JP2011230781A - Container filling system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a container filling system for reducing the load on a container while simplifying equipment.SOLUTION: The container filling system includes: a blow molding device 2 that sequentially receives preforms PF to form a bottle B with a protrusion B4a protruding outward in a bottom part B4 by blow molding; a capper 7 with a cap mounting member 71 mounting a cap C on a mouth B2 of the bottle B filled with a drink; a bottom pushing device 8 pushing the protrusion B4a of the bottle B to the inside; and a conveyance mechanism 10 sequentially conveying the bottle between the blow molding device 2 and the bottom pushing device 8. The bottom pushing device 8 includes a pushing member 81 pushing the protrusion B4a with the cap C or a neck part B1 of the bottle B supported by the cap mounting member 71. In the conveyance mechanism 10, a conveyance device conveying the bottle B while supporting the neck part B1 thereof is arranged throughout the conveyance section from the blow molding device 2 to the capper 7.

Description

  The present invention relates to a blow molding apparatus for blow forming a preform to form a container to be filled with a beverage, a filling apparatus for filling the formed container with a beverage, and a container filling system including a capping device for attaching a cap to the container. And a container filling method.

  In the process of filling the beverage into the resin container, the preform is blow molded to form the container before filling, and after sterilizing the formed container as necessary, the beverage is filled and the cap is attached, Further, it is sent to the next process. In such a filling system, in order to adjust the pressure in the container after filling the beverage, a method of keeping the shape of the container in a good state by pushing the protrusion at the bottom of the container inward is known. Mainly known are a hot pack method (see Patent Document 1) in which high temperature beverages are filled and an aseptic filling method (see Patent Documents 2 and 3) in which normal temperature beverages are filled. In any method, after filling a bottle with a protruding bottom, the protruding portion is pushed in, so that the decompression in the container is positively released or a slightly positive pressure state is achieved. In particular, in the aseptic filling method, since a sterile chamber is provided, it is not advisable to wear a basket that supports the protrusion on the bottom of the container and allows the container to stand independently, but holds the body and shoulders of the container. For example, a self-supporting container with a small push-in amount that does not protrude outward from the installation surface is adopted.

Special Table 2007-500658 JP 2008-13185 A JP 2008-201461 A

  In any of the above-described filling methods, a container whose bottom portion protrudes outside cannot stand by itself, or even when a self-supporting container is transported at high speed, it is difficult to ensure stability during transportation. Further, since the self-supporting container has a small pushing amount, the positive pressure obtained is limited. Therefore, these measures are necessary. In the apparatus of Patent Document 1, the neck portion of the container is held and transported in the neck at the time of filling. After the cap is attached, the container is held in the basket and cooled, and then the bottom of the container is pushed in to eliminate the reduced pressure. In a series of processes from container blow molding to pushing the bottom after filling, the transportation method is changed, and special members such as a basket for transporting the container are required, which complicates the equipment. . Moreover, in the apparatus of patent document 2, it hold | maintains the trunk | drum and shoulder part of a container, and is conveyed. Although the bottom of the container can be pushed in while holding the trunk and shoulder, the container may be damaged or deformed at that time. In order to avoid these, the thickness of the container may be increased, but it is not suitable because it is contrary to weight reduction.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the container filling system and the container filling method which can reduce the burden to a container, simplifying an installation.

  The container filling system of the present invention is a blow molding apparatus in which a preform (PF) made of resin is sequentially supplied, and a container (B) having a protruding portion (B4a) projecting outward from the bottom (B4) is formed by blow molding. (2), a capping device having a filling device (6) for filling the formed container with a beverage, and a cap mounting member (71) for mounting the cap (C) on the mouth (B2) of the container filled with the beverage A device (7), a pushing device (8) for pushing the convex portion of the container after the cap is attached inside, and a convex portion pushed inward by the pushing device after the container is formed by the blow molding device A container filling system (1) including a transport device (10) that sequentially transports the cap until the container is pressed, wherein the pushing device supports a cap mounted on the container or a neck (B1) of the container. support (71, 85) and a pushing member (81) for pushing the convex portion inward from below the container in a state where the cap or the neck portion is supported by the support portion. The above-mentioned problem is solved by providing a neck support transport means (10) for supporting and transporting the neck of the container over the entire transport section from the blow molding device to the capping device.

