JP2015054724A - Capper - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a capper that can reliably perform transfer of a container.SOLUTION: A capper includes a gripper having a pair of gripping members, and a rotation prevention part engaged with an outer surface of a container and inhibiting the rotation of the container on a gripping surface for gripping a required portion of the container in each gripping member. Auxiliary clamping means for pressing the container is provided at a receiving position of the container by the gripper. When the gripper receives the container at the receiving position, the auxiliary clamping means presses the container so that the container is held between the auxiliary clamping means and the gripping member, prior to that the gripping member is closed and the rotation prevention part is engaged with the outer surface of the container.

Description

  The present invention relates to a capper, and more specifically, a gripper for gripping a container supplied to a required receiving position by a supply means, and a capping head provided above the gripper and screwing a cap onto the mouth of the container gripped by the gripper. It is related with the capper provided with.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a capper having a gripper that grips a container that is supplied to a required receiving position by a supply means, and a capping head that is provided above the gripper and that screwes a cap onto the mouth of the container gripped by the gripper. Known (Patent Document 1).
The gripper of Patent Document 1 has a pair of gripping members that can be opened and closed by a cam mechanism, and a gripping surface that grips a required portion of the container in each gripping member is engaged with the outer surface of the container. Anti-rotation protrusions are formed as anti-rotation portions that prevent the container from rotating.
A supply means for supplying a container is provided upstream of the capper, and a supply gripper for holding the container by opening and closing a pair of gripping members by a cam mechanism is provided in the supply means.
At the receiving position, the supply gripper of the supply means opens the container, and the gripper of the capper grips the container to receive the container.
At that time, when the gripping member of the gripper is closed, the gripping surface comes into contact with the outer surface of the container, and the anti-rotation protrusion engages with the outer surface of the container. When attached to the mouth of the container, the container does not rotate with the cap.

Japanese Patent No. 4232425

In order to deliver an ideal container between the supply means and the capper, the movement trajectory of the center of the container by the supply means and the movement trajectory of the center of the container by the capper are in contact with each other. Assuming that the position is the delivery position, if the supply gripper of the supply means and the gripper of the capper simultaneously grip the container at the delivery position, the container will not be rattled during delivery and reliable delivery can be achieved. .
However, the gripper of a general capper and the supply gripper of the supply means are each opened and closed by a cam mechanism, and in fact, on the upstream side of the delivery position, as described in FIGS. The supply gripper has started to open, while the gripper is completely closed on the downstream side of the delivery position.
That is, at the delivery position, the container is not completely gripped by both grippers, and if the container is displaced at the delivery position, then the container gripper is completely closed when the gripper of the capper is completely closed. The center may deviate from the ideal movement trajectory, and capping failure due to the capping head may occur.
At this time, if the container is made of a relatively hard PET resin, even if the container is deviated from the ideal movement trajectory of the container at the delivery position, the anti-rotation projections are applied to the surface of the container when the gripper is closed. In order to bite while sliding, the container may be corrected to an ideal movement trajectory.
However, when the container is made of a soft HDPE (high density polyethylene) resin, the anti-rotation protrusion bites in the position without slipping on the surface of the container. It will end up.
In this way, if the center of the container deviates from the ideal movement trajectory, a capping failure may occur due to a deviation between the center of the container and the rotation axis of the capping head, and only a part of the anti-rotation protrusion engages the container. This causes a problem that the cap cannot be prevented from being rotated.
Furthermore, when the diameter of the container is smaller than the designed dimension due to a manufacturing error, the opening / closing amount of the gripper gripping member is determined according to the designed container dimension. The gripping force of the container by the gripper is reduced as compared with the case where the container of the size is gripped.
Even in such a case, the wobbling of the container at the time of delivering the container at the delivery position becomes large, so that the above-described misalignment or capping failure may occur.
In view of such a problem, a capper capable of reliably delivering a container is provided.

In other words, the capper according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a gripper that grips a container supplied to a required receiving position by the supply means, and a cap that is provided above the gripper and is screwed onto the mouth of the container gripped by the gripper. Capping head to
The gripper has a pair of gripping members and a gripping surface that grips a required portion of the container in each gripping member, and a rotation preventing portion that engages with the outer surface of the container to prevent rotation of the container.
Auxiliary gripping means for assisting gripping by the gripper by engaging with the container supplied to the receiving position is provided,
When the gripper receives the container at the receiving position, the auxiliary gripping means is engaged with the container before the gripping member is closed and the rotation preventing portion is engaged with the outer surface of the container. The container is held between the auxiliary gripping means and the gripping member.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the gripping member of the gripper is closed, the auxiliary gripping means first presses the container so that the gripping surface of the gripping member is closed and the rotation preventing portion is The wobbling of the container when engaging with the outer surface of the container is suppressed.
In other words, even if the gripper may not be able to grip the container completely at the delivery position, the container is kept in the ideal container movement trajectory by pressing the container in advance by the auxiliary gripping means. The container can be held appropriately.

