further, it is desirable to perform suction on the periphery of the gas injection simultaneously with the gas injection for the same reason as described above.

  The configuration of the reversing / standing transport device used in the foreign matter removing device is as follows.

A plurality of objects to be conveyed are arranged between a front conveying means (first conveying means) and a rear conveying means (second conveying means) for continuously erecting (standing) each to a predetermined position, and
An apparatus for continuously inverting / raising an object to be conveyed from a first conveying means and sending it out to a second conveying means. It is characterized by comprising a rotating disk and guide members disposed on both sides of the feed surface and having a fall prevention function.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the foreign matter removing device of the present invention, which is applied to an empty container for filling a beverage made of plastic, will be described as an example.

  FIG. 2 is a model plan view in which the foreign matter removing device 24 of the present embodiment is incorporated in an existing container straightening machine (selector) 14.

  That is, the foreign matter removing device 24 is provided with a front transporting means (first transporting means) 16a for continuously erecting (standing) the empty containers from the selector 14 to predetermined positions (the foreign matter removing device 24 and the printing machine 18). It is arranged between the rear conveying means (second conveying means) 16b. The transport lines of the front transport unit 16a and the rear transport unit 16b are not on the same line but are separate parallel lines (see FIG. 2). This is because the empty container 26 is conveyed on the peripheral surface 32 of the rotating disk 36 and conveyed upside down / upright. Then, in order to shift from the line of the front conveyance means 16a to the line of the rear conveyance means 16b, the rear end of the front conveyance means 16a is bent to form a line transition path (oblique conveyance path) following the straight line S. A part B is provided (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

  3 to 5 show the configuration of the foreign matter removing apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic front view partially cut away, FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view, and FIG. 5 is a schematic right side view (for convenience of drawing and the like). Above, some figures may be omitted or inconsistent.)

  An inverting / standing transporting means 28 for continuously inverting / standing the empty forming container (empty container) 26 fed from the first transporting means 16a and sending it out to the second transporting means 16b; And a fluid ejecting means 30 having ejection nozzles (blowing nozzles) 52a, 52b, and 52c for ejecting a fluid toward the inside. The reversing / standing transport means 28 includes a rotating disk 36 having a peripheral surface serving as an empty container sending surface 32, a guide member (container guide) 38 disposed on both sides of the empty container sending surface 32 and having a fall prevention function, and It has.

  The gantry case 72 in which the present device is incorporated has a U-shaped side surface. That is, the gantry case main body 78 that forms a side shape angle shape by the base portion 74 and the first upright portion 76, and is fixed on the base portion 74 of the gantry case 72 so as to face the first upright portion 76. And the second standing portion 80.

  Here, the reversing / upright conveying means 28 has a rotating disk 36 whose peripheral surface is a feed surface 32 and is driven in a vertical plane (clockwise direction in FIG. 2), and a fall prevention function arranged on both sides of the feed surface 32. A provided guide member (container guide) 38 is provided.

Here, the rotating shaft 50 of the rotating disk 36 is rotatably supported by first and second bearings (bearings) 51 and 53 attached to the inside of the opposed wall surfaces of the first standing portion 76 and the second standing portion 80. The rotating shaft 50 is a disk geared motor attached to the outside of the outer wall surface of the first standing portion 76. The guide member 38 has the outside coupled to the rotating shaft 50 via a guide plate holding bearing 39. The disk 34a and an annular plate 34b whose inner side is connected to a bracket extending from the inside of the first standing portion constitute a main body, and guide sliding is performed inside the circular plate 34a and the annular plate 34b, respectively. Plates 40, 40 are attached (see FIG. 6). Each guide slide plate 40 is provided with a ridge 40a on its inner side for engaging the fall prevention mechanism of the empty container 26 with the intermediate constriction 26a of the container 26. The guide slide plates 40, 40 are usually formed of a hard synthetic resin such as fluororesin or polyacetal having good slipperiness, but may be formed integrally with a metal or the like by press working or the like.

  Here, the fall prevention function is based on the engagement means by the container 26 and the ridge 40a, but is not limited thereto, and may be a magnet means, a vacuum suction means, or the like.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the front transport unit 16a and the rear transport unit 16b are separate parallel lines (see FIG. 2). Each transport path 31 basically has a channel-shaped sliding transport path 31 and a transport side belt 42 that cuts out one side surface of the channel and transports the container side by side, as shown in the AA section in FIG. 66 and 70. Note that guide slide plates 40, 40 are adhered to the inside of both side walls of the slide transport path, as described above.

