JP2009103621A - Can opening force measuring instrument, and can opening force measuring method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately measure a torque applied onto a pull tab under a condition near to an operation for a person to open actually a can lid, to measure a rotation angle of the pull tab from an initial state of opening the pull tab up to a can opening finish time and a required torque therein, and to measure a data capable of determining objectively easiness or difficulty for can opening not only after the can opened but also in the midway of opening actually the lid. <P>SOLUTION: This can opening force measuring instrument of the present invention has a can lid fixing part for fixing the stay-on tab type can lid, an arm part fixed with a nail hooked to a tip of the pull tab, a motor for rotation for rotating the arm part, a torque measuring instrument for measuring a torque applied onto the motor for rotation, a rotary encoder for measuring a rotational angle of the arm part, and a position regulating part for aligning a fulcrum of the pull tab when opening the can, on a rotary shaft of the nail. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for measuring the opening force of a pull tab of a can lid.

  Conventionally, as a method for measuring the opening force of a steion tab type can lid, the force at the time of opening the score portion by pulling the pull tab vertically was measured. However, according to this measurement method, there are problems that only the component force in the vertical direction is measured and the score portion cannot be completely opened. Therefore, the result of the ease of opening and difficulty of opening the pull tab does not necessarily coincide with the ease of opening and difficulty of opening when the person actually opens the pull tab of the can lid.

  Therefore, for the purpose of accurately measuring the can opening force, a can opening force measuring device has been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1 or 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-130237 Noto 2526153 gazette

  According to the measuring apparatus described in Patent Document 1, it is said that the force when pulling up the tab (can opening force of the can lid) can be accurately measured. However, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the same document, in particular, in FIG. 3, the rotation axis direction of the mounting table 52 and the axis passing through the pull tab-rivet-score of the can lid coincide with each other. By rotating the rotating shaft, the pull tab is pulled up while being twisted and opened. Therefore, the can opening force when the person pulls up the side of the pull tab is measured without measuring the can opening force when the person pulls up the tip of the pull tab. Also, the measurement item only measures the opening force at the end of opening of the pull tab, and continuously measures the relationship between the torque applied to the pull tab corresponding to the rotation angle of the pull tab from before the pull tab is pulled up to the end of the opening of the pull tab. Can not do it. Therefore, it is not possible to obtain data that can objectively determine the ease of opening or difficulty of opening the can during the actual opening of the lid.

  According to the measuring apparatus described in Patent Document 2, it is said that the pull tab can be opened by substantially the same operation as when a can is opened by a human finger. However, since the can body is rotated in the vertical direction and the hook hooked on the pull tab is moved in an arc shape, the pull-up amount of the pull tab increases by a square as the angle of the vertical rotation of the can body and the rotation of the hook increases. Moreover, the force which pulls up the whole pull tab can work. Therefore, even if it was close to the trajectory of the person opening the lid, it did not become the same trajectory. Similarly to the case of Patent Document 1, the relationship between the torque applied to the pull tab corresponding to the rotation angle of the pull tab from before the pull tab is pulled up to the end of the can opening cannot be continuously measured.

  Therefore, the object of the present invention is to accurately measure the torque applied to the pull tab in a state close to the operation of actually opening the can lid, and the rotation angle of the pull tab from the initial state of opening the pull tab to the end of opening the can It is to measure both necessary torques and to measure data that can objectively determine the ease of opening or difficulty of opening the can not only after opening the can but also while actually opening the lid.

  The present inventor fixed a claw that forcibly opens a pull tab provided in the spout for opening a can in beer, sparkling liquor, other beverages containing carbon dioxide gas or a carbonated steion tab beverage can Rotate the arm so that the claw draws an arc shape, and at this time, position the rotation center of the pull tab on the rotation axis of the claw so that the movement of the claw and the movement of the pull tab when opening the can are matched. Can measure the opening force (torque) accurately and continuously measure both the rotation angle of the pull tab from the initial state of opening the pull tab to the end of the opening and the torque required at that time. The present invention has been completed by finding that it is possible to measure data that can objectively determine the ease of opening or difficulty of opening a can during the actual opening of the lid as well as after completion. That is, the can opening force measuring apparatus according to the present invention measures the force required to open the can by pushing down the score portion by pulling up the pull tab attached to the upper surface of the steion tab type can lid. In the apparatus, a can lid fixing portion for fixing the can lid, an arm portion to which a claw for hooking the tip of the pull tab is fixed, a rotation motor for rotating the arm portion, and a torque applied to the rotation motor A torque measuring instrument that measures the rotation angle, a rotary encoder that measures the rotation angle of the arm part, and a position adjustment part that aligns a fulcrum when the pull tab is opened on the rotation axis of the claw. And