1 is an overall plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention. The side view of a container. Sectional drawing of the III-III part of FIG. The top view of a gripper. The side view of a gripper. Operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of hold | gripping the container which has an average outer diameter. Operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of hold | gripping the container which has an average outer diameter. Operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of hold | gripping the container which has an average outer diameter. Operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of holding | gripping a small diameter container. Operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of holding | gripping a small diameter container. Operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of holding | gripping a small diameter container. Operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of holding a small diameter container in the conventional capper. The top view of the gripper concerning 2nd Example. The side view of the gripper concerning 2nd Example. The top view of the gripper concerning 3rd Example. The side view of the gripper concerning 3rd Example. The top view of the gripper concerning 4th Example.

Hereinafter, the illustrated embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a capper 3 for attaching a cap 2 to a container 1, and a supply means for supplying a container 1 filled with a liquid to the upstream side of the capper 3 in advance. 4 is provided, and on the downstream side, a discharge means 5 for discharging the container 1 to which the cap 2 is attached is provided.
The capper 3, the supply unit 4 and the discharge unit 5 include rotating bodies 3A, 4A and 5A that rotate in synchronization with each other, and a receiving position A where the rotating body 4A of the supplying unit 4 and the rotating body 3A of the capper 3 are in contact with each other. The container 1 is delivered at the discharge position B where the rotating body 3A of the capper 3 and the rotating body 5A of the discharging means 5 are in contact with each other.

As shown in FIG. 2, the container 1 includes a body portion 1a filled with a liquid, a mouth portion 1b formed at the upper end thereof, a neck portion 1c having a diameter reduced from the body portion 1a to the mouth portion 1b, and the mouth portion. The flange portion 1d is formed between the neck portion 1b and the neck portion 1c and protrudes outward from the container 1.
A cap 2 is screwed onto the mouth 1b from above, the neck 3c below the flange 1d is gripped by the capper 3, and the flange 1d of the mouth 1b is held by the supply means 4. A portion adjacent to the upper portion is gripped (see FIG. 4).
The container 1 is made of a synthetic resin. In this embodiment, the container 1 made of HDPE (high density polyethylene), which is softer than the PET material, is processed.
The HDPE container 1 is soft and easily deformed, and the diameters of the mouth 1b, neck 1c, and flange 1d may be larger or smaller than the designed diameter due to manufacturing errors. Sometimes it becomes.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1. The rotating body 3A of the capper 3 is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the support shaft 11, and the gear 12 provided below the rotating body. Through this, it is rotated horizontally by the driving force of the servo motor 13.
The rotating body 4A of the supply means 4 and the rotating body 5A of the discharge means 5 are also provided so as to be rotatable with respect to a support shaft (not shown), and are rotated by a driving force of a separate servo motor via gears (not shown). It is supposed to be.
Then, by synchronously operating the servo motors of the rotating bodies 3A, 4A, and 5A, the rotating bodies 3A, 4A, and 5A rotate in synchronization with each other, and containers are transferred between the receiving position A and the discharging position B. It has come to be.
A supply gripper 14 (see FIG. 5) for holding the container 1 is provided at equal intervals on the rotating body 4A of the supply means 4, and the receiving position A from the supply gripper 14 is provided on the rotating body 3A of the capper 3. Grippers 15 for receiving the containers 1 are provided at equal intervals, and the rotating body 5A of the discharge means 5 is provided with support tables 16 for receiving the containers 1 from the grippers 15 at the discharge positions B at equal intervals. .