  The front conveying means 16a includes a straight portion S and a bent portion B bent downward and further in the lateral direction (width direction), and the rear conveying means 16b includes only the straight portion S. The bent portion B may be provided on the side of the rear conveying means 16b.

  Therefore, the front-side transport unit 16a includes the first transport side belt 42 and the second transport side belt 66 disposed below the bent portion. In addition, the rear conveying means 16b is only the third conveying side belt 70 because it is only the linear portion S (see FIG. 2). In addition, since the width direction changing portion of the bent portion B of the front conveying means 16a is configured to be inclined obliquely downward, the second conveying side belt is not indispensable.

  Each of the transport side belts 42, 66, 70 is connected to each of the first, second, and third belt geared motors 62, 63 (the third belt geared motor is not shown). The third driving pulleys 44, 64, 69 and each pair of front and rear rollers 46, 47 (67, 68) (92, 93) are supported at three points. In the illustrated example, reference numeral 65 denotes a tension roller.

  The first belt geared motor 62 is attached to the lower side of the ceiling wall of the first upright portion 76 of the gantry case 72, and the front and rear driven rollers 46 and 47 respectively extend from the ceiling wall toward the introduction side. It is supported by one bracket 82 and a second bracket 84 extending back and forth.

  Further, the second belt geared motor 63 is mounted inside an auxiliary frame case 86 mounted on the inner side wall of the first standing portion 76, and the front and rear driven rollers 67 and 68 are supported by the auxiliary frame case 86. I have.

  In the present embodiment, the fluid ejecting means 30 is an air container for filling an empty container with a beverage. It may be another gas (for example, an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon) other than air, or may be a liquid such as water or ultrapure water.

  Specifically, the air injection means 30 is formed by circling the air pipe 54 directly below the rotating disk 36 so as to be capable of injecting sterile air by removing bacteria in a factory common compressor system. Three injection nozzles 52a, 52b, 52c are formed at positions of about 10 ° and about 35 ° before this. In the present embodiment, although not necessary, each of the injection nozzles 52a, 52b, 52c is formed facing the inside of the air suction nozzles 58a, 58b, 58c. The air suction nozzles 58a, 58b, and 58c are formed in a vacuum pipe 57 that includes the air pipe 54 from the middle and goes around directly below the rotating disk 36. The vacuum pipe 57 is connected to the suction blower 25. The reference numeral 56 in the figure denotes a foreign object receiving an emergency large foreign object.

  Furthermore, between the first and second injection nozzles 52a and 52b, a static eliminator (static elimination means) 60 capable of supplying ions (by corona discharge) to the empty container is arranged. Specifically, an I.C.C. type removing machine manufactured and sold by Keyence under the trade name of "Ultra-small spot type high-speed static removing device SJ-S" can be preferably used. Here, the “I.C.C. method” is an abbreviation of “Ion Current Control”, and refers to a method of controlling ion balance and ion generation amount according to charging of an object. In addition, a DC system (a method of applying a DC voltage to perform corona discharge) and an AC system (a method of applying an AC voltage to perform corona discharge) can of course be used.

  Next, a usage mode of the present embodiment will be described.

  First, the disk geared motor 48 and the first, second, and third belt geared motors 62, 63 (the third belt geared motor is not shown) are activated to rotate the rotating disk 36 and the first, second, and third transports. The side belts 42, 66, 70 are driven. Naturally, these transport devices are operated synchronously.

  Further, the valve of the pressurized air pipe is opened, the suction blower 25 is activated, and the power supply of the removing machine 60 is turned on. Then, each of the injection nozzles 52a, 52b, 52c and the suction nozzles 58a, 58b, 58c are activated, and the removing machine 60 is also activated.

  In this state, the container transport pipe 22 between the container straightening machine 14 and the container storage tank 12 is made conductive, and the container straightening machine 14 is started.

  Then, the empty container in the container storage tank 12 is sent from the transport pipe 22 to the container straightening machine 14 by the action of gravity, is brought into an upright state by the container straightening machine 14, and is sequentially sent out to the front conveyance path. come. Then, the empty container 26 is fed to the bent portion (line changing path) B by sliding on the straight portion S of the front conveying path 16 a while maintaining the upright state by the first conveying side belt 42. Then, it is forcibly sent out to the container feeding surface 32 of the rotating disk 36 by the second conveying side belt 66 at the line changing portion below the bent portion B.

