JP2009120353A - Gripper - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To minimize an area where a gripper interrupts an electron beam when a bottle is irradiated with the electron beam in such a state that the gripper holds the bottle. <P>SOLUTION: The gripper comprises: a pair of grip members 10B positioned on both sides of the bottle 4; a pair of upper and lower projecting portions 22Ba, 22Bb on the front side attached to the respective grip members; and a projecting part 22Bc attached to the upper part on the rear side. The neck part 4a of the bottle 4 is held by the projecting portions from both sides. The grip member has opening portions 10Bd extending therethrough. While the bottle 4 is held, an electron beam is emitted, to the neck part, through the gaps between the upper and lower projecting parts and the opening portions. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gripper that holds a neck portion of a resin bottle sandwiched from both sides. For example, a gripper used in an electron beam sterilization device that sterilizes a container transported by a transport device by irradiating an electron beam. It is about.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, devices that perform sterilization by irradiating an electron beam from an electron beam irradiation device onto a container transported by a transport device are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, and Patent Document 3). The container conveying means described in Patent Document 1 has two parallel rails on which a neck portion directly below a flange portion on the outer periphery of a mouth of a container such as a PET bottle is slidably supported. . The rail members constituting the parallel rails are cut out so that the range corresponding to the lateral width of the EB (electron beam) irradiation chamber does not interfere with the EB irradiation. The film is stretched so that the rails are not interrupted without any problem for EB irradiation.

  Moreover, the conveyance means of the invention described in Patent Document 2 has two wires and is provided in the irradiation chamber. Then, by moving the two wires, the container is conveyed in an upright state.

  The conveyance conveyor described in Patent Document 3 is provided with a ring-shaped conveyance gear on its inner peripheral side, and supports are erected at predetermined intervals on the ring-shaped conveyance gear, and rings are formed at the upper ends of these columns. A guide ring is attached. A neck guide is attached to the guide ring at a position corresponding to the pitch interval of the containers, and the neck portion of each container is held and conveyed by the neck guide.

In addition, although not related to the electron beam sterilization device, as a gripper that sandwiches and conveys the neck portion of the resin bottle from both sides, as shown in Patent Document 4, gripping claws are provided at the ends of the two arms, respectively. A configuration in which the neck portion of the bottle is clamped and held from both sides is conventionally known.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-1212 (page 4-5, FIG. 2) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-19190 (page 3-4, FIG. 1) JP 2000-214300 A (page 4, FIG. 3) Japanese Patent No. 3787328 (4th page, FIG. 4)

  In the configuration of the container transporting means of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, there is a problem that the distance between the front and back of the transported container and the feeding speed become unstable, and the electron beam irradiation conditions may vary. Further, in the configuration of Patent Document 3, there is a problem that the neck guide holding the container is behind and there is a possibility that the electron beam may not be sufficiently spread over the entire surface of the container.

  On the other hand, the gripper having the shape described in Patent Document 4 can hold the container more stably as the contact surface of the gripping claw with the container becomes wider. Therefore, as the thickness of the gripping claw, that is, the height above and below the contact surface with the container increases, the container can be reliably held and stably conveyed. However, when such a gripper is used in the transport device of the electron beam sterilizer, the portion that contacts the container blocks the irradiation of the electron beam. The problem that it cannot be sterilized occurs.

  The present invention makes it possible to make the contact area with the resin bottle as small as possible, for example, when irradiating with an electron beam, to minimize the number of blind spots as much as possible, and to completely sterilize the contact portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gripper which can at least reliably grip a resin bottle and perform stable handling.

  The present invention provides a gripper that holds a neck portion of a plastic bottle from both sides, and is provided with a pair of opening and closing members disposed on both sides of the neck portion and the opening and closing members, respectively, and holds the outer periphery of the neck portion. A grip member, and at least two protrusions are provided on the upper part of the grip member at horizontal intervals and one protrusion on the lower part, and these protrusions are brought into contact with the outer periphery of the neck portion to hold the resin bottle. It is characterized by doing.