Above each gripper 15 in the capper 3, a capping head 17 that rotates integrally with the rotating body 3A is provided, and the capping head 17 is moved up and down by a known cam mechanism.
The capping head 17 is retracted above the gripper 15 at the receiving position A shown in FIG. 1 and is lowered at the mounting position C shown in FIG. 1 to attach the cap 2 to the container 1 held by the gripper 15. It is supposed to be.
The capping head 17 is lowered again at the discharge position B, and receives the cap 2 supplied to the support table 16 by a cap supply means (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the gripper 15 is provided so as to be openable and closable, and a pair of gripping members 21 for gripping the neck 1c of the container 1 and the gripping member as auxiliary gripping means according to the present invention. A pair of arm-like members 22 that open and close in synchronization with 21 are provided. FIG. 4 shows a closed state in which the gripper 15 grips the container 1.
The bases of the gripping member 21 and the arm-like member 22 are held by a rotating shaft 23 provided to be rotatable with respect to the rotating body 3A. Of these, the gripping member 21 does not rotate with respect to the rotating shaft 23. The arm-shaped member 22 is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the rotation shaft 23.
As shown in FIG. 3, the two rotating shafts 23 protrude below the rotating body 3 </ b> A, and a gear 23 a provided near the lower end of the rotating shaft 23 meshes with each other, whereby one rotating shaft 23. Is rotated, the other rotating shaft 23 is rotated in conjunction with the holding member 21 so as to be opened and closed.
Further, an arm 23b and a cam follower 23c provided at the tip of the arm 23b are provided at the lower end of the one rotation shaft 23, and the cam follower 23c is in contact with a cam 24 fixed to the support shaft 11 while rotating. 3A moves inward and outward, thereby swinging the arm 23b and rotating the rotary shaft 23 to open and close the gripping member 21.

Next, an arch-shaped gripping surface 25 is formed in the gripping member 21 at a portion opposed to each other according to the outer diameter of the neck 1c of the container 1, and the gripping surface 25 serves as an anti-rotation portion. A plurality of anti-rotation protrusions 26 are formed.
The gripping surface 25 is made of a metal member. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 4, when the gripping member 21 is in a closed state, the gripping surface 25 is formed on the neck 1 c (indicated by a two-dot chain line) of the container 1. It comes to contact along the outer periphery.
As will be described later, since the anti-rotation protrusion 26 is present, strictly speaking, the gripping surface 25 does not entirely contact the neck 1c, but for convenience, the gripping surface 25 in the closed state contacts the neck 1c. I express it.
When the gripping surface 25 is appropriately brought into contact with the outer periphery of the neck portion 1c in this manner, the center of the mouth portion 1b of the container 1 coincides with the rotation axis of the capping head 17 located above the gripper 15. ing.
As described above, since the gripper 15 is opened and closed by the cam 24, the opening / closing amount thereof is set in advance. In particular, the position of the gripping surface 25 when the gripping member 21 is in the closed state is a design dimension. The container 1 manufactured in (1) is gripped without rattling, and the center of the container 1 and the rotation axis of the capping head 17 are set to coincide with each other.

Further, an extension portion 25a extending in a direction approaching each other is formed on a portion of the gripping surface 25 located on the base side of the gripping member 21, that is, on the inner side of the rotating body 3A. When receiving the container 1 from the gripper 14, the outer surface of the container 1 comes into contact with the extension 25a.
The rotation preventing protrusions 26 are formed at equal intervals on the gripping surface 25, and as shown in the upper part of FIG. 4, the gripping member 21 is closed so that the gripping surface 25 contacts the outer surface of the neck 1c of the container 1. Then, all of the rotation preventing projections 26 engage (bite into) the outer surface of the neck portion 1c.
When the anti-rotation protrusion 26 is thus engaged with the outer surface of the neck 1c, the rotation of the container 1 is prevented so that the container 1 does not rotate with the cap 2 when the cap 2 is mounted by the capping head 17. It has become.

As described above, the arm-shaped member 22 is provided so as to be swingable with respect to the rotating shaft 23, and is rotatable with respect to the gripping member 21 fixed to the rotating shaft 23. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the arm-like member 22 is provided at the height of the flange portion 1 d of the container 1.
The arm-shaped member 22 has an arch-shaped relief portion 22a at a portion opposed to each other, and a distal end side of the gripping member 21 in the flange portion 1d formed on the distal end side of the relief portion 22a, that is, a rotation. A contact portion 22b that comes into contact with the outer portion of the body 3A is formed.
Further, spring receivers 21a and 22c are formed on the gripping member 21 and the arm-shaped member 22, respectively, and a spring 27 as an urging means is mounted between the spring receiver 21a and the spring receiver 22c. As a result, the arm-like member 22 is biased in the closing direction with respect to the gripping member 21.
On the other hand, a plate 28 is provided on the side surface of the arm-shaped member 22, and the lower end portion of the plate 28 is formed so as to contact the side surface of the gripping member 21 as shown in FIG. 5.

