JP2016064840A - Conveyance device of resin bottle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveyance device of a resin bottle, which has a simple configuration, facilitates cleaning work, and can adjust the height of a gripper wheel automatically.SOLUTION: An air passage 74 connected to a compressed air supply source is formed in a rotary shaft 60. A rotary wheel 50 is fixed to the rotary shaft 60 and is rotatable around a shaft center. A gripper wheel 40 is provided so as to be coaxial and liftable with respect to the rotary wheel 50, and partitions and forms an air chamber 76, which is cut off from outside air while keeping air-tightness, between the rotary wheel 50 and the gripper wheel. Grip means 20 is provided at the outer peripheral edge part of the gripper wheel 40 and grips an upper part of a flange part of a resin bottle B. A height adjustment mechanism 90 adjusts the height position of the gripper wheel 40 with respect to the rotary wheel 50 by changing a position in contact with the gripper wheel 40. Compressed air is supplied to the air chamber 76 through the air passage 74. The position of the height adjustment mechanism 90 is changed in a state of expanding an interval between the rotary wheel 50 and the gripper wheel 40, and thus the height position of the gripper wheel 40 is adjusted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport device that delivers a resin bottle having a flange formed on a neck between two rotary transport mechanisms.

  In a conveyance processing system that performs a predetermined process while rotating and conveying a resin bottle, the resin bottle is rotated and conveyed while alternately gripping the upper and lower surface sides of the flange portion of the resin bottle. The filler and the rotating wheel of the capper support the lower surface side of the flange portion of the resin bottle and perform filling and capping while rotating and transporting the resin bottle. The intermediate wheel that transfers the resin bottle between the filler and the capper rotates and conveys the resin bottle while holding the cylindrical portion above the flange.

  In a transport processing system that can also be used for resin bottles with different neck sizes, particularly cylindrical lengths, the intermediate wheel has a predetermined height of the cylindrical portion in order to stably deliver the resin bottle between the filler and the capper. It is necessary to grasp the position. That is, the intermediate wheel is configured to be able to adjust the height of the gripper that holds the cylindrical portion of the resin bottle, and such a configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1 is conventionally known.

  In order to make it possible to adjust the height position of the gripper, the apparatus of Patent Document 1 is provided with a plurality of cylinders for raising and lowering the gripper wheel to which the gripper is attached, in a non-rotating portion near the rotating wheel. The gripper wheel is raised by protruding the piston rod of the cylinder, and after the operator adjusts the height of the gripper wheel by operating the height adjuster, the gripper wheel is lowered by retracting the piston rod of the cylinder. It is done.

JP 2002-302243 A

  In the above-described prior art, since a plurality of cylinders are provided in the vicinity of the rotating wheel, the configuration is complicated because the movable part of the cylinder must be covered with bellows or the like when the conveyance processing system is provided in the aseptic chamber. In addition, the work of cleaning the cylinder was troublesome. Further, the height adjusting unit is configured to be manually operated, and there is a problem that a certain time is required for adjusting the height of the gripper wheel.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a resin bottle transport device that has a simple configuration, is easy to clean, and can automatically adjust the height of a gripper wheel.

  The resin bottle transport device according to the present invention includes a first transport mechanism that grips and transports an upper portion of a flange portion formed on a neck portion of the resin bottle, and a second transport mechanism that transports while supporting the lower surface side of the flange portion. The resin bottle is delivered between and conveyed. The first transport mechanism includes a rotating shaft formed with an air passage connected to a compressed air supply source, a rotating wheel fixed to the rotating shaft and rotatable about an axis, and coaxial with the rotating wheel. A gripper wheel that can be moved up and down and that defines an air chamber that is shielded from the outside air while being sealed between the rotating wheel and an outer peripheral edge of the gripper wheel, and is disposed above the flange portion of the resin bottle. Gripping means for gripping, and height adjusting means for adjusting the height position of the gripper wheel with respect to the rotating wheel by changing the position in contact with the gripper wheel, and compressed air is supplied to the air chamber via the air passage. The position of the height adjustment means is changed and the height position of the gripper wheel is adjusted while the distance between the rotating wheel and the gripper wheel is enlarged. It is.