  According to the container filling system of the present invention, when the convex portion protruding outward at the time of blow molding is formed on the bottom portion, it becomes difficult for the container to stand on its own, but it is transported regardless of the shape of the bottom portion by supporting the neck portion. be able to. Furthermore, since the convex part at the bottom is pushed in while holding the cap or neck attached to the container, the body and shoulders of the container are not damaged. Since the body of the container is not recessed and the problem of strength due to supporting the shoulder of the container is not considered, the degree of freedom in designing the container can be increased and the weight can be reduced. In the aseptic filling method, the bottom can be pushed in while supporting the cap or neck. On the other hand, in the hot pack system, the bottom can be pushed in while supporting the neck of the container. This is because, particularly in a form in which a sterile chamber is not provided as in the hot pack method, if the cap is supported, the sealing performance of the cap may not be maintained, and the bottom cannot be pushed while supporting the cap. Therefore, in any method, the burden on the container can be reduced without supporting the trunk or shoulder of the container. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the weight by avoiding damage and deformation of the container.

  In one form of the container filling system of the present invention, the neck support / conveyance means may convey the container so that the position of the neck of the container being conveyed is unified at a predetermined height. According to this aspect, the container formed by blow molding from the preform is transported while the neck position of the container is kept constant until the beverage is filled and the cap is attached. Thereby, since the height of the container conveyed between each apparatus becomes fixed, it can respond easily, when the change of a specification etc. arises. Further, since the neck portion of the container is supported, a space is created below the container, and it is possible to easily cope with changes in the size of the container to be conveyed. Therefore, by unifying the height of the containers to be conveyed, it is possible to easily cope with different types of containers, and stable operation is possible even if the facilities are simplified.

  In one form of the container filling system of the present invention, the capping device and the pushing device may be installed in a sterile chamber (9). According to this embodiment, the pushing of the container bottom by the pushing device is performed by supporting the cap portion of the container, but the sterility of the cap is maintained because it is performed in a sterile chamber.

  In a form in which a sterile chamber is provided, the cap mounting member also serves as the support portion, the support portion supports the cap, and the cap mounting member holds the cap on the container as it is after holding the cap. In this state, the convex portion of the container may be pushed by the pushing member. According to this embodiment, the convex portion at the bottom is pushed into the container by the pushing member in a state where the cap fitting member holds the cap as it is after the cap is attached to the container. Since this is performed in the aseptic chamber, the cap can be pressed when the bottom is pushed in even immediately after the cap is mounted, and the sterility of the container can be maintained.

  In one form of the container filling system of the present invention, a bottom support transport device (12, 13) having bottom transport means (12a, 13a) for transporting while supporting the bottom of the container on the downstream side in the transport direction of the transport device. The bottom conveying means may be provided so that the supporting position for supporting the bottom portion can be adjusted according to the position of the bottom portion of the container conveyed from the conveying device. According to this aspect, the support position of the bottom conveying means can be adjusted according to the position of the bottom of the container that is conveyed at a constant height by the conveying device. Accordingly, the container can be further transported while maintaining the transport height of the container even in the bottom support transport device.

  The container filling method of the present invention is a blow molding step in which a preform (PF) made of resin is sequentially supplied, and a container (B) having a protruding portion (B4a) protruding outward on the bottom (B4) is formed by blow molding. And a filling step for filling the formed container with the beverage, a capping step for attaching the cap (C) to the mouth (B2) of the container filled with the beverage, and the convex portion of the container after the cap is attached inside. A container filling method comprising: a step of pushing into the container, wherein the neck (B1) of the container is supported and conveyed from the blow molding step to the step of pushing, and the capping step and the step of pushing are aseptic. After the cap mounting member (71) mounts the cap on the container in the capping step, the cap mounting member is in contact with the cap. At the pushing step, the pushing member from below of the container (81) is to solve the above problems by pushing the protrusion on the inside of the container.

  According to the container filling method of the present invention, as in the case of the container filling system described above, when the convex part protruding outward at the time of blow molding is formed on the bottom part, it becomes difficult to stand up the container, but by supporting the neck part It can be transported regardless of the shape of the bottom. Further, since the convex portion at the bottom is pushed into the container immediately after the cap is mounted in the aseptic chamber, the sterility of the container is not impaired even if the cap moves slightly during the pushing. Therefore, the body portion of the container is not recessed, and the problem of strength due to supporting the shoulder portion of the container is not considered, so that the burden on the container can be reduced. Therefore, the degree of freedom in designing the container can be increased and the weight can be reduced.

