JP2009156607A - Rotary type container treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect the abnormality in the rotation of a top locator 44 rotated along with a container 4 by the rotation of a container stand 32. <P>SOLUTION: This rotary type container treatment apparatus includes the container stand 32 which supports the base of the container 4 in a state the container 4 is placed, the top locator 44 arranged above the container stand 32 in a liftable manner and the servo motor 38 for rotating the container stand 32 and rotates the container 4 in the state that it is held by the freely rotatable container support part 60 provided to the lower end of the top locator 44 and the container stand 32. The detection piece 74 provided to the container support part 60 is detected by the proximity sensor 72 turned toward the top locator 44 and the detection number of times within a predetermined time is sent to a control unit 76 being a judge means to judge whether the container 4 is normally rotated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rotary container processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process by rotating a container placed on a container base between the container base and a top locator above the container base. For example, the container is rotated. The present invention relates to a rotary container processing apparatus such as a foreign substance inspection apparatus that floats and detects foreign substances mixed in a liquid filled in a container.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a foreign matter inspection apparatus that detects foreign matter mixed in a liquid filled in a container has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The “foreign substance inspection apparatus in filled liquid” according to the invention described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a subject mounting table connected to a rotation shaft of a motor on the circumference of an inspection rotor (rotating body). A subject (container) is placed on the table, and is rotated and conveyed in the circumferential direction by the rotation of the rotating body.

  A subject on the mounting table that passes between the camera and the illumination by using cameras provided at three fixed positions on the circumference where the container is transported and using the illumination provided at the opposed positions. Shoot for foreign matter inspection. In order to detect the foreign matter in the filling liquid in the subject, the subject is rotated by the motor, and then the rotation is stopped to detect the moving foreign matter in the filling liquid.

In general, in a container processing device that rotates (spins) a container placed on the container table and processes the container while the container is rotating, the container table must be attached to prevent the container from falling or jumping out. A top locator that supports the head of the container is provided above, and the container is rotated in a state of being sandwiched from above and below by a container base that supports the bottom surface of the container by placing the container on the top. Usually, the lower container base is driven to rotate by a motor or the like, while the upper top locator has a portion that directly presses the head of the container (container support part) freely rotatable. Along with this, the container support portion of the top locator is rotated integrally.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-107011 (page 3-4, FIG. 2)

  In a container processing apparatus such as the conventional foreign matter inspection apparatus as described above, a predetermined rotation of the container is caused by a failure of a motor or a failure of a top locator, for example, a failure of a ball bearing that rotatably supports a container support portion of a top locator. In the case where it is not possible to give the mark, there is a problem that processing such as normal inspection cannot be performed. If the container base rotates normally but the top locator side does not rotate normally, an overload occurs between the top locator and the cap of the container, and the cap is damaged or a predetermined There is a possibility that problems such as loosening of the cap tightened with torque may occur.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a container processing apparatus that can detect when the top locator does not rotate normally.

  The present invention provides a container base for placing a container and supporting the bottom surface thereof, a rotating means for rotating the container base, a top locator having a rotatable container support portion provided so as to be movable up and down above the container base, In a container processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process by rotating a container supplied on a container table while being sandwiched between an upper top locator and a detection piece provided on a container support part of the top locator; A sensor for detecting the detection piece; and a determination unit for receiving the signal from the sensor to determine whether or not the top locator is rotating normally. When the signal from is not input a set number of times per predetermined time, the top locator is determined to be abnormal.

  The rotary container processing apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a detection piece detected by a sensor at a container support portion which is a freely rotating portion of the top locator, and a sensor for detecting the detection piece. Since it is determined whether or not normal rotation is performed based on the number of detection pieces detected, it is possible to reliably detect when the container is not rotating normally. Therefore, even when applied to a foreign matter inspection apparatus, foreign matter in the filling liquid can be reliably detected, and the cap can be prevented from being damaged or loosened due to the occurrence of an overload.

  A container base that is rotated by the rotating means and a top locator disposed above the container base, and the head of the container placed on the container base is pressed from above by a rotatable container support provided on the top locator; When the container base is rotated with the container sandwiched from above and below, the container support portion rotates together with the container. The detection piece provided on the container support section is detected by a sensor, and the top locator rotates normally by the configuration in which the number of times the sensor detects the detection piece within a predetermined time is sent to the determination means. To achieve the purpose of accurately determining whether or not

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a simplified overall structure of a rotary container processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, as an example of a container processing apparatus, a foreign substance inspection apparatus 1 that inspects whether foreign substances are mixed in a liquid filled in a container will be described.

