JP2006256635A - Cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cleaning apparatus for cleaning the inner face of a cap with air, which has a simplified constitution for holding the cap. <P>SOLUTION: The cleaning apparatus 100 has a constitution to clean the inner face of the cap 10. The cleaning apparatus 100 is equipped with a supporting base 20 which has a supporting face 20s on which an opening 20a is formed, a nozzle 40 which is so arranged as to jet air toward the center of the opening 20a, and a suction device 50 which sucks air from the inner space of the cap 10 through the opening 20a. As the suction device 50 sucks air from the inner space of the cap 10, the cap 10 is sucked up to the supporting face 20s to be held there. Meanwhile, air jetted out of the nozzle 40 removes foreign matters from the inner face of the cap 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a purification device that purifies the inner surface of a cap.

There is a device for removing foreign substances on the inner surface of a cap before the cap is attached to the container. In Patent Document 1, when the cap is conveyed, the side of the cap is guided by the outer peripheral guide member and the top surface is guided by the top surface guide member, while air is injected from the air injection passage to the inner surface of the cap and the suction passage. A device is disclosed that sucks the air through and removes dust and dirt from the inner surface of the cap.
JP 2003-292092 A

  In the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the air injection passage and the suction passage are opened on the bottom surface of the pocket accommodating the cap, but these are opened at positions shifted from the center of the bottom surface of the pocket. Therefore, a moment around the horizontal axis can act on the cap when air is injected and sucked. When the moment acts on the cap excessively, a part of the lower end of the cap is lifted from the bottom surface of the pocket, and the air outside the cap flows into the inside of the cap through the gap generated thereby, so that the force that sucks the cap to the bottom surface of the packet is increased. Weaken. Therefore, the cap can be blown away by the pressure of air injected from the air injection passage.

  In this regard, the device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an outer peripheral guide member that guides the side of the cap and a top surface guide member that guides the top surface of the cap in order to prevent the cap from coming out of the pocket. .

  However, the configuration in which the guide member is essential causes the necessity of moving the cap or the guide member from a predetermined position of the apparatus to another position when cleaning the cap. That is, in a configuration in which a guide member is essential, for example, after the cap is provided at a predetermined position (receiving position) of the apparatus, the cap is moved to a position guided by the guide member, or the cap is moved to a predetermined position of the apparatus. It is necessary to move the guide member to guide the cap after it has been provided.

  The present invention, for example, simplifies the configuration for holding the cap in a purification device that purifies the inner surface of the cap with air, and more specifically, eliminates the need for a member that guides the top surface of the cap. The purpose is to do.

  The present invention relates to a purification device that purifies the inner surface of a cap, and the purification device is disposed so as to inject air toward a support base having a support surface in which an opening is formed, and a central portion of the opening. And a suction device for sucking air in the inner space of the cap through the opening, and sucking and holding the cap to the support surface by sucking air in the inner space of the cap by the suction device. In addition, foreign matter on the inner surface of the cap is removed by injecting air from the nozzle.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the purification device, the cap can be held only by the air in the inner space of the cap being sucked by the suction device.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the purification device does not have a member (for example, a member that holds or guides the cap) disposed above the support surface so as to support the top surface portion of the cap. Can be configured as follows.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the purification device further includes a static elimination device that neutralizes air supplied to the nozzle.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the purification device operates a detection unit that detects that a cap is placed on the support surface, and operates the suction device in response to a detection operation by the detection unit. And a control unit for injecting air from the nozzle.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the purification device further includes a positioning member that positions the cap so as to be aligned with the center of the opening.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the structure for hold | maintaining a cap in the purification apparatus which purifies the inner surface of a cap with air can be simplified, for example.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a purification apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The purification device 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention can be configured as a device for purifying the inner surface of the cap 10 that can be attached to a container such as a PET bottle, a glass container, or a paper pack. The cap 10 may have a top surface portion 11 and a cylindrical portion 12 that extends in a cylindrical shape from the peripheral portion of the top surface portion 11 and is open on the opposite side of the top surface portion 11. Typically, the top surface portion 11 may have a substantially planar shape, but may be configured by a curved surface or a plurality of planar portions.

  The purification device 100 is mounted on the support surface 20s having a support surface 20s in which an opening 20a is formed, a nozzle 40 arranged to inject air toward the center of the opening 20s, and the support surface 20s. A suction device (blower) 50 for sucking (exhausting) air in the inner space of the placed cap 10 through the opening 20a. The opening 20a preferably has a circular or axial shape.

  A space 35 is formed by the chamber member 30 on the lower surface of the support surface 20s. A suction (exhaust) tube 52 is connected to the chamber member 30 via a joint 54, and the suction tube 52 is connected to a suction device 50. The chamber member 30 can be supported by the frame 90, for example.