  Further, in the invention according to claim 2, the flange is formed by engaging the flange formed on the neck portion of the resin bottle between the protruding portions on the upper side provided at intervals, so that the flange is A guide portion is provided for guiding so as not to enter between the protruding portions.

  Furthermore, the invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that a protrusion that contacts the lower surface of the flange is formed on the upper surface of the upper protruding portion.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the held bottle is conveyed to the irradiation part of the electron beam irradiation means, and the electron beam irradiated to the grip member can be transmitted to the neck part side of the bottle. An opening is formed.

  In the gripper of the present invention, at least two protrusions are provided in the upper part of the grip members on both sides with a space in the horizontal direction, and one protrusion is provided on the lower part, and these protrusions are in contact with the outer periphery of the neck part. Since the bottle is held, the resin bottle can be securely gripped and stably conveyed, and the contact area between the gripper and the resin bottle can be reduced so as not to interfere with the irradiation of the electron beam. .

  A pair of opening and closing members arranged on both sides of the neck portion of the resin bottle and grip members provided on each opening and closing member, and holding the outer periphery of the neck portion of the resin bottle from both sides Furthermore, at the top of the grip members on both sides, at least two protrusions are provided at horizontal intervals and one protrusion is provided at the bottom, and these protrusions are brought into contact with the outer periphery of the neck portion to hold the resin bottle. By adopting such a configuration, the object of reliably grasping the container and carrying it stably and reducing the contact area between the gripper and the container so as not to hinder the irradiation of the electron beam or the like are achieved.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a gripper according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a pair of grip members for gripping a resin bottle. 4 and 5 are enlarged views of the main parts of FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively. The gripper 2 of this embodiment is used, for example, in an electron beam sterilization apparatus that performs sterilization by irradiation of an electron beam, and the bottle 4 held and transported by the gripper 2 covers the front surface of the electron beam irradiation means. When passing, it is sterilized by receiving an electron beam. In addition, the bottle 4 hold | maintained at the gripper 2 which concerns on this Example is resin bottles, such as a PET bottle, and the neck part 4a (The small diameter part which has the substantially same diameter above the inclined shoulder part 4b). A flange 4c is formed on the outer periphery of the.

  The grippers 2 are provided at equal intervals on a rotating wheel or an endless transport belt that circulates and the like. Each of the grippers 2 is a resin bottle on the lower side of a horizontal mounting body 8 fixed to the lower end of the vertical rod 6. A pair of grip members 10 </ b> A and 10 </ b> B for holding 4 is provided. The upper ends of a pair of leaf springs (opening / closing members) 12A, 12B facing the vertical direction are fixed to both end faces of the attachment body 8. The bottle 4 is held at a position directly below the vertical rod 6. The leaf springs 12A and 12B on both sides of the bottle 4 avoid the neck portion 4a of the bottle 4 on the lower side as shown in FIG. The shape is cut off at an angle. Further, horizontal connecting members 14A and 14B are fixed to both sides of the horizontal mounting body 8 (outside of both leaf springs 12A and 12B), and are directed downward on the lower surfaces of the end portions of the horizontal connecting members 14A and 14B. Vertical support members 16A and 16B are attached. These vertical support members 16A and 16B are arranged so as to overlap the lower portions of the leaf springs 12A and 12B located at positions laterally disengaged from the neck portion 4a of the bottle 4 (see FIG. 2).