  The supply conveyor 2 continuously conveys the containers 4 filled with liquid by a filler (not shown) installed upstream thereof and capped by a capper (not shown). These containers 4 are separated at predetermined intervals by an infeed screw 6 and delivered to an introduction wheel 8. A plurality of container holding portions are formed on the outer periphery of the introduction wheel 8 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the containers 4 are received and rotated and conveyed by these container holding portions.

  Subsequent to the introduction wheel 8, a supply wheel 10 is arranged. Similarly to the introduction wheel 8, the supply wheel 10 has container holding portions formed on the outer peripheral portion at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the containers 4 delivered from the introduction wheel 8 are supplied to the respective container holding portions. Hold and rotate and transport.

  The container 4 rotated and conveyed by the supply wheel 10 is supplied to the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. As will be described later, the foreign object inspection apparatus 1 is provided with a large number of container bases at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the rotating body, and the containers 4 supplied by the supply wheel 10 are 1 on each container base. In a state where the books are placed one by one and the bottom is supported, they are rotated and conveyed by the rotation of the rotating body.

  The containers 4 that have been inspected by the foreign substance inspection apparatus 1 are handed over to the discharge wheel 12 in which the container holding portions are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, like the wheels 8, 10, and are rotated and conveyed. Discharged to the top. This foreign matter inspection apparatus 1 inspects whether or not foreign matter is mixed in the liquid filled in the container 4, and only normal containers in which no foreign matter is found are discharged from the discharge wheel 12 onto the discharge conveyor 14. It is discharged to the next process. Further, the container 4 in which foreign matter is detected in the liquid by inspection is not discharged from the discharge wheel 12 onto the discharge conveyor 14, but is passed through the discharge conveyor 14 while being held by the discharge wheel 12 and delivered to the reject wheel 16. It is. The reject wheel 16 is also provided with a plurality of container holding portions at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The container 4 received from the discharge wheel 12 is rotated by holding the container 4 in the container holding portion and arranged in parallel with the discharge conveyor 14. It is discharged onto the reject conveyor 18.

  Next, the configuration of the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 which is a longitudinal sectional view of the main part of the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1. The rotating body 20 of the foreign substance inspection apparatus 1 includes two upper and lower rotating disks 22 and 24 attached to a central rotating shaft (not shown) (located on the right side in FIG. 2). The rotating discs 22 and 24 rotate as a unit. Circular holes 24a are formed in the outer peripheral portion of the lower rotating disk 24 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and cylindrical holding cylinders 26 are inserted into the circular holes 24a. Each of the holding cylinders 26 has a flange 26 a formed at the center in the vertical direction, and the flange 26 a is fixed to the upper surface of the lower rotating disk 24 by a bolt 28. An upright rotating shaft 30 is rotatably supported in a cylindrical holding cylinder 26. Container bases 32 are respectively attached to portions of the rotating shaft 30 protruding above the holding cylinder 26, and the containers 4 are placed on the container bases 32, and the bottom surfaces thereof are supported and rotated.

  A pulley 34 is fixed to a portion of the rotating shaft 30 that extends downward from the holding cylinder 26. A servo motor 38 is attached to the lower surface of the lower rotating disk 24 via a bracket 36, and a pulley 39 is fixed to a drive shaft 38 a of the servo motor 38. A belt 40 is wound around a pulley 39 fixed to the servo motor 38 and a pulley 34 at the lower end of the rotary shaft 30, and the drive of the servo motor 38 causes the pulleys 39, 34 and the belt 40 to move. The container base 32 provided on the rotary shaft 30 is rotated at an arbitrary rotational speed in the forward and reverse directions.

  A top locator 44 for holding the head of the container 4 on the container table 32 (more precisely, the upper surface of the cap 42) is provided above each container table 32. A circular hole 22a is formed at a position corresponding to each container base 32 on the outer peripheral portion of the upper rotating disk 22, and an upright cylindrical holding cylinder 46 is inserted into each circular hole 22a. It is being fixed to the upper surface of the upper rotating disc 22 via the attachment part 46a formed in the outer surface. An elevating rod 48 of the top locator 44 is inserted into the cylindrical holding cylinder 46 so as to be movable up and down. A spring 50 is inserted between the upper part of the inner surface of the holding cylinder 46 and a step portion formed on the outer periphery of the lifting rod 48 of the top locator 44 to constantly urge the lifting rod 48 downward.

  A cam follower 54 is attached to a portion of the elevating rod 48 that protrudes upward from the holding cylinder 46 via an attachment member 52. Each of the cam followers 54 is attached so as to face the outer side in the radial direction of the rotating body 20 with respect to the axis of each lifting rod 48. A fixed circular cam 56 is arranged along the locus of movement of the cam follower 54 due to the rotation of the rotating body 20 so as to be positioned below the cam follower 54. As the cam follower 54 moves on the cam surface of the fixed circular cam 56, the lifting rod 48 moves up and down. A rotation stop plate 58 is attached to the attachment member 52 at the upper end of the elevating rod 48 to restrict the rotation of the elevating rod 48 relative to the holding cylinder 46.