  Preferably, the rotating wheel has a raised portion that surrounds the rotating shaft and protrudes toward the gripper wheel, the gripper wheel has a recess that fits into the raised portion, and the outer wall surface of the raised portion and the inner wall surface of the recessed portion An air chamber is defined.

  Preferably, the height adjusting means is disposed between the rotating wheel and the gripper wheel, and includes a height adjusting member having a relatively thick thick plate portion and a relatively thin thin plate portion, a gripper wheel of the rotating wheel, Is provided on the opposite side and has an engaging member having a recess corresponding to the thick plate portion and the thin plate portion, and a connecting member that extends through a hole formed in the rotating wheel and connects the height adjusting member and the engaging member. And a stopper member engageable with the recess, and in a state where the stopper member is engaged with the recess, one of the thick plate portion and the thin plate portion contacts the gripper wheel, and the height position of the gripper wheel with respect to the rotating wheel Is determined.

  The resin bottle transport device of the present invention has a simple structure, is easy to clean, and automatically adjusts the height of the gripper wheel.

It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the conveyance processing system provided with the conveying apparatus of the resin bottle which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the opening / closing operation | movement of a gripper. It is a side view which shows the state which the gripper hold | gripped the neck part of the resin bottle. It is a side view which shows the neck part of the resin bottle from which size differs. It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of an intermediate | middle wheel. A height adjustment member is shown, code | symbol (a) is sectional drawing which shows a thick plate part and a thin plate part, and code | symbol (b) is a top view. It is a top view which shows operation | movement of a height adjustment mechanism. It is sectional drawing which shows the state in which the gripper wheel was defined in the relatively high position. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the gripper wheel is raising. It is sectional drawing which shows the state in which the gripper wheel was defined in the relatively low position. It is sectional drawing which shows the other example of a height adjustment mechanism. It is a top view which shows the height adjustment member of the height adjustment mechanism shown in FIG. It is an expanded view which shows the 1st-3rd cylindrical gear of the height adjustment mechanism shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the effect | action of the height adjustment mechanism shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the illustrated embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a transport processing system including a resin bottle transport apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the transport direction of a resin bottle is indicated by an arrow. The resin bottles are continuously conveyed by the supply conveyor 11 and supplied to the filler 13 through the supply wheel 12. In the filler 13, the resin bottle is filled with liquid while being rotated and conveyed to the intermediate wheel 14. The resin bottle is rotated and conveyed by the intermediate wheel 14 and delivered to the capper 15. The capper 15 performs capping while rotating and transporting the resin bottles, and the resin bottles are transferred to the discharge conveyor 17 by the discharge wheel 16 and transferred to the next process.

  FIG. 2 shows a state where the gripping means 20 provided on the intermediate wheel 14 delivers the resin bottle to the capper 15. The gripping means 20 is provided at the outer peripheral edge of a gripper wheel 40 (FIG. 5) that is a part of the intermediate wheel 14 (FIG. 1), and is arranged in a plurality of rows (for example, 36) at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the gripper wheel 40. Provided). The gripping means 20 has a pair of grippers 21 and 22, and the grippers 21 and 22 are fixed to the upper ends of the support shafts 23 and 24, respectively. The support shafts 23 and 24 are provided so as to penetrate the outer peripheral edge portion of the gripper wheel 40 and are rotatable around the axis. Gears 25 and 26 are provided below the grippers 21 and 22 of the support shafts 23 and 24. The gears 25 and 26 are meshed, and when the support shaft 23 rotates, the grippers 21 and 22 rotate through the gears 25 and 26 to open and close.

  The lower end of the support shaft 23 is located below the gripper wheel 40 (FIG. 5), and one end of the connecting arm 27 is fixed to the lower end of the support shaft 23. A pin 28 provided at the other end of the connecting arm 27 and a pin 29 fixed to the lower surface of the gripper wheel 40 are connected by a spring 30. By this spring 30, the other end of the connecting arm 27 is pulled toward the center side of the gripper wheel 40, whereby the grippers 21 and 22 are always urged in the closing direction.