  The vertical support members 16A and 16B on both sides are slightly shorter than the lengths of the leaf springs 12A and 12B, and horizontal pins 18A and 18B are attached to the lower ends of the support members 16A and 16B inward. ing. These horizontal pins 18A and 18B are inserted at positions slightly above the lower ends of the leaf springs 12A and 12B. Coil springs 20A and 20B are interposed on the outer periphery of the portion of the horizontal pins 18A and 18B located between the support members 16A and 16B and the leaf springs 12A and 12B, and the leaf springs 12A and 12B approach each other. Is energized. The positions of the leaf springs 12A and 12B biased by the springs 20A and 20B are regulated by the enlarged diameter portions 18Aa and 18Ba provided at the tips of the pins 18A and 18B located on the inner surfaces of the leaf springs 12A and 12B. In general, the leaf springs 12A and 12B maintain a vertical state parallel to the support members 16A and 16B. Further, when the lower end portions of the leaf springs 12A and 12B are pushed from the inner surface side, they can move in the direction of expanding against each other against the urging force of the springs 20A and 20B.

  Horizontal grip members 10A and 10B are fixed to the lower end portions of the two leaf springs 12A and 12B, with the protruding portions 22 contacting the outer surface of the resin bottle 4 facing the inner surface side (surface surfaces facing each other). The grip members 10A and 10B are provided on the front side of the substantially linear fixing portions 10Aa and 10Ba fixed to the leaf springs 12A and 12B and the fixing portions 10Aa and 10Ba, and a plurality of protruding portions 22 (22Aa and 22Ab). , 22Ac, 22Ba, 22Bb, 22Bc) are formed on the holding portions 10Ab, 10Bb. These protrusions 22 are respectively provided at both ends (the front side (the lower side in FIG. 3) and the rear end) of the holding portions 10Ab and 10Bb. In this embodiment, a protrusion 22 (22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ba, 22Bb) having the same upper and lower shape is formed on the front side of each holding part 10Ab, 10Bb, and the protrusion 22 (22Ac only on the upper side is formed on the rear side. , 22Bc). Of the three protrusions 22 that the grip members 10A, 10B have at the two positions on the front side and the rear side of the holding portions 10Ab, 10Bb, the front side protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ba, 22Bb are short, The rear protrusions 22Ac and 22Bc are longer. Four protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ac, 22Ba, 22Bb, and 22Bc provided on both grip members 10A and 10B are located on the same circumference as shown in FIG.

  When the neck portion 4a of the resin bottle 4 is held by the grip members 10A and 10B on both sides, each protrusion (the six protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ac, and 22Ba provided on the upper and lower portions on the front side and the upper portion on the lower side). , 22Bb, 22Bc) only abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 4a of the resin bottle 4 (see FIG. 3). Accordingly, the other portions of the grip members 10 </ b> A and 10 </ b> B do not contact the resin bottle 4, and a gap is formed between the grip members 10 </ b> A and 10 </ b> B and the outer surface of the resin bottle 4. Further, the upper and lower protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ac, 22Ba, 22Bb, and 22Bc are thin, and a gap 24Aa, between the upper protrusions 22Aa and 22Ba on the front side and the lower protrusions 22Ab and 22Bb, 24Ba is formed, and spaces 24Ab and 24Bb are formed below the rear protrusions 22Ac and 22Bc (see FIGS. 4 and 5). As shown in FIG. 5, gaps 24Aa and 24Ba or spaces 24Ab and 24Bb having a size several times the thickness of each protrusion 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ac, 22Ba, 22Bb, and 22Bc are formed, and grip members on both sides are formed. The six projecting portions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ac, 22Ba, 22Bb, and 22Bc of 10A and 10B are in point contact to hold the resin bottle 4. Therefore, the contact area between the resin bottle 4 and the grip members 10A and 10B is extremely small.

  The protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ba, 22Bb formed on the front side of the grip members 10A, 10B are in relation to the plate springs 12A, 12B and the fixed portions 10Aa, 10Ba fixed to the plate springs 12A, 12B. It extends toward the right angle. The front side of the front end portion of the front protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ba, and 22Bb (surfaces indicated by reference numerals 22AX and 22BX in FIG. 3) is cut obliquely, and the inclination between the grip members 10A and 10B is inclined. When the resin bottle 4 is pushed into the front surfaces 22AX and 22BX from the front side (the lower side in FIG. 3), the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 4a comes into contact with the inclined front surfaces 2AX and 22BX, and both the grip members 10A 10B and the two leaf springs 12A and 12B are expanded to enter between the grip members 10A and 10B.