  A portion of the lifting rod 48 that protrudes from the lower end of the holding cylinder 46 is provided with a container support 60 that directly contacts the head of the container 4 and presses the container 4. As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 3, the container support portion 60 has a substantially cup shape and is fitted from below into a small diameter portion 48 a formed at the lower end of the lifting rod 48. The bushes 64 and 66 are rotatably mounted. An annular groove 48b is formed in the middle of the small diameter portion 48a provided at the lower end of the lifting rod 48, and a retaining pin 68 inserted from the outer surface of the container support portion 60 is engaged in the annular groove 48b. (The illustration of the retaining pin 68 is omitted in FIG. 3).

  A proximity sensor 72 corresponding to each top locator 44 is horizontally attached to the lower surface side of the upper rotating disk 22 via a bracket 70. These proximity sensors 72 face the container support portion 60 of each top locator 44. On the other hand, detection pieces 74 detected by the proximity sensors 72 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the container support 60 of each top locator 44. The top locator 44 can be moved up and down, and when the lifting rod 48 is lowered and the container support 60 holds the container 4 on the container table 32 from above, the detection piece 74 is the same height as the proximity sensor 72. The attachment position of the detection piece 74 and the attachment height of the proximity sensor 72 are set so as to be the same.

  The proximity sensor 72 detects the detection piece 74 by the rotation of the container support portion 60 of the top locator 44 and uses the signal as a determination means for determining whether the rotation of the top locator 44 is normal or abnormal. This is sent to the control device 76. The control device 76 determines whether or not the top locator 44 is rotating normally based on the number of times the proximity sensor 72 detects the detection piece 74 within a predetermined time. For example, when the proximity sensor 72 detects the detection piece 74 five times or more per second, it is determined as normal, and when it is four times or less, it is determined as defective.

  In the foreign matter detection apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the section in which the container 4 is rotated (rotated) by the rotation of the container base 32, and the rotation is stopped and reversed is sequentially set in the transport path of the container 4 by the rotation of the rotating body 20. Has been. The range indicated by A in FIG. 1 is a forward rotation section in which the container 4 is rotated in a certain direction by the rotation of the container base 32, and the range indicated by B is a stop for temporarily stopping the container 4 rotated in the forward rotation section A. A section and a range indicated by C are a reverse rotation section in which the container 4 is rotated in the direction opposite to the rotation of the forward rotation section A. By stopping the rotation of the container 4 in this way, when a foreign substance is mixed in the liquid filled in the container 4, the foreign substance can be danced and floated, and the foreign object can be detected. .

  An inspection section D is set on the downstream side of the reverse rotation section C, and three cameras 78, 80, and 82 are installed on the outer side of the rotating body 20 with the direction of the container 4 in the inspection section D directed. Yes. In addition, an illumination 84 is installed below an area where the container 4 is photographed by these three cameras 78, 80, and 82. Note that the inspection section D also continues to rotate in the same direction as the reverse rotation section C. The container 4 after being forwardly rotated, stopped and reversed as described above is photographed by the cameras 78, 80, and 82 while being illuminated from below with the same rotation (reverse rotation) as in the reverse rotation section C being continued. By doing this, it is possible to detect a foreign matter in the liquid in the container 4.

  The operation of the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1 according to the above configuration will be described. A container 4 filled with liquid in a filler (not shown) and sealed with a cap 42 attached by a capper is continuously conveyed by the supply conveyor 2. The containers 4 that have been continuously conveyed are cut off at predetermined intervals by the infeed screw 6 on the supply conveyor 2 and sequentially carried into the introduction wheel 8. The container 4 held and rotated and conveyed by the container holding part of the introduction wheel 8 is transferred to the next supply wheel 10 and rotated and conveyed, and supplied into the rotary foreign matter inspection apparatus 1. At the time when the container 4 is supplied onto the container base 32 of the foreign substance inspection apparatus 1, the upper top locator 44 is raised by the circular cam 56, and the container support portion 60 of the top locator 44 is moved to the head of the container 4 (cap 42. ) Is not interfered with.

  One container 4 is placed on each container stand 32 from the supply wheel 10, and is rotated and conveyed (revolved) by the rotation of the rotating body 20. The top locator 44 is lowered by the cam shape of the circular cam 56 before these containers 4 reach the forward rotation section A that rotates the container base 32 in one direction. In the state where the top locator 44 is lowered, the spring 50 inserted into the cylindrical holding cylinder 46 interferes with the impact of the lower surface of the container support 60 colliding with the upper surface of the cap 42 of the container 4. At this time, the detection piece 74 attached to the container support portion 60 of the top locator 44 is positioned at the same height as the proximity sensor 72 fixed to the lower surface of the upper rotating disk 22.