  In addition, in the above description, in order to make an understanding of this invention easy, the reference sign of the accompanying drawing was attached in parenthesis, but this invention is not limited to the form of illustration by it.

  As described above, when the convex portion protruding outward at the time of blow molding is formed on the bottom portion, it becomes difficult for the container to stand on its own, but by supporting the neck portion, it can be conveyed regardless of the shape of the bottom portion. . Furthermore, since the convex part at the bottom is pushed in while holding the cap or neck attached to the container, the body and shoulders of the container are not damaged. Since the body part of the container is not recessed and the problem of strength due to supporting the shoulder part of the container is not considered, the burden on the container can be reduced. Therefore, the degree of freedom in designing the container can be increased and the weight can be reduced.

The flowchart of the container filling system which concerns on one form of this invention. The schematic of the container filling system seen from the side. Schematic of a capper and a bottom pushing apparatus. Schematic of the principal part of the container filling system which concerns on the modification of this invention. The front view of a preform and a bottle. The figure which shows the bottle by which the neck part was hold | gripped by the chuck apparatus.

  FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of a container filling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the container filling system 1, the material before molding, which is the base of the resin bottle B called a preform PF, is supplied in order from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the bottle B as a container, and the preform PF is sequentially blow molded. The blow molding device 2 for forming the bottle B, the empty bottle inspection device 3 for inspecting the shape and the like of the bottle B formed by the blow molding device 2, the sterilization device 4 for sterilizing the bottle B after the inspection, A bottle rinsing device 5 for cleaning the sterilized bottle B, a filling device 6 for filling the bottle B with a beverage, and a capper as a capping device for attaching a cap C (see FIG. 5) to the bottle B filled with the beverage 7 and a bottom pushing device 8 as a pushing device for pushing the bottom of the bottle B to which the cap is attached. FIG. 5 shows a front view of the preform PF and the bottle B. The shapes of the preform PF and the neck B1 and the mouth B2 as the neck of the bottle B do not change before and after blow molding. In FIG. 5, a part of the preform PF is indicated by a broken line, but this part becomes the body B3 and the bottom B4 of the bottle B by blow molding. The container filling system 1 employs an aseptic filling method in which a bottle B is filled with a normal temperature beverage. For this reason, the sterilization device 4, the bottle rinsing device 5, the filling device 6, the capper 7 and the bottom pushing device 8 are installed in a sterilization chamber 9 in which the inside is maintained in a sterilized state.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the container filling system 1 as seen from the side. The blow molding apparatus 2 includes a conveyor 21 for supplying the preform PF, a plurality of conveyance wheels (not shown) for conveying the preform PF or the bottle B, a heating unit 22 for heating the preform PF, and a heated preform. And a molding part 23 for blow-molding the reformed PF into the bottle B. The conveyor 21 sequentially supplies the preform PF to the conveyance wheel at predetermined intervals. The conveyance wheel conveys the preform PF and the flange B1a of the neck portion B1 of the bottle B while holding it. Similarly, the preform PF is heated by the heater while the neck B1 is held and conveyed in the heating unit 22 as well. The molding unit 23 is provided with a mold for molding the bottle B, a blow device for blowing gas into the preform PF, and the like. The preform PF is molded into the bottle B at the molding unit 23. The bottle B is, for example, a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle. The bottom B4 of the bottle B molded by the blow molding device 2 is provided with a convex portion B4a (see FIG. 5) protruding outward. Convex part B4a is shape | molded with the other part of the bottle B at the time of blow molding. A known technique may be used for blow molding by the molding unit 24. A well-known technique may be used for heating by the heating unit 22.