4 shows that when the gripper 15 is not gripping the container 1, the spring 27 biases the arm-like member 22 in the closing direction against the gripping member 21, and the plate 28 is gripping the gripping member 21. The arm-shaped member 22 cannot be closed any more.
On the other hand, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 4, when the gripper 15 grips the container 1, the contact portion 22b of the arm-like member 22 contacts the flange portion 1d from the outside of the rotating body 3A. The gripping member 21 further rotates in the closing direction against the urging force of 27 and the gripping surface 25 comes into contact with the neck 1c of the container, so that the arm-like member 22 is opened with respect to the gripping member 21. .
On the contrary, when the gripping member 21 moves in the opening direction, the arm-like member 22 is pressed through the plate 28, and thereby the gripping means 21 and the arm-like member 22 move in the opening direction in synchronization. Become.

The supply gripper 14 of the supply means 4 is provided so as to be openable and closable as shown in FIG. 6, and a pair of gripping members 31 that grip the mouth 1b of the container 1 and a rotation that holds the gripping member 31 rotatably. As shown in FIG. 5, the grip member 31 grips a position adjacent to the flange portion 1 d in the mouth portion 1 b of the container 1.
As shown in FIG. 3, the gripping member 31 of the supply gripper 14 is also opened and closed by meshing with a gear 32 a provided below the rotary shaft 32, similar to the gripper 15. The arm 32 b and the cam follower 32 c provided at the lower end of the rotary shaft 32 move along the cam 33 so as to open and close.
In this way, the supply gripper 14 is opened and closed by the cam 33, and the opening and closing amount is set in advance, but the dimensions when the gripping member 31 is in the closed state are the containers manufactured according to the designed dimensions. The dimensions are such that 1 is gripped without rattling.

The support table 16 of the discharge means 5 supports the container 1 from below and supports a portion of the neck 1c of the container 1 above the flange portion 1d to prevent the container 1 from falling off. ing.
At the discharge position B, the gripper 15 of the capper 3 performs an opening operation, so that the container gripped by the gripper 15 is placed on the support table 16 and delivered. Yes.
A cap table 16A on which the cap 2 is placed is provided above the support table 16, and a cap supply means (not shown) places the cap 2 on the cap table 16A at the cap supply position D in the discharge means 5. It is supposed to be.
When the cap table 16A reaches the discharge position B, the capping head 17 is lowered to receive the cap 2 placed on the cap table 16A.

Hereinafter, the operation of the capper 3 having the above-described configuration will be described. First, the supply unit 4 is supplied with a container 1 filled with a beverage or the like in a filling device (not shown), and the supply gripper 14 is a mouth 1b of the container 1. Is conveyed to a receiving position A where the supply means 4 and the capper 3 are in contact with each other.
6 to 8 illustrate the operation of the supply gripper 14 of the supply means 4 and the gripper 15 of the capper 3 at the receiving position A when the container 1 is manufactured with the designed dimensions. ing.
In these figures, when the supply gripper 14 of the supply means 4 holds the container 1 in an ideal state, the movement locus Ls of the center of the container 1 and the gripper 15 of the capper 3 are ideal. The movement locus Lc along which the center of the container 1 moves when the container 1 is gripped in the state is shown.
FIG. 7 shows a state in which the supply gripper 14 and the gripper 15 are located at a delivery position A where the movement locus Ls of the container 1 in the supply means 4 and the movement locus Lc of the container 1 in the capper 3 are in contact with each other. .
On the other hand, FIG. 6 shows a state in which the supply gripper 14 and the gripper 15 are located on the upstream side in the rotational direction from the delivery position A with respect to FIG. 7, and FIG. 15 is located downstream of the delivery position A in the rotational direction.

First, although not shown, the supply gripper 14 of the supply means 4 is closed and grips the container 1 further upstream than the state of FIG. 6, and the gripper 15 of the capper 3 is completely closed. It is in an open state.
When the rotating bodies 4A and 5A rotate and the gripper 15 and the supply gripper 14 approach each other, the container 1 gripped by the supply gripper 14 is moved to the gripping member 21 and the arm-shaped member in the gripper 15. 22 is inserted.