  In this manner, the container 4 is rotated and conveyed in a state where the container 4 is sandwiched from above and below by the container base 32 that supports the bottom surface of the container 4 and the top locator 44 that holds the top surface of the cap 42 of the container 4 from above. Is done. When the rotationally conveyed container 4 enters the forward rotation section A, the container base 32 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed by driving the servo motor 38 to rotate (autorotate) the container 4 in a certain direction. The container base 32 is rotated by the servo motor 38, and the container 4 is rotated by the rotation of the container base 32, whereby the container support portion 60 of the top locator 44 pressed against the container 4 is integrally rotated.

  When the container 4 sandwiched between the container base 32 and the top locator 44 enters the stop section B from the forward rotation section A, the servo motor 38 stops the rotation of the container base 32. Furthermore, when it comes to the next reverse rotation section C, the container base 32 is rotated in the direction opposite to the forward rotation section A by driving the servo motor 38. Thus, when the container 4 is rotated in one direction, the liquid in the container 4 also starts to rotate in the same direction, and then the liquid in the container 4 continues to rotate due to inertia even if the rotation of the container 4 is stopped. When the container 4 is rotated in the reverse direction from this state, a force that rotates in the direction opposite to the direction in which the liquid in the container 4 is rotated is applied, and the container 4 is stirred. When the liquid is in such a state, if foreign matter is mixed in the liquid, the foreign matter is danced and floated. Thereafter, when the container 4 enters the inspection section D in which the cameras 78, 80, and 82 are installed while the container 4 is kept in the reverse rotation state, the three cameras 78, 80, and 82 continuously perform a plurality of times. Shooting is performed. In the inspection section D in which this photographing is performed, the container 4 is illuminated from below by the illumination 84 installed below the container transport path. If there is a foreign substance in the liquid, the cameras 78, 80, and 82 are surely used. Can be detected.

  The container 4 that has been photographed and inspected by the three cameras 78, 80, and 82 is discharged by the discharge wheel 12. A normal container 4 in which the presence of foreign matter is not recognized in the liquid is discharged from the discharge wheel 12 onto the discharge conveyor 14 and sent to the next step. Further, when foreign matter is detected in the liquid, the container 4 is not discharged onto the discharge conveyor 14, is rotated and conveyed while being held by the discharge wheel 12, and is delivered to the reject wheel 16, and further this reject wheel. 16 is discharged onto a reject conveyor 18.

  As described above, when the container base 32 is rotated in the forward rotation section A and the reverse rotation section C, the container support portion 60 of the upper top locator 44 holding the container 4 together with the container base 32 rotates together with the container 4. To do. When the container support part 60 rotates in this way, the proximity sensor 72 detects the detection piece 74 fixed to the outer surface of the container support part 60. The detection signal of the proximity sensor 72 is sent to the control device 76, and the control device 76 determines whether or not normal rotation is being performed. In this embodiment, when the detection signal from the proximity sensor 72 is 5 times or more per second, the control device 76 determines that the top locator 44 is rotating normally. When the number of signals detected per second is four or less, normal rotation is not performed and it is determined that rotation is defective. If the required rotation cannot be obtained, there is a risk that even if foreign matter is mixed in the liquid in the container 4, it cannot be sufficiently danced and cannot be detected, or the cap 42 may be damaged. In the foreign matter inspection apparatus according to the embodiment, when the rotation is insufficient, it is possible to reliably detect the occurrence of the malfunction.

It is a top view which simplifies and shows the whole structure of the foreign material inspection apparatus which is an example of a rotary type container processing apparatus. Example 1 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part of the said foreign material inspection apparatus. It is an enlarged view of the principal part of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

4 Container 32 Container stand 38 Rotating means (servo motor)
44 Top locator 60 Container support 72 Sensor (proximity sensor)
74 Detection piece 76 Determination means (control device)

Claims (1)

A container table that mounts a container and supports the bottom surface thereof; a rotating means that rotates the container table; and a top locator that is provided so as to be movable up and down above the container table and has a rotatable container support part. In a container processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process by rotating a container supplied on a table while being sandwiched between an upper top locator,
A detection piece provided on the container support portion of the top locator, a sensor for detecting the detection piece, and a determination unit that receives the signal from the sensor and determines whether or not the top locator is rotating normally. Provided,
The rotary container processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the top locator is determined to be abnormal when a signal from the sensor is not input a predetermined number of times per predetermined time during the rotating operation of the container base.

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