  Two protrusions formed on the front side and the rear side of the holding portions 10Ab and 10Bb of the grip members 10A and 10B with a space in the horizontal direction (in the grip member 10A on the left side of FIG. 3, 22Aa and 22Ab In the grip member 10B on the right side 22Ac, guide portions 24A and 24B for guiding the flange 4c of the resin bottle 4 are formed in the middle of 22Ba, 22Bb and 22Bc). When the resin bottle 4 is tilted relative to the grip members 10A and 10B when the resin bottle 4 is held by the grip members 10A and 10B, the flange 4c of the resin bottle 4 is gripped. There is a possibility that the member 10A or 10B may be fitted between the front protrusion and the rear protrusion (between 22Aa, 22Ab and 22Ac, or 22Ba, 22Bb and 22Bc). Since 24A and 24B guide the lower surface of the flange 4c, it is possible to prevent the flange 4c from being displaced and fitted as described above. The guide portions 24A and 24B are guided by abutting against the flange 4c, and are provided at only one place at substantially the same height as the upper-side protruding portions 22Aa, 22Ac, 22Ba, and 22Bc, and provided on the lower side. (See FIG. 5).

  The upper protrusions 22Aa of the front upper and lower protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ba, and 22Bb and the rear protrusions 22Ac and 22Bc are provided on the grip members 10A and 10B at intervals in the horizontal direction. , 22Ba, 22Ac, 22Bc, and small protrusions 26Aa, 26Ab, 26Ac, 26Ba, 26Bb, 26Bc on the upper surfaces of the guide portions 24A, 24B provided in the middle of the upper side protrusions 22Aa, 22Ac, 22Ba, 22Bc, respectively. Is provided. The grip members 10A and 10B are in contact with the lower surface of the flange 4c of the resin bottle 4 by these small protrusions 26Aa, 26Ab, 26Ac, 26Ba, 26Bb, and 26Bc. As described above, the tips of the six protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ac, 22Ba, 22Bb, and 22Bc abut against the outer peripheral surface of the resin bottle 4, and the small protrusions 26Aa, 26Ab, 26Ac, Since 26Ba, 26Bb, and 26Bc make point contact with the lower surface of the flange 4c, the contact area of the grip members 10A and 10B with the resin bottle 4 can be made extremely small. The gripper 2 according to this embodiment is applied to an electron beam sterilizer, and the portions where the grip members 10A and 10B are in contact with the resin bottle 4 become blind spots of the irradiated electron beam. However, in the gripper 2 according to this embodiment, the contact area that becomes a blind spot can be extremely reduced. The small protrusions 26Aa, 26Ab, 26Ac, 26Ba, 26Bb, and 26Bc are not always in contact with the lower surface of the flange 4c. Depending on the inclination of the resin bottle 4 to be held, there are four or five small protrusions. It may come into contact. In short, it is only necessary that the height of the lower surface of the flange 4c is restricted by a small protrusion to prevent the entire lower surface of the flange 4c from contacting the gripper 2.

  The outer surface sides of the grip members 10A and 10B on both sides (the back side of the surface on which the protruding portion 22 is formed) are flat surfaces parallel to the leaf springs 12A and 12B. Part of the portion is inclined surfaces 10Ac and 10Bc that are inclined so as to gradually approach toward the tip direction. Then, through holes (openings) in a direction substantially orthogonal to the inclined surfaces 10Ac and 10Bc from the inclined surfaces 10Ac and 10Bc toward the inner surfaces of the grip members 10A and 10B (surfaces on which the protruding portions 22 are formed). 10Ad and 10Bd are formed. Between the front and rear protrusions of the grip members 10A and 10B (intermediate between the front protrusions 22Aa and 22Ab and the rear protrusion 22Ac, and between the front protrusions 22Ba and 22Bb and the rear The middle of the protrusion 22Bc is separated from the outer surface of the neck portion 4a of the resin bottle 4 so as not to come into direct contact. However, when the electron beam is irradiated, the grip member 10A is placed on the outer surface of the neck portion 4a. The part which becomes the shadow of 10B arises. Therefore, by forming such openings 10Ad and 10Bd in the grip members 10A and 10B, as shown by an arrow E in FIG. 3, an electron beam is penetrated to be behind the grip members 10A and 10B. It becomes possible to irradiate an electron beam directly on the outer surface of the neck portion 4a.

  One of the pair of grip members 10A and 10B (the grip member 10B on the right side in FIGS. 1 and 3) has an upper portion so that the resin bottle 4 held and transported by the neck gripper 2 does not shake during transport. An anti-sway portion 30B is provided slightly above the protruding portions 22Ba and 22Bc. As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 4, the steady rest 30 </ b> B is positioned slightly above the flange 4 c when the resin bottle 4 is held by the protruding portion 22. When the bottle 4 is tilted, the steady stop portion 30B abuts on the upper surface of the flange 4c, so that the tilt is further prevented, and the centrifugal force during high-speed conveyance and the shake of the bottle 4 that occurs during reversal can be suppressed. .

  A hood 28 is attached to the lower surface of the horizontal mounting body 8 to prevent dust and dirt from entering the resin bottle 4 held and transported by the gripper 2.

  Next, an example of the gripper 2 used in an electron beam sterilizer will be described with reference to FIG. The gripper 2 is provided in a container transport means 34 installed in a sterilization chamber 32 composed of a lead wall. The container transport means 34 includes two sprockets 34a and 34b, and an endless transport band 34c wound around the two sprockets 34a and 34b, and the gripper 2 is similar to the endless transport band 34c. Installed at intervals. The grippers 2 are attached to the transport band 34c as a pair in the up and down direction, and these two neck grippers 2 each grip the neck portion 4a of the bottle 4 (below the flange 4c of the neck portion 4a). Then, one is conveyed in an upright state and the other in an inverted state. The pair of grippers 2 are reversed at a reversal position A in the middle of a straight path from one sprocket (the right sprocket 34b in FIG. 4) to the other sprocket 34a, so that the upper and lower sides of the two bottles 4 are interchanged. ing.

  The bottle 4 is supplied to the gripper 2 of the container conveying means 34 from the outside of the sterilization chamber 32 through a supply wheel 36 disposed on the inlet side of the chamber 32. The bottle 4 is sterilized by electron beam irradiation. After completion, the sterilization chamber 32 is discharged through the discharge wheel 38. A supply position from the supply wheel 36 to the container conveying means 34 is indicated by a symbol B, and a discharge position from the container transfer means 34 to the discharge wheel 38 is indicated by a reference C.

  An electron beam irradiation device 40 is disposed on the side of the sterilization chamber 32. An opening 32a is formed on the wall surface of the sterilization chamber 32, and the irradiation surface 40a of the electron beam irradiation device 40 faces the opening 32a. A thin foil such as titanium is attached to the irradiation surface 40a, and an electron beam is irradiated through the foil. In the present embodiment, the portion provided with the irradiation surface 40a to which the titanium foil is attached is the irradiation portion D of the electron beam irradiation means, and the electron beam irradiation chamber 42 is formed surrounding the front side of the irradiation portion D. ing. When the gripper 2 holding the bottle 4 passes through the electron beam irradiation chamber 42, it receives an electron beam from the electron beam irradiation device 40. The arrow E in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 shows the irradiation direction of an electron beam.

  About the effect | action of the gripper 2 of the said structure, the case where this gripper 2 is used for an electron beam sterilizer is demonstrated as an example. When the gripper 2 attached to the container conveying means 34 travels in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6 and reaches the container supply position B, the resin bottle 4 is supplied from the supply wheel 36. As the gripper 2 advances, the resin bottle 4 is pressed against the inclined front surfaces 22AX and 22BX formed at the front ends of the protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ba and 22Bb on the front side of the grip members 10A and 10B. Both grip members 10A, 10B fixed to the lower ends of the leaf springs 12A, 12B are spread out against the spring force of the leaf springs 12A, 12B and the springs 20A, 20B, and the resin bottle 4 is a front protruding portion. It passes through 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ba, 22Bb and enters between the front-side protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ba, 22Bb and the rear-side protrusions 22Ac, 22Bc.

  Thereafter, the two grip members 10A and 10B are restored by the repulsive force of the leaf springs 12A and 12B and the springs 20A and 20B, and the six upper and lower protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ac, 22Ba, 22Bb and 22Bc of the grip members 10A and 10B Thus, the neck 4a of the bottle 4 is held. Both grip members 10A and 10B come into contact with the outer surface of the neck portion 4A of the resin bottle 4 only at the tips of the protruding portions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ac, 22Ba, 22Bb and 22Bc, and the grip members 10A and 10B are necks. Since the area in contact with the portion 4a is small, the portion that is not irradiated with the electron beam can be made as small as possible, and the bottle 4 can be stabilized by the six projecting portions 22 arranged almost all around the neck portion 4a. Can be held. In this way, the resin bottle 4 held by the grip members 10A and 10B of the gripper 2 is inverted at the container reversal position A while being conveyed by the container conveying device 34, and is in an inverted state.

  The gripper 2 holds the neck portion 4 a of the resin bottle 4 and conveys it to the front of the irradiation surface 40 a of the electron beam irradiation device (electron beam irradiation means) 40. At this time, the front end side of the gripper 2 faces the irradiation surface 40a, and is sterilized by being irradiated with an electron beam in the direction of arrow E in front of the irradiation surface 40a. The protrusions 22 provided on both grip members 10A and 10B are thin, and the gaps 24Aa, 24Ba, between the upper protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ba, 22Bb and the lower protrusions 22Ac, 222Bc, Alternatively, since the spaces 24Ab and 24Bb are formed, the irradiated electron beam can travel to the back of the neck portion 4a of the bottle 4 to be sterilized.

  The container transport device 34 has a pair of grippers 2 and 2 attached to an endless transport body 34c at equal intervals. When the container transport device 34 reaches a container supply position B, the gripper that holds the resin bottle 4 is held. The other gripper 2 provided at a position symmetrical to 2 is supplied and holds the resin bottle 4 in the same manner as the gripper 2.

  Each of the resin bottles 4 is irradiated with the first electron beam as described above, and then is reversed again at the reversal position A and sent to the front of the irradiation surface 40a. The grip member 10A is opposite to the first time. 10B is irradiated with the second electron beam from the rear side (upper side in FIG. 3), and the entire outer peripheral surface is sterilized. The resin bottle 4 that has been sterilized is delivered to the discharge wheel 38 at the discharge position C and discharged.

  In the conventional gripper (for example, the gripper described in Patent Document 4), the area of the portion in contact with the bottle has to be increased in order to perform stable conveyance, and thus the electron beam is blocked by the gripper. Insufficient sterilization. Moreover, since the electron beam does not reach the rear side of the portion in contact with the gripper, a portion that is not sterilized remains widely. On the other hand, in the configuration of the gripper 2 according to this embodiment, the resin bottle 4 is formed by the six thin projections 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ac, 22Ba, 22Bb, and 22Bc formed above and below the grip members 10A and 10B. Since it is held, the electron beam can pass through the gaps 24Aa, 24Ba or spaces 24Ab, 24Bb in the middle of the upper and lower protrusions 22, and the openings penetrate the inside and outside of the grip members 10A, 10B closer to the front ends. Since the portions 10Ad and 10Bd are formed, the portions of the neck portion 4a that are shaded by the grip members 10A and 10B can be irradiated with an electron beam, and almost all surfaces of the resin bottle 4 are sterilized. be able to.