FIG. 6 shows that the supply gripper 14 starts an opening operation and the gripper 15 starts a closing operation, whereby the contact portion 22b of the arm-shaped member 22 in the gripper 15 contacts the flange portion 1d of the container 1. Indicates the state.
More specifically, since the supply gripper 14 is in the middle of the opening operation, the supply gripper 14 is still in contact with the mouth 1b of the container 1, and the container 1 is positioned on the movement locus Ls of the supply gripper 14. .
On the other hand, when the gripper 15 of the capper 3 starts the closing operation, the gripping member 21 and the arm-shaped member 22 integrally perform the closing operation, but the contact portion 22b formed on the arm-shaped member 22 Prior to the gripping surface 25 of the member 21 coming into contact with the neck 1c of the container 1, the flange 21 comes into contact with the flange 1d.
That is, since the gripping member 21 of the gripper 15 is not completely closed, the gripping surface 25 is not in close contact with the neck 1c of the container 1, and the anti-rotation protrusion 26 is not engaged with the neck 1c. It has become.

FIG. 7 shows a state where the supply gripper 14 is further opened and the gripper 15 is further closed from the state shown in FIG. 6, and the center of the container 1 is located at the delivery position A.
In the state of FIG. 7, the gripping member 31 of the supply gripper 14 is not completely opened, and the gripping member 21 of the gripper 15 of the capper 3 is not completely closed.
That is, there is only a slight gap between the mouth portion 1 b of the container 1 and the gripping surface 25 of the gripper 15. Therefore, when the container 1 wobbles with respect to the gripping surface 25, the container 1 is moved by the gripper 15. There is a possibility of deviating from the movement locus Lc.
However, the contact portion 22b of the arm-shaped member 22 that constitutes the auxiliary gripping means contacts the distal end side (outside of the rotating body 3A) of the gripping member 22 in the flange portion 1d of the container 1.
Then, the contact portion 22b presses the container 1 from the distal end side of the gripping member 21 to the base side (inward of the rotating body 3A), whereby the base side portion of the gripping member 21 in the neck portion 1c It abuts against an extension 25 a formed on the gripping surface 25.
As a result, the container 1 pressed by the arm-like member 22 is held without rattling with the extension 25a of the gripping member 21, and the center of the container 1 is placed on the movement locus Ls of the gripper. Can be positioned.

8 shows that the supply gripper 14 is completely opened from the state of FIG. 7 to release the container 1, while the gripper 15 is completely closed to grip the container 1 so that the container 1 can supply means. 4 is shifted to the movement locus Lc by the capper 3 and the delivery of the container 1 is completed. As described above, in the state of FIG. 7, the arm-like member 22 and the gripping member 21 Since the container 1 is held without rattling and the center of the container 1 is located in the vicinity of the movement locus Ls, when the gripping member 21 of the gripper 15 is closed in this state, the gripping surface 25 extends along the neck 1c of the container 1. The rotation preventing projections 26 are engaged with the outer surface of the neck portion 1c substantially evenly.
Further, during the transition from the state shown in FIG. 7 to the state shown in FIG. 8, the arm-like member 22 can no longer press the container 1 and the closing operation cannot be continued, so the gripping member 21 resists the urging force of the spring 27. Then, the closing operation is continued, and the arm-like member 22 is rotated in the direction of further opening with respect to the gripping member 21.

Thus, when the gripping surface 25 of the gripping member 21 is in contact with the neck 1c of the container 1, the center of the container 1 coincides with the rotation axis of the capping head 17, and capping is performed at the mounting position C. It can be carried out.
On the other hand, since the supply gripper 14 is opened and separated from the container 1, when the supply means 4 and the rotating bodies 4 </ b> A and 5 </ b> A of the capper 3 continue to rotate thereafter, the supply gripper 14 moves to the gripper 15. It comes off from the container 1 without contacting the gripped container 1.
As described above, since the container 1 restricts the movement of the gripper 15 to the base side or the tip side by the arm-like member 22 as the auxiliary gripping means, in the state of FIG. Even when the opening is more open than shown and the container 1 is more likely to be rattled, the container 1 can be positioned on the movement locus Lc by the gripper 15 and reliable delivery is performed. Can do.

As described above, FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 illustrate the delivery of the container 1 when the container 1 is manufactured with the designed dimensions. Therefore, there is also a container 1 in which the dimensions of the mouth part 1b, the flange part 1d, and the neck part 1c are larger or smaller than the designed dimensions.
In particular, when the container 1 is made of HDPE and the diameter of the neck 1c is smaller than the designed diameter, a defective delivery at the receiving position A occurs as will be described later. Along with this, a capping defect due to the capping head 17 may occur.
In response to such a problem, according to the capper 3 of the present embodiment, even if the container 1 has such a small neck 1c, the container 1 is reliably delivered and capped. Is possible.
Here, for example, the delivery of the container 1 in which the diameters of the neck portion 1c, the flange portion 1d, and the mouth portion 1b are reduced to about 95% of the design dimensions will be described.