  The cap 10 is sucked and held on the support surface 20 s by sucking air in the inner space of the cap 10 by the suction device 50. In the state where the cap 10 is sucked and held in this manner on the support surface 20 s, air is jetted from the nozzle 40 toward the center of the opening 20 a and further toward the top surface portion 11 of the cap 10. Foreign matter such as dust adhering to the inner surface of the cap 10 is blown away by the air that is blown inside the top surface 11 of the cap 10 and spreads radially, and is sucked by the suction device 50 through the space 35, the joint 54, and the suction tube 52. Is done. Thereby, the foreign material adhering to the inner surface of the cap 10 is removed, and the inner surface of the cap 10 is purified.

  FIG. 2 is a view of the support surface 20 s as viewed from above according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As exemplarily shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the nozzle 40 is disposed toward the center of the opening 20a formed in the support surface 20s. Therefore, the moment around the horizontal axis (force that rotates the cap 10) is prevented from acting on the cap 10 by the air that is jetted from the nozzle 40 and blown to the inner surface of the cap 10, and the cap 10 is only sucked by the suction device 50. Can be held stably.

  When the moment acts on the cap 10 excessively, a part of the lower end of the cap 10 is lifted from the support surface 20s, and air outside the cap 10 flows into the space 35 through a gap generated thereby, so that the pressure in the space 35 is increased. It raises and the force which attracts | sucks the cap 10 to the support surface 20s side becomes weak. Therefore, the cap 10 can be blown away by the pressure of air blown from the nozzle 40.

  Here, the purifying device 100 positions the cap 10 so as to be aligned with the center of the opening 20a (that is, so as to be concentrically arranged with respect to the center of the opening 20a). It is preferable to provide. Accordingly, the nozzle 40, the opening 20a, and the cap 10 are accurately aligned, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the moment from acting on the cap 10 due to the air jetted from the nozzle 40.

  According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, since the nozzle 40 is arranged toward the center of the opening 20a formed in the support surface 20s, the moment as described above does not act on the cap 10, The cap 10 is held only by the air in the inner space of the cap 10 being sucked by the suction device 50. Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange a member such as a guide member above the support surface 20s so as to support the top surface portion 11 of the cap 10. Therefore, the preparation for the purification of the cap 10 is completed only by the operator placing the cap 10 on the support surface 20s (that is, the position where the purification process is performed).

  The purifying device 100 further detects the fact that the cap 10 has been placed on the support surface 20s, operates the suction device 50 in response to the detection operation by the detection unit 80, and supplies air from the nozzle 40. It is preferable to provide the control part 70 to inject. Furthermore, it is preferable that the control unit 70 stops the injection of air from the nozzle 40 and the operation of the suction device 50 after a predetermined time has elapsed from the detection operation by the detection unit 80. Thereby, the process from the start to the end of the purification process of the cap 10 can be automatically executed only by the operator placing the cap 10 to be purified on the support surface 20s.

  For example, the control unit 70 can inject air from the nozzle 40 by opening an electromagnetic valve 75 provided in a path for supplying air to the nozzle 40, and can stop the injection of air by closing the electromagnetic valve 75. .

  The nozzle 40 is preferably supplied with sterilized (sterilized) air. Therefore, a sterilization device (sterilization) device can be provided in the purification device 100 or a path for supplying air thereto. The nozzle 40 is preferably supplied with air that has been neutralized. The neutralization of air contributes to preventing foreign matters from being attracted to the cap 10 by static electricity. Therefore, it is preferable to provide the neutralization device 60 in the purification device 100 or a path for supplying air thereto. Furthermore, the effect of static elimination is enhanced by disposing the static eliminating device 60 at a position close to the nozzle 40, and in this respect, the static eliminating device 60 is preferably disposed near the lower portion of the chamber member 30.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the purification apparatus of suitable embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which looked at the support surface in suitable embodiment of this invention from upper direction.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cap 11 Top surface part 12 Cylindrical part 20 Support stand 20a Opening part 20s Support surface 22 Positioning member 30 Chamber member 35 Space 40 Nozzle 50 Suction device 52 Suction roller 54 Joint 60 Static elimination device 70 Control part 75 Electromagnetic valve 80 Detection part 90 Frame 100 Purification device

Claims (6)

A purification device for purifying the inner surface of the cap,
A support base having a support surface in which an opening is formed;
A nozzle arranged to inject air toward the center of the opening;
A suction device for sucking air in the inner space of the cap through the opening,
By sucking air in the inner space of the cap by the suction device and holding the cap against the support surface, and removing foreign matter on the inner surface of the cap by spraying air from the nozzle,
A purification device characterized by that.   2. The purification device according to claim 1, wherein the cap is held only by the air in the inner space of the cap being sucked by the suction device.   The purifying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein no member is disposed above the support surface so as to support the top surface portion of the cap.   The purification apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a static elimination device that neutralizes air supplied to the nozzle. A detection unit for detecting that a cap is placed on the support surface;
A control unit that operates the suction device in response to a detection operation by the detection unit and injects air from the nozzle;
The purification apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:   The purification device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a positioning member that positions the cap so as to be aligned with respect to a center of the opening.

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