  Then, while being forcibly conveyed on the container sending surface 32 by the rotation of the disk 36, it is sent out to the rear conveyance path 16 b. Also in the rear conveying path 16b, the paper is forcibly sent out by the third conveying side belt 70 and conveyed to the printing machine 18 and further to the beverage filling device 20 in the same manner as in the conventional case.

  Here, the case of continuous conveyance is taken as an example, but intermittent conveyance may be used. For example, after moving (conveying) the pitch distances between the laid empty containers, holding them after 1-2 seconds, and moving (conveying) the pitch distances again are repeated.

  In the above, if a foreign substance is present in the empty container 26, it is removed as follows.

  First, since the empty container is in an inverted state, a large foreign substance falls when it is almost in an inverted state.

  Then, the minute foreign matter first falls off from the empty container by air injection from the first injection nozzle 52a. Thus, the foreign matter in the normal empty container is removed.

  Further, the minute foreign matter adhered electrostatically is discharged by the electric removing machine 60, and is reliably separated and dropped by the two air injections from the second injection nozzle 52b and the third injection nozzle 52c.

  Note that the minute foreign matter separated and dropped from each of the empty containers is sucked by the suction nozzles 58a, 58b, and 58c arranged concentrically with the injection nozzles 52a, 52b, and 52c. It does not re-enter the container.

  In the shape shown in FIG. 5, for a polystyrene container having a height h: about 75 mm, a body diameter D: about 40 mm, and an opening diameter d: about 20 mm, a foreign matter is removed using the foreign matter removing device of the present embodiment. The operating conditions for the removal are, for example, as follows.

Processing number: 36000 pieces / h, distance between spray nozzle / container opening: about 3 cm,
Injection pressure: about 0.01Mpa, suction blower horsepower: 1.5kW, removal machine: "SJ-S020"
Even in the embodiments other than the above-described embodiments, design changes can be appropriately made in each place without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  In addition to the above-described foreign matter removal, the possibility of using the reversing transport device having the following configuration of the present invention in various fields (various processes such as drying, washing, and painting) can be expected.

"It is disposed between a front-side conveying means (first conveying means) and a rear-side conveying means (second conveying means) for continuously erecting (standing) many conveyed objects to a predetermined position,
An apparatus for continuously inverting / raising an object to be conveyed sent from the first conveying means and sending the object to the second conveying means,
The reversing / standing means includes a rotating disk having a peripheral surface serving as a feed surface of the empty container, and a guide member disposed on both sides of the feed surface and having a fall prevention function. "
That is, instead of providing the fluid ejecting means and the like of the present invention, it is only necessary to provide a drying means, a cleaning means, a coating means and the like.

1 is a flow sheet (flow chart) of a beverage filling plant to which the foreign matter removing device of the present invention can be applied. It is a main part flowchart of the plant for drink filling which incorporated the foreign material removal device of the present invention. It is a front schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a foreign material removal device of the present invention. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is an overall view of an empty container applied to the foreign matter removing device of the present invention and a model diagram illustrating a fall prevention function thereof.

Explanation of reference numerals

16a: front-side transport means 16b: rear-side transport means 24: foreign matter removing device 26: empty container 28: reversing / standing transport means 32: container feeding surface (peripheral surface of a rotating disk)
34: Container guide member 36: Rotating disk 38: Container guide member 42: First transport side surface belt 52a, 52b, 52c: Gas injection port (air injection nozzle)
58a, 58b, 58c: Vacuum suction port (air suction nozzle)
60: Static elimination means (electric elimination device)

Claims (4)

A plurality of objects to be conveyed are arranged between a front conveyance means (first conveyance means) and a rear conveyance means (second conveyance means) for continuously erecting (standing) conveyance to a predetermined position,
An apparatus for continuously inverting / raising an object to be conveyed sent from the first conveying means and sending the object to the second conveying means,
The reversing / standing means includes a rotating disk having a peripheral surface serving as a feed surface of the conveyed object, and a guide member disposed on both sides of the feed surface and having a fall prevention function. Reversing / standing transport device.   2. The reversing / standing transport device according to claim 1, wherein the transported object is an empty molded container (hereinafter, referred to as an "empty container").   3. The reversing / standing transport device according to claim 2, wherein the empty container is made of plastic. 4. The reversing / standing transport device according to claim 2, wherein the empty container is a food-filled container.

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