9 to 11 show how the container 1 in which the diameter of the neck portion 1c is smaller than the designed dimension is transferred from the supply gripper 14 to the gripper 15, respectively. The state corresponding to 8 is shown.
9 to 11, the operations of the supply gripper 14 and the gripper 15 are the same as those in FIGS. 6 to 8, and special control and the like for gripping the container 1 whose neck portion 1 c has a small diameter are as follows. do not need.
FIG. 9 shows a state in which the gripper 15 starts a closing operation. Unlike FIG. 6, the flange portion 1d of the container 1 has a small diameter, so that the gripping force of the container by the supply gripper 14 is designed. It is relatively lower than when the container 1 having a dimensional diameter is gripped. At this time, the contact portion 22 b of the arm-shaped member 22 is not in contact with the flange portion 1 d of the container 1.

In the state of FIG. 10, the supply gripper 14 is further released from the state of FIG. 9, but the gap between the gripping member 31 of the supply gripper 14 and the mouth portion 1b of the container 1 is as much as the container 1 has a small diameter. 7 further expands compared to the state of FIG. 7, and the amount of wobbling of the container 1 with respect to the gripping member 31 increases.
However, when the gripping member 21 and the arm-shaped member 22 are closed to the state shown in FIG. 10, the contact portion 22b of the arm-shaped member 22 contacts the flange portion 1d of the container 1, and the container 1 is moved outwardly of the rotating body 3A. Since the container 1 is pressed inward and held between the gripping member 21 and the extended portion 25a of the gripping surface 25, the container 1 is prevented from wobbling and the gripper 15 is ideally moved. The center of the container 1 can be made to substantially coincide with the locus Lc.
When the gripper 15 is completely closed from this state as shown in FIG. 11, the gripping surface 25 is brought into contact with the neck portion 1c, and all the rotation preventing projections 26 are evenly engaged with the outer surface of the neck portion 1c. Can be combined.

Thus, according to the capper 3 of the present embodiment, even when the diameter of the neck 1c is small due to a manufacturing error or the like, the center of the neck 1c of the container 1 in the gripper 15 of the capper 3 is capping head. It can be gripped in a state of being aligned with the 17 rotation axes.
On the other hand, in the conventional capper 103 without the arm-like member 22 shown in FIG. 12, when the neck 1c delivers the small-diameter container 1, the following delivery failure occurs.
FIG. 12 shows a state corresponding to FIGS. 8 and 11 in the present embodiment, where the gripping member 121 of the conventional capper 103 and the gripping member 131 of the supply gripper 114 operate in the same manner as in this embodiment. It is like that.
As shown in FIG. 10, in the state immediately before FIG. 12, the supply gripper 114 is not completely opened, and the container 1 has a small diameter, so that a gap is formed between the container mouth 1b. The container 1 is wobbled with respect to the gripping member 131.
FIG. 12 shows a state in which the container 1 is gripped in a state of being shifted toward the distal end side of the gripping member 121 with respect to the movement locus Lc of the gripper 115, and is positioned on the distal end side of the gripping member 121 among the rotation prevention protrusions 126. Only those that are engaged are engaged.
When the container 1 is made of a relatively hard PET material, even if the gripping member 121 is closed from the state of FIG. 12, the rotation prevention protrusion 126 slides on the surface of the container 1, and the container 1 is on the ideal movement locus Lc. May move to.
On the other hand, when the container 1 is made of soft HDPE, when the gripping member 121 is closed from the state shown in FIG. 12, the container 1 is sandwiched by the gripping member 121 and deformed, and the front end side of the gripping surface 125 rotates. Since the prevention protrusion 126 bites into the neck 1c, the container 1 is gripped while being deviated from the ideal movement locus Lc.
Thus, when the container 1 is deviated from the ideal movement locus Lc and is conveyed to the mounting position C of the cap 2 while the rotation prevention 126 is partially engaged, the gripping by the rotation prevention protrusion 126 is insufficient. Thus, the cap 2 and the container 1 may rotate together without receiving the torque from the capping head 17.
In that case, a capping failure occurs due to a shortage of relative rotational speed between the cap 2 and the container 1 due to the rotation.
Further, in the state where the center of the container 1 is deviated from the movement locus Lc of the gripper 115, the center of the container 1 and the center of the capping head 17 are deviated. There is a risk that a capping defect will occur.