  Since the neck gripper 2 is configured as described above, the resin bottle 4 can be securely gripped and stably conveyed, and the speed can be increased. Even when irradiated with a line, a sufficient electron dose can be secured and sterilization can be performed effectively. Further, in the gripper 2 configured as described above, the holding mechanism is configured by the leaf springs 12A and 12B and the springs 20A and 20B, and these are bent so that the front protrusions 22Aa, 22Ab, 22Ba, and 22Bb and the rear protrusions. If the neck portion 4a of the resin bottle 4 can be inserted between the portions 22Ac and 22Bc, even if the shape and size of the neck portion 4a are changed, there is no need to change the mold, and the resin bottle 4 can be used widely. Further, since the resin bottle 4 is inverted and irradiated twice, the entire surface of the resin bottle 4 can be sterilized only by arranging one electron beam irradiation device. Further, in this embodiment, the small protrusions 26Aa, 26Ab, 26Ac, 26Ba, 26Bb, and 26Bc are provided on the upper protrusions 22Aa, 22Ac, 22Ba, and 22Bc and the intermediate guide portions 24A and 24B. The contact area with the lower surface of the flange 4c is reduced, and the lower surface of the flange 4c can be effectively irradiated with an electron beam. Moreover, in the said Example, the protrusion parts 22 are formed in the holding | maintenance part 10Ab, 10Bb of each grip member 10A, 10B on the front side and the back side up and down, and each grip member 10A, 10B is each two places (up-and-down) The four protruding portions 22 are in contact with the neck portion 4a of the bottle 4. However, the positions where the protruding portions 22 are formed are not necessarily limited to two, and may be three or four. The number can also be set as appropriate. Moreover, although the said Example demonstrated about the case where the gripper 2 was applied to the electron beam sterilization apparatus, it is not necessarily limited to an electron beam sterilization apparatus, Light rays, such as an ultraviolet-ray and infrared rays, and another radiation | emission medium are used. It can also be applied to sterilizing and other processing devices for irradiation, and devices for spraying vapor, gas, and liquid onto bottles to perform sterilization, cleaning, and other processing. Is small and effective as in the case of the electron beam sterilizer. Moreover, it is applicable also to the other bottle processing apparatus comprised so that the resin-made bottles 4 might be conveyed because it can hold | maintain stably.

(Example 1) which is a front view of a gripper It is a side view of a gripper. It is a top view which shows the grip part of the said gripper. It is an enlarged view of the principal part of FIG. It is an enlarged view of the principal part of FIG. It is a top view which shows an example at the time of using the said gripper for an electron beam sterilizer.

Explanation of symbols

2 Gripper 4 Plastic bottle 4a Neck part 10A Grip member 10B Grip member 12A Opening / closing member (leaf spring)
12B Open / close member (leaf spring)
22Ba Projection 22Bb Projection 22Bc Projection

Claims (4)

In the gripper that holds the neck of the resin bottle from both sides,
A pair of opening and closing members disposed on both sides of the neck portion; and a grip member provided on each opening and closing member and holding the outer periphery of the neck portion,
The upper part of the grip member is provided with at least two protrusions spaced apart in the horizontal direction and one protrusion on the lower part, and the protrusions are brought into contact with the outer periphery of the neck part to hold the resin bottle. Gripper.   By engaging the flange formed on the neck portion of the resin bottle between the protruding portions on the upper side provided with a gap, the flange is guided so as not to enter between the upper and lower protruding portions. The gripper according to claim 1, further comprising a guide portion.   The gripper according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a protrusion that abuts on a lower surface of the flange is formed on an upper surface of the upper protruding portion.   The held bottle is transported to an irradiation part of an electron beam irradiation means, and the grip member is formed with an opening through which the irradiated electron beam can be transmitted to the neck part side of the bottle. The gripper according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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