  The empty bottle inspection device 3 inspects the appearance and the inside of the bottle B to inspect for the presence of defects such as shape and foreign matter. For the inspection, an imaging device 31 such as a camera for imaging from above and below the bottle B is used. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the empty bottle inspection device 3 is installed in the blow molding device 2. Note that the empty bottle inspection device 3 may be provided separately from the blow molding device 2. The sterilizer 4 is provided in the sterilization chamber 9. The sterilizer 4 is located on the most upstream side in the transport direction of the bottle B in the sterilization chamber 9. The sterilizer 4 is provided with a plurality of spray tubes, and the sterilizing agent is sprayed on the inner and outer surfaces of the bottle B. The bottle rinsing device 5 is provided with various nozzles for spraying hot air or aseptic water to the bottle B sprayed with the sterilizing agent, and the sterilizing agent is washed away. The filling device 6 has a filling nozzle or the like for filling a beverage, and fills the bottle B that has been rinsed by the bottle rinsing device 5 with the beverage. Then, the cap 7 is attached to the bottle B filled with the beverage by the capper 7.

  In FIG. 3, the schematic of the capper 7 and the bottom pushing apparatus 8 is shown. The capper 7 includes a cap mounting member 71 as a plurality of support portions for mounting the cap C to the mouth B2 of the bottle B, and a cam mechanism 72 for driving the cap mounting member 71. The cap mounting member 71 mounts the cap C on the bottles B that are sequentially conveyed. The cap mounting member 71 is driven by a cam mechanism 72. The cam mechanism 72 includes a support member 73 that supports the cap mounting member 71 and a rail 74 that guides the support member 73 along the conveyance path of the bottle B. The rail 74 guides the support member 73 so as to move together with the bottle B being conveyed, and changes the path in the vertical direction so that the cap mounting member 71 can mount the cap C on the bottle B at a predetermined position. Configured as follows. In addition, you may comprise suitably the empty bottle test | inspection apparatus 3, the sterilization apparatus 4, the bottle rinse apparatus 5, the filling apparatus 6, and the capper 7 using a well-known technique.

  The bottom pushing device 8 includes a plurality of pushing members 81 that push in a convex portion B4a provided on the bottom B4 of the bottle B after the cap C is attached to the bottle B by the cap fitting member 71, and dent the bottom B4. And a cam mechanism 82 for driving the motor. The pushing member 81 reverses the convex portion B4a by pushing up the bottom portion B4 of the bottle B just after the cap C is mounted from below. The inverted bottom B4 becomes a recess B4b (see FIG. 5). The cam mechanism 82 includes a support member 83 that supports the pushing member 81 and a rail 84 that guides the support member 83 along the conveyance path of the bottle B. The rail 84 guides the support member 83 so as to move together with the bottle B being conveyed, and changes the path in the vertical direction so that the pushing member 81 can push up the bottom B4 of the bottle B at a predetermined position. Configured as follows.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the transport mechanism 10 as the transport device of the container filling system 1 including the transport wheel of the blow molding device 2 transports the neck around the flange B1a of the neck portion B1 of the preform PF or the bottle B (neck transport). Sometimes called). Between each apparatus 3-8, the bottle B is conveyed suitably, combining a some starwheel conveying apparatus, carrying out neck conveyance. In addition to the star wheel transfer device, an air transfer device may be appropriately combined. For example, an air conveyance device may be provided between the blow molding device 2 and the empty bottle inspection device 3 or between the empty bottle inspection device 3 and the sterilization device 4. In addition, the air conveyance device that delivers the bottle B between the empty bottle inspection device 3 and the sterilization device 4 may be configured to be connected to a conveyance screw provided at the inlet of the sterilization chamber 9 to deliver the bottle B. Good. The star wheel transfer device and the air transfer device function as neck support transfer means.

  In the neck transport by the transport mechanism 10, the position of the neck portion B1 of the bottle B to be transported is transported with a predetermined height. A gripper 11 that grips the neck B1 of the bottle B is provided in each pocket in which the bottle B is accommodated in the star wheel transport of the transport mechanism 10, and gripper transport is adopted. The delivery of the bottle B between the star wheel conveying devices is performed by alternately gripping the upper and lower sides of the flange B1a of the bottle B with the gripper 11 (see FIG. 3). Thereby, in the conveyance mechanism 10 in which the bottle B is delivered by a plurality of star wheel conveyance devices, the position of the neck portion B1 of the bottle B can be conveyed at a predetermined height. Also in the air conveyance device, the bottle B is conveyed by air by supporting the flange B1a of the neck portion B1.

  The bottle B in which the recess B4b is formed by the bottom pushing device 8 is delivered to the wheel table transport device 12. The wheel table transport device 12 is a star wheel transport device having a table 12 a that supports the bottom B 4 of the bottle B and a guide 12 b that guides the bottle B to be transported, and is provided on the downstream side of the transport mechanism 10. Furthermore, on the downstream side of the wheel table transport device 12, a conveyor transport device 13 having a conveyor 13a for transporting the bottle B is provided. The bottle B is sent to the next process by the conveyor 13a. The support surfaces 12c and 13b of the bottle B of the table 12a and the conveyor 13a are configured to be adjustable according to the position of the bottom B4 of the bottle B transported from the transport mechanism 10. What is necessary is just to comprise the table 12a and the conveyor 13a so that it can drive to an up-down direction with a drive device. In addition, you may comprise the above-mentioned star wheel conveying apparatus, air conveying apparatus, wheel table conveying apparatus, and conveyor conveying apparatus using a well-known technique. You may install in the aseptic chamber 9 suitably. The wheel table transport device 12 and the conveyor transport device 13 correspond to a bottom support transport device, and the table 12a and the conveyor 13a function as a bottom transport means.

  The operation of the container filling system 1 will be described. The preform PF is sequentially supplied to the blow forming apparatus 2 by the conveyor 21 and is delivered to the transport wheel. The preform PF heated at a predetermined temperature by the heating unit 22 while being conveyed is conveyed to the molding unit 23 and blow-molded from the preform PF to the bottle B. The formed bottle B is conveyed to the empty bottle inspection apparatus 3 by a conveyance wheel, and further, a predetermined process is performed in each apparatus while being sequentially conveyed through the sterilization apparatus 4, the bottle rinsing apparatus 5, and the filling apparatus 6. . The bottle B filled with the beverage by the filling device 6 is transported to the capper 7 by the transport mechanism 10. In the form of FIG. 3, a bottom pushing device 8 is located below the capper 7 with the transport mechanism 10 interposed therebetween. The cap C is mounted on the bottle B while moving along the rail 74 together with the bottle B to which the cap mounting member 71 is conveyed. On the other hand, below the bottle B, the pushing member 81 moves along with the bottle B along the rail 84. Immediately after the cap C is attached to the bottle B, the pushing member 81 pushes up the bottom B4 from below and pushes the convex portion B4a into the inside of the bottle B while the cap attaching member 71 holds the cap C as it is. Thereby, since the cap mounting member 71 receives the upward force applied to the bottle B by the pushing member 81, the bottom B4 of the bottle B can be pushed in well.

  In the aseptic filling method, since the beverage is filled at room temperature, it is necessary to install the aseptic chamber 9 in order to maintain the quality. Usually, in order not to impair the sealing performance of the bottle B, contact with the attached cap C can be avoided. However, as long as the cap C moves a little within the sterilization chamber 9, the sterility of the bottle B is impaired. I can't.

  The bottle B in which the recess B4b is formed in the bottom B4 is sequentially delivered from the transport mechanism 10 to the wheel table device 12. In the transport mechanism 10, the position of the neck portion B1 is uniformly unified at a predetermined height. For this reason, since the support surface 12c is adjusted according to the position of the bottom part B4 of the bottle B conveyed from the conveyance mechanism 10 in the wheel table conveying apparatus 12, it can convey with the height of the bottle B maintained. . And the bottle B sent out from the container filling system 1 is conveyed to the packaging process used as the next process (FIG. 1). Therefore, in the container filling system 1, the bottle B to be transported is transported in a uniform height. In particular, in a series of conveyance from the preform PF supplied to the blow molding device 2 to the delivery of the bottle B in which the cap C is mounted and the recess B4b is formed in the bottom B4 to the wheel table device 12, the neck conveyance is performed. The position of the neck portion B1 is defined as a reference height, and the bottle B is conveyed while being kept at a constant height. Thereby, in each apparatus arrange | positioned at the container filling system 1 from the blow forming apparatus 2 to the bottom pushing apparatus 8, since the position of the bottle B becomes constant on the basis of the neck part B1, it is possible to use a unified parameter. It is possible to easily cope with changes in specifications. Further, by carrying the neck using the position of the neck portion B1 as the reference height, even if the size of the bottle B is different, it can be easily carried by the same system. When the convex portion B4a protruding outward at the time of blow molding is formed on the bottom portion B4, it becomes difficult for the bottle B to stand on its own, but it can be transported regardless of the shape of the bottom portion B4 by supporting the neck portion B1.

  Thereby, the freedom degree of the design of the shape of the bottle B expands. In the aseptic filling method, since filling is performed at room temperature, it is not necessary to consider the pressure reduction in the bottle B during cooling as in the hot pack method, but a slightly reduced pressure state occurs with time. Even in such a case, the pressure reduction can be positively released (slightly positive pressure) by pressing the convex portion B4a of the bottom portion B4 while pressing the cap C attached to the bottle B. For this reason, the shape of the vacuum absorption panel formed on the side surface of the bottle B can be made small or unnecessary, and the bender is a buckling strength at the time of storage in a vertically stacked state and a vendor that is in a horizontally stacked state. (Vending machine) The rib formed on the bottle B for the purpose of securing and improving the strength at the time of sale can be made small or unnecessary. Furthermore, the container strength at each point of production, distribution / storage, and sales (within the vendor) due to the positive pressure in the bottle B can be ensured. Thereby, the weight reduction of the bottle B is also attained. In particular, it is possible to achieve simplification, compactness, and space saving of the manufacturing place and equipment by the aseptic filling method.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described form and can be implemented in various forms. For example, in this embodiment, the capper 7 is installed above the transport mechanism 10 and the bottom pushing device 8 is installed below, and the bottom B4 of the bottle B is pushed in immediately after the cap C is mounted. Not limited. For example, the bottom pushing device may be provided in the wheel table conveying device so that the cap C and the bottom B4 are pushed separately. FIG. 4 shows a modification of the present invention. In a modification, about the structure similar to the above-mentioned form, the description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol. The container filling system 1A in the modified example is installed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the bottle B with respect to the capper 7, and the bottom pushing device 8A is provided on the wheel table conveyance device 12A that receives the bottle B after the cap C is mounted from the capper 7. Unlike the above-described embodiment, the other configurations are the same.

  In addition to the pushing member 81 and the cam mechanism 82, the bottom pushing device 8 </ b> A includes a holding member 85 as a support portion that holds the cap C attached to the bottle B, and a cam mechanism 86 that drives the holding member 85. ing. The holding member 85 is configured to support the upper end of the bottle B, that is, the cap C, in order to suppress the upward movement of the bottle B when the bottom B4 is pushed up by the pushing member 81 from below the bottle B. Is done. The cam mechanism 86 includes a support member 87 that supports the pressing member 85 and a rail 88 that guides the support member 87 along the conveyance path of the bottle B. The cam mechanism 86 has the same configuration as the cam mechanism 72, but the rail 88 guides the support member 87 so that the pressing member 85 comes into contact with the cap C when the pressing member 81 pushes up the bottom B4. The wheel table transport device 12A is the same as the wheel table transport device 12 except for the table 12d that supports the bottom B4 of the bottle B. The table 12d is provided with a plurality of holes 12e through which the pushing member 81 is projected and retracted. The hole 12e is provided at a predetermined position in the bottle conveyance area of the table 12d so that the pushing member 81 contacts the center of the bottle B to be conveyed. A bottom pushing device 8A and a wheel table transport device 12A are also installed in the aseptic chamber 9.

  The operation of the modified container filling system 1A will be described. After the cap C is attached to the bottle B by the capper 7, the bottle B is delivered to the wheel table transport device 12A. While the bottle B is guided and conveyed to a predetermined position of the table 12d, the bottom B4 is pushed by the pushing member 81 to form the recess B4b. At this time, since the cap C part of the bottle B is pressed by the pressing member 85, the upward force by the pressing member 81 is suppressed, and the recess B4b is formed satisfactorily. The bottle B after the formation of the recess B4b is transferred to the conveyor transport device 13 and transported to the next process. Thus, by providing the capper 7 and the bottom pushing device 8A separately, the bottom pushing device 8A can be arranged at an appropriate location, and the degree of freedom in design is further improved. For example, the present invention can be applied to a hot pack method.

  In the hot pack system, since a high-temperature beverage is filled, immediately after the cap C is mounted, the bottom B4 cannot be pushed in because it is different from the internal pressure of the bottle B after cooling. In this case, since the aseptic chamber 9 is not required, the wheel table transport device 12A and the bottom pushing device 8A can be installed after the cooling step, and the bottom B4 can be pushed in effectively. In the hot pack method, since the aseptic chamber is not provided, if the cap C is supported, there is a possibility that the sealing performance of the cap C may not be maintained, and the cap C cannot be pressed by the pressing member 85 because the bottom B4 is pushed. . Therefore, in order to push in the bottom B4, a chuck device having a strength capable of suppressing the upward force by the pushing member 81 is required for the wheel table transport device 12A. FIG. 6 shows the bottle B in which the neck portion B1 is gripped by the chuck device 14. The bottom B4 of the bottle B can be pushed in by the pushing member 81 while the bottle B is being held and conveyed from below the flange B1a of the neck B1 by the chuck device 14. Accordingly, the burden on the bottle B can be reduced without supporting the body B3 or the shoulder of the bottle B even in the hot pack method.

  Further, the bottom pushing device 8A may be applied to a neck conveying type conveying device without being limited to the wheel table conveying device 12A. In this case, since the bottom B4 is pushed in, the gripper 11 that can withstand the bottom pushing is required for the gripper 11 that transports the bottle B by the bottom pushing device 8. Therefore, the gripper 11 applied to the bottom pushing device 8A may be configured to have a desired strength. Specifically, it is desirable to support the neck B <b> 1 of the bottle B by gripping with the chuck device 14. A well-known technique may be used as the chuck device 14. In the aseptic filling method, the bottle B may be pushed down by using such a chuck device 14 instead of the pressing member 85 at the time of pushing down.

  The driving of the cap mounting member 71 of the capper 7 and the pushing member 81 of the bottom pushing devices 8 and 8A is not limited to the cam mechanisms 72 and 82. You may comprise so that it may drive using well-known techniques, such as an actuator and a motor. The cam mechanism 86 that drives the pressing member 85 of the bottom pushing device 8A is not limited to this. In addition to the above-described known technology, a guide for pressing the upper end of the cap C of the bottle B to be conveyed may be provided.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container conveyance system 2 Blow molding apparatus 6 Filling apparatus 7 Capper (capping apparatus)
10 Transport mechanism (transport device)
71 Cap mounting member B Bottle (container)
B1 neck (neck)
B2 mouth B4 bottom B4a convex C cap PF preform

Claims (6)

Resin preforms were sequentially supplied, and a blow molding device for forming a container having a convex portion protruding outside at the bottom by blow molding, a filling device for filling the formed container with a beverage, and the beverage was filled A capping device having a cap mounting member for mounting a cap on the mouth of the container, a pressing device for pressing the convex portion of the container after mounting the cap inside, and the pressing device after the container is formed by the blow molding device A container filling system comprising a conveying device that sequentially conveys until the convex portion is pushed inward at
The pushing device includes a cap mounted on the container or a support part that supports a neck part of the container, and the convex part is pushed inward from below the container in a state where the cap or neck part is supported by the support part. A pushing member,
The container filling system is characterized in that the transport device is provided with neck support transport means for supporting and transporting the neck of the container over the entire transport section from the blow molding device to the capping device.   2. The container filling system according to claim 1, wherein the neck support transport unit transports the container so that a position of a neck portion of the container being transported is unified at a predetermined height.   The container filling system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the capping device and the pushing device are installed in a sterile chamber.   The cap mounting member also serves as the support portion, the support portion supports the cap, and the cap mounting member presses the cap as it is after the cap is mounted on the container, and the convex portion of the container is The container filling system according to claim 3, wherein the container filling system is pushed by a pushing member.   On the downstream side in the transport direction of the transport device, there is provided a bottom support transport device having a bottom transport means for transporting while supporting the bottom portion of the container, and the bottom transport means is provided at the bottom of the container transported from the transport device. The container filling system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a support position for supporting the bottom portion is provided so as to be adjustable according to a position. Resin preforms were sequentially supplied, and a blow molding process for forming a container having a convex part protruding outside at the bottom by blow molding, a filling process for filling the formed container with a beverage, and the beverage was filled A container filling method comprising: a capping step of attaching a cap to the mouth portion of the container; and a pushing step of pushing the convex portion of the container after the cap is attached inside,
Supporting the neck of the container from the blow molding process to the pushing process,
The capping step and the pushing step are performed in a sterile chamber,
In the capping step, after the cap mounting member mounts the cap on the container, in the state where the cap mounting member is in contact with the cap, in the pressing step, the pressing member pushes the convex portion from below the container. A container filling method characterized by being pushed inward.

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