13 and 14 show a second embodiment according to the present invention, and the arm-like member 22 as the auxiliary gripping means presses the flange portion 1d of the container 1 as in the above-described embodiment, while the other portions. It is the Example which contacts. In the following description, for a configuration common to the first embodiment, a code obtained by adding 200 to the code of the configuration is used.
The arm-shaped member 222 of the present embodiment is provided above the gripping member 221 and is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the rotating shaft 223, and below the gripping member 221. The arm portion 222B is formed with a contact portion 222b, and the stay 229 connects the swinging portion 222A and the arm portion 222B.
The arm portion 222B is preferably provided at the maximum diameter portion of the body portion 1a of the container 1, and the contact portion 222b comes into contact with the distal end side of the gripping member 221 in the container 1 as in the above embodiment. ing.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show a third embodiment according to the present invention. In the first and second embodiments, the arm-like members 22 and 222 as auxiliary gripping means are provided on the gripper 15 of the capper 3. In contrast, in this embodiment, auxiliary gripping means are provided for each supply gripper 315 of the supply means 304. In the following description, for a configuration common to the first embodiment, a code obtained by adding 300 to the code of the configuration is used.
First, the gripper 315 of the capper 303 in this embodiment has the same configuration as the grippers 15 and 215 of the first and second embodiments except that the arm-like members 22 and 222 are not provided, and the supply means. The gripping member 331 of the supply gripper 314 in 304 has the same configuration as the gripping members 31 and 231 of the first and second embodiments.
The gripping member 321 of the gripper 315 and the gripping member 331 of the supply gripper 314 are opened and closed at the same timing as in the first and second embodiments.
The auxiliary gripping means 341 includes a pusher 342 provided inward of the rotating body 304A with respect to the container 301 gripped by the supply gripper 314, a spring that constantly biases the pusher 342 outward of the rotating body 304A, and the like. Urging means 343.
The pusher 342 contacts further above the neck 301c of the container 301 gripped by the gripping member 331 of the supply gripper 314, and is applied by the biasing force of the biasing means 343 while the container 301 is gripped by the supply gripper 314. The container 301 is always pressed outward of the rotating body 304A.

According to the above configuration, the supply gripper 314 of the supply means 304 and the gripper 315 of the capper 303 are positioned at the delivery position A where the movement loci Ls and Lc are in contact, and the gripping member 331 of the supply gripper 314 and the gripper 315 are gripped. In a state where the member 321 is slightly opened, the pusher 342 of the auxiliary gripping means 341 presses the container 301 from the distal end side to the base side of the gripping member 331 by the biasing force of the biasing means 343.
As a result, the container 301 comes into contact with the extension 325a of the gripping surface 325 formed on the gripping member 321 of the gripper 315 during the closing operation by the pusher 342, thereby eliminating the wobbling of the container 301 and moving the gripper 315. It will be held on the locus Lc.
Thereafter, when the gripper 315 is completely closed, the rotation prevention protrusion 326 formed on the gripping surface 325 is engaged with the container 301, and the container 301 is appropriately gripped by the gripper 315.

FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the fourth embodiment. Compared with the first to third embodiments, the supply means 404 and the capper 403 are not provided with a rotating body, respectively, and the supply means 404 holds the container 401. The belt conveyor is placed on the upper surface and intermittently conveys the belt. In the following description, for a configuration common to the first embodiment, a code obtained by adding 400 to the code of the configuration is used.
The capper 403 moves the gripper 415 along a predetermined transport path, and protrudes from the transport path of the gripper 415 onto the belt conveyor 404 at the delivery position A shown in the figure, and the container 401 on the belt conveyor 404 It is intended to grip.
Further, the gripper 415 has a pair of gripping members 421 each having a gripping surface 425 formed at the tip, as in the first to third embodiments. The gripping surface 425 has an extension 425a and an anti-rotation protrusion. 426 is formed.
The gripper 415 moves to the delivery position A on the belt conveyor 404 with the gripping member 421 opened, and when the gripper 415 is closed by the cam mechanism, the servo motor, or the like in this state, the gripping surface 425 causes the container 401 to move. The anti-rotation protrusion 426 is engaged with the neck portion 401 c of the container 401.