  In the can opening force measuring apparatus according to the present invention, the can lid fixing part is a jig for fixing a sealed can in which the can lid is wound around the can body, or a can holding the can lid before being tightened A jig for fixing the lid holder is preferable. It can be measured for both the can sealed with a can lid and the can lid itself before being wrapped around the can body.

  In the can opening force measuring apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that a fulcrum when the pull tab is opened is at a tip of a rivet or a U-shaped cut portion provided on the pull tab or a region sandwiched between them. The movement of the nail and the movement of the pull tab can be substantially matched.

  The can opening force measuring method according to the present invention is a can opening force measuring method for measuring a force required to open a can by pushing down a score portion by pulling up a pull tab attached to the upper surface of a steion tab type can lid. The hook is hooked on the tip of the pull tab, and the claw is moved in an arc shape with the fulcrum at the time of opening the pull tab as a rotation axis to the position where the can lid is completely opened to move the claw. The accompanying torque is measured.

  In the can opening force measuring method according to the present invention, it is preferable that the rotation angle of the claw and the torque applied to the claw are continuously measured from before the pull tab is pulled up to the end of the can opening. It is possible to grasp the change in torque during the opening of the can and obtain objective information on ease of opening and difficulty of opening.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately measure the torque applied to the pull tab in a state close to the operation of the person actually opening the can lid. Also, by measuring both the rotation angle of the pull tab from the initial state of opening the pull tab to the end of opening of the can and the torque required at that time, it is easy to open the can not only at the end of opening the can but also during the opening of the can. Alternatively, data that can objectively determine the difficulty of opening can be obtained.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment described below is an example of the configuration of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. Various modifications may be made as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved.

  First, the can opening force measuring apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a can opening force measuring apparatus according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the can opening force measuring apparatus according to the present embodiment is accompanied by an operation of moving the nail by pushing down the score portion by pulling up the pull tab attached to the upper surface of the steion tab type can lid. A can opening force measuring device for measuring torque, a can lid fixing portion 1 for fixing a can lid, an arm portion 12 to which a claw 11 for hooking on a tip of a pull tab is fixed, and for rotating the arm portion 12 A torque measuring device 31 that measures the torque applied to the motor 21, the rotation motor 21, a rotary encoder 41 that measures the rotation angle of the arm portion 12, and a fulcrum when the pull tab is opened on the rotation axis X of the claw 11 A position adjusting unit 13 for positioning.

  The can lid fixing part 1 for fixing the can lid has, for example, two forms. First, it is a case where the opening force of the can lid before winding is measured. FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the can lid holder holding the can lid. In FIG. 2, the can lid 50 before being tightened is held by the can lid holder 1a. The can lid holder 1a is, for example, a dummy can body that looks like a can body (350 ml can or 500 ml can). The can lid holder 1a may be made of metal, but may be made of resin in order to improve handling properties. However, since it is necessary to firmly fix the lid, for example, MC nylon is used. Since the can shape can be created in a pseudo manner with only the can lid, the can open measurement can be performed. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a state in which a can lid holder holding a can lid is attached to the can opening force measuring apparatus according to the present embodiment. When the can lid holder 1a of FIG. 2 is used, when the can lid 50 is placed on the can lid holder 1a and the can lid holder 1a is held by the locking portion 1b of the position adjusting portion 13, the position adjusting portion 13 The can lid 50 is pressed and fixed at the same time by the locking portion 1b. As described above, the can lid fixing portion 1 includes the can lid holder 1 a and the locking portion 1 b of the position adjusting portion 13.

  Next, a sealed can with a can lid wound around the can body may be measured. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a state in which a can whose body is sealed with a can lid is mounted instead of the can lid holder. A can 56 in which the can body 55 is sealed with a can lid 50 is mounted instead of the can lid holder 1a of FIG. The can 56 is fixed by pressing the can lid 50 with the locking portion 1 b of the position adjusting unit 13. As described above, the can lid fixing portion 1 includes the locking portion 1 b of the position adjusting portion 13.

  FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining a state when a claw is hooked on the pull tab. A claw 11 to be hooked on the tip 51 a of the pull tab 51 is screwed to the arm portion 12. The arm portion 12 has a U shape, and is attached so that the claw 11 rotates in an arc around the rotation axis X of the rotation motor 21 as shown in FIG. In order to stabilize the rotation motor 21, it is preferable to attach balance weights 12 a and 12 b to the arm portion 12 so as to balance the rotation axis X as a fulcrum. By rotating the motor 21 for rotation, the arm portion 12 rotates about the rotation axis X, and in accordance with this operation, the claw 11 rotates on the circular arc track S about the rotation axis X as shown in FIG. Here, it is preferable to position the center of the circular arc track S so as to substantially coincide with the fulcrum Y when the pull tab 51 is opened. That is, the fulcrum Y when the pull tab 51 is opened is positioned on the rotation axis X. The fulcrum Y when the pull tab 51 is opened is the rivet 52 or the tip of the U-shaped cut portion provided on the pull tab 51 (reference numeral 54 in FIG. 2) or an area sandwiched between them (reference numeral 55 in FIG. 2). It is preferable to do. Strictly speaking, the fulcrum Y when the pull tab 51 is opened is often the edge of the rivet in the region 55, that is, the position where the pull tab is bent. The pull tab 51 is rotated by moving the claw 11 so as to draw the circular arc path S, and the score portion 53 is pushed downward to open the can. FIG. 6 shows a schematic perspective view for explaining the state when the can opening is completed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the position adjustment unit 13 is an attachment adjustment mechanism for positioning the fulcrum Y when the pull tab 51 is opened on the rotation axis X. The can lid holder 1a or the can 56 is attached by the locking portion 1b by adjusting the position in the forward / backward, upper / lower, left / right directions with respect to the rotation axis X. In addition, adjustment is performed in the vertical direction in preparation for a case where the barrel length varies depending on the size of the can (for example, a 350 ml can and a 500 ml can). When measuring the opening force of the can 56, when the trunk length of 350 ml or the like is short, the can 56 may be placed on a mounting table (not shown) and measured. In addition, since there are various shapes, positions, and sizes of the pull tab 51, the position adjusting unit 13 can adjust the claw 11 to the position, shape, and size of the pull tab and adjust it in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. .

  The torque measuring device 31 is connected between the rotation motor 21 and the arm portion 12 via the rotation axis X. As the rotation motor 21 rotates, the claw 11 moves, the pull tab 51 draws the circular arc path S, and the can opening operation is performed. At this time, the torque measuring device 31 measures a torque value associated with the opening operation of the pull tab 51.

  The rotary encoder 41 is connected to the arm portion 11 on the side opposite to the torque measuring device 31 via the rotation axis X. The rotation angle of the rotation motor 21, that is, the rotation angle of the arm unit 12 is measured. By measuring the rotation angle of the arm portion 12, the rotation angle of the claw 11, that is, the pulling angle associated with the opening operation of the pull tab 51 can be obtained.

  The rotation motor 21 is preferably provided with a control circuit. If the rotation of the claw 11 is normal in the direction of opening, and the reverse direction for returning to the initial state after completion of the opening is reverse, the motor for rotation when the torque value at the time of opening (OPEN) reaches a predetermined value. The rotation of 21 is stopped.

  In addition, since a relay circuit is activated by a photo sensor or the like to provide a control circuit that reverses the forward / reverse direction, the rotation mechanism of the arm unit 12 takes into account such situations as sensor failure or disconnection, and prevents overruns. From the beginning, it is preferable to limit the operation to a range of 135 degrees, preferably a range of 120 degrees, based on the initial position where the nail 11 is inserted (the unopened position where torque is not yet applied).

  Next, a method for measuring a can opening force will be described using the can opening force measuring apparatus according to the present embodiment. In the can opening force measuring apparatus according to the present embodiment, a can lid holder 1a equipped with a can lid as shown in FIG. 3 or a can 56 having a can lid 50 wound around a can body 55 as shown in FIG. Set in the measuring part of the device.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the can lid set on the measurement unit is hooked on the tip 51 a of the pull tab 51 while adjusting the position by the position adjustment unit 13. At this time, it is preferable that the position adjustment unit 13 adjust the pull tab 51 so that the load is not applied to the pull tab 51 even when the claw 11 is caught. That is, adjustment is performed so that the torque value read by the torque measuring device 31 indicates zero. This state is the initial state.