  FIG. 3 shows a state where the grippers 21 and 22 grip the neck portion of the resin bottle. The rotary conveyance of the resin bottle is performed by supporting the lower surface side of the flange F with the filler 13 (FIG. 1) and the capper 15 (FIG. 1), but with the intermediate wheel 14 (FIG. 1), the cylindrical portion C of the neck, that is, the flange It is performed in a state where the upper part of F is held and suspended. That is, during the rotational conveyance by the intermediate wheel 14, the grippers 21 and 22 hold the closed portion by gripping the cylindrical portion C of the resin bottle and receive the resin bottle between the intermediate wheel 14 and the filler 13 or the capper 15. When handing over, the bottle support member 31 of the filler 13 or the capper 15 supports the lower surface side of the flange F of the resin bottle. When the delivery is completed, the grippers 21 and 22 of the intermediate wheel 14 are opened.

  FIG. 4 shows necks N1 and N2 of resin bottles having different sizes. Reference numeral (a) indicates a neck portion N1 having a diameter of, for example, 38 mm, and reference numeral (b) indicates a neck portion N2 having a diameter of, for example, 28 mm. As understood from this figure, the axial length of the cylindrical portion C of the neck portion N1 is relatively short, and the axial length of the cylindrical portion C of the neck portion N2 is relatively long. That is, there is a dimensional difference d between these necks N1 and N2. The filler 13 and the capper 15 support the lower surface of the flange F, while the grippers 21 and 22 of the intermediate wheel 14 grip the upper end portion of the cylindrical portion C, that is, the lower surface side of the turnable portion K. Therefore, in order to process a plurality of types of resin bottles having a dimensional difference d in one transport processing system, it is necessary to adjust the height positions of the grippers 21 and 22 of the intermediate wheel 14. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as described later, the height positions of the grippers 21 and 22 are automatically adjusted.

  FIG. 5 shows the overall configuration of the intermediate wheel 14. The gripper wheel 40 includes an annular plate member 41, a rotation support member 42, and a cylindrical connecting member 43. The rotation support member 42 is provided in an opening formed at the center of the annular plate member 41, and is positioned below the annular plate member 41. The connecting member 43 is fixed to the upper surface of the rotation support member 42 and the lower surface of the annular plate member 41, and connects the rotation support member 42 and the annular plate member 41. The connecting arm 27 and the spring 30 are provided below the annular plate member 41, and the support shafts 23 and 24 are provided above the annular plate member 41. A cylindrical cover 44 is fixed to the outer peripheral edge of the annular plate member 41, and the cover 44 covers the outer peripheral sides of the support shafts 23, 24, the connecting arm 27, the spring 30, and the like.

  A fixed frame 80 is provided on the upper side of the gripper wheel 40, and the fixed frame 80 is fixed to a base (not shown) and is stationary. The fixed frame 80 includes an annular cam support plate 81 and a fixed disc 82, and the cam support plate 81 and the fixed disc 82 are connected by a connecting member 83. A cam 84 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cam support plate 81, and a cam follower 86 that engages with the cam 84 is attached to the lever 85 fixed to the support shaft 23. As will be described later, when the gripper wheel 40 rotates, the cam follower 86 moves along the cam 84, thereby opening and closing the grippers 21 and 22. A bearing 88 is attached to an annular member 87 provided on the lower surface of the fixed disk 82, and the inner peripheral side of the bearing 88 is fitted to the rotation support member 42 of the gripper wheel 40.

  The cam 84 is formed to open and close the grippers 21 and 22 in the receiving section for receiving the resin bottle and the transferring section for transferring the resin bottle. That is, the cam follower 86 is displaced according to the shape of the cam 84 in the receiving section and the transferring section. In the receiving section for receiving the resin bottle from the filler 13, the grippers 21 and 22 are opened slightly before the position where the resin bottle is received, and the capper 15 is moved. In the delivery section for delivering the resin bottle, the grippers 21 and 