In this embodiment, the auxiliary gripping means 441 is provided at a position opposite to the gripper 415 in the delivery position A, and the auxiliary gripping means 441 presses the container 401. The pusher 442 and a moving means 443 such as an air cylinder that reciprocates the pusher 442 in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 401 are configured.
The pusher 442 is positioned at the height of the body 401 a of the container 401, and presses the container 401 from the front end side of the gripper 415 to the base side.

In the present embodiment, the belt conveyor 404 intermittently conveys the container 401 and stops the container 401 at the delivery position A. At this time, the container 401 may be displaced in the front-rear direction or the orthogonal direction in the transport direction with respect to the position of the virtual container 401 held by the gripper 415 in an ideal state.
The shift in the front-rear direction of the transport direction is not a problem because the gripping surface 425 moves the container 401 to an appropriate position by closing the gripping member 421, but the container 401 is perpendicular to the transport direction. When the gripping member 421 is displaced, the gripping surface 425 may not be in close contact with the outer surface of the neck portion 401c when the gripping member 421 is closed, and only a part of the rotation preventing member 426 may be engaged.
Therefore, in this embodiment, before the container 401 stops at the delivery position A and the gripper 415 is closed, the auxiliary gripping means 441 is activated and the pusher 442 contacts the container 401 to grip it. The means 421 is pressed from the tip side to the base side.
The container 401 pressed by the pusher 442 comes into contact with the extended portion 425a of the gripping surface 425 of the gripping member 421, whereby the container 401 is held without rattling.
Thereafter, the gripping member 421 is closed, the gripping surface 425 is in close contact with the neck 401c of the container 401, and the rotation preventing projection 426 is engaged with the outer surface of the neck 401c. It is gripped and then capped.

In the first and second embodiments, that is, in the configuration in which the grip members 15 and 215 of the cappers 3 and 203 are provided with the arm-shaped members 22 and 222 as auxiliary gripping means, of the pair of arm-shaped members 22 and 222, Either one may be omitted.
That is, even with one arm-shaped member, if the container can be moved from the distal end side of the gripping member to the base side by the contact portion of the arm-shaped member, the container can be appropriately gripped by the gripping member thereafter. It becomes.
Further, in each of the above embodiments, the gripping surface of the gripper is formed with an anti-rotation projection as an anti-rotation portion, but the gripping surface is made of a material having a high friction coefficient such as rubber, and the surface of the gripping surface is formed. You may comprise a rotation prevention part by itself.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container 1b Mouth part 1c Neck part 1d Flange part 3 Capper 4 Supply means 14 Supply gripper 15 Gripper 21 Holding member 22 Auxiliary holding member 22b Contact part 25 Holding surface 26 Anti-rotation protrusion Lc, Ls Ideal movement locus of container

Claims (4)

A gripper for gripping a container to be supplied to a required receiving position by a supply means, and a capping head provided above the gripper and screwing a cap onto the mouth of the container gripped by the gripper.
The gripper has a pair of gripping members and a gripping surface that grips a required portion of the container in each gripping member, and a rotation preventing portion that engages with the outer surface of the container to prevent rotation of the container.
Auxiliary gripping means for assisting gripping by the gripper by engaging with the container supplied to the receiving position is provided,
When the gripper receives the container at the receiving position, the auxiliary gripping means is engaged with the container before the gripping member is closed and the rotation preventing portion is engaged with the outer surface of the container. A capper that holds a container between the auxiliary gripping means and the gripping member. The gripping member of the gripper is provided such that the base of each gripping member is held by a rotation shaft that is rotatably provided, and the gripping surface is contacted and separated by swinging each gripping member,
The grip assisting means is in contact with a portion of the container located on the distal end side of the gripping member at the receiving position, and presses the container from the distal end side to the base side of the gripping member. Item 14. A capper according to item 1.   The grip assisting means is provided so as to be swingable with respect to at least one of the rotating shafts, and is formed with at least one contact portion that is in contact with a portion of the container located on the distal end side of the gripping member. The capper according to claim 2, comprising an arm-shaped member. Providing an urging means for urging the arm-like member in the closing direction with respect to the gripping member;
When the gripping member starts a closing operation and the arm-shaped member performs a closing operation synchronously, the contact portion of the arm-shaped member first comes into contact with the portion of the container located on the distal end side of the gripping member,
When the gripping member is further closed, the arm-like member swings in the opening direction while resisting the biasing force of the biasing means, and the rotation preventing portion of the gripping member is engaged with the outer surface of the container. The capper according to claim 3.

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