  The position adjusting unit 13 fixes the initial state with an adjusting bolt. Therefore, once the position adjustment is performed, it is not necessary to readjust the pull tab having the same shape.

  Next, in order to rotate the claw 11 in the opening direction, the arm portion 12 is moved in a circular arc shape by the motor 21 for rotation. The claw 11 moves in an arc shape with the fulcrum when the pull tab 51 is opened as the rotation axis. At this time, the rotation speed of the rotation motor 21 is set to 3 rotations / minute or less, preferably 2.2 rotations / minute, for example, via a reduction gear (not shown), and the can opening operation is gradually advanced. During the opening operation, the opening angle (rotation angle) is measured by the rotary encoder 41, and through the POP value (the opening angle when the can score portion 53 enters the container), the OPEN value (actually the can lid). The opening angle is measured until it reaches the opening angle at the time when the opening is completed. At the same time, the torque measuring device 31 measures a series of torque values from the opening start time to the end time. After the measurement is completed, the arm unit 12 is temporarily stopped and then reversely rotated to return to the initial state. Of course, the control circuit may be changed from automatic to manual, and the reverse rotation button may be pushed by manual operation.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of the relationship between the can opening angle and the torque value thus obtained. From FIG. 7, not only the torque value at the OPEN value, but also the torque value at the POP value, the opening angle at the end of the opening of the can, and the change profile of the torque value from the start of the opening to the end of the opening of the can. be able to. In addition, the pull tab trajectory in this measurement draws the same trajectory as when the can was opened by a human hand, so objective data that can be used to determine how easily the lid can be opened and how difficult it is to open. It is.

The perspective schematic diagram of the can opening force measuring device concerning this embodiment is shown. The perspective schematic diagram of the can lid holder holding the can lid is shown. The perspective schematic diagram explaining a mode that the can lid holder which held the can lid was attached to the can opening force measuring device concerning this embodiment is shown. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a state in which a can whose body is sealed with a can lid is mounted instead of a can lid holder. The longitudinal cross-sectional view explaining a mode when a nail | claw is hooked on the pull tab is shown. The perspective schematic diagram explaining a mode when opening of a can is complete | finished is shown. An example of the relationship between a can open angle and a torque value is shown.

Explanation of symbols

1 can lid fixing portion 1a can lid holder 1b position adjusting portion locking portion 11 claw 12 arm portion 12a, 12b balancing weight 13 position adjusting portion 21 rotating motor 31 torque measuring instrument 41 rotary encoder 50 can lid 51 pull tab 51a pull tab Tip 52 rivet 53 score portion 54 U-shaped cut-out tip 55 can body 56 can S arc track X rotation axis Y pull tab fulcrum

Claims (5)

In the can opening force measuring device that measures the force required to open the can by pushing down the score part by pulling up the pull tab attached to the upper surface of the can lid of the steion tab method,
A can lid fixing portion for fixing the can lid, an arm portion to which a claw for hooking the pull tab is fixed, a rotation motor for rotating the arm portion, and a torque applied to the rotation motor are measured. An opening comprising: a torque measuring device; a rotary encoder for measuring a rotation angle of the arm portion; and a position adjusting portion for aligning a fulcrum when the pull tab is opened on the rotation shaft of the claw. Can force measuring device.   The can lid fixing part is a jig for fixing a sealed can in which the can lid is wound around the can body, or a jig for fixing a can lid holder holding the can lid before winding. The can opening force measuring apparatus according to claim 1.   3. The can opening force measurement according to claim 1, wherein a fulcrum when the pull tab is opened is located at a tip of a rivet or a U-shaped cut portion provided in the pull tab or a region sandwiched between them. apparatus. In the can open force measuring method for measuring the force required to open the can by pushing down the score part by pulling up the pull tab attached to the upper surface of the can lid of the steion tab method,
Accompanying the operation of hooking a claw on the tip of the pull tab and moving the claw while rotating the claw in a circular arc shape with the fulcrum at the time of opening the pull tab as a rotation axis to a position where the can lid is completely opened. A can opening force measuring method characterized by measuring torque.   The can opening force measuring method according to claim 4, wherein the rotation angle of the claw and the torque applied to the claw are continuously measured before the pull tab is pulled up to the end of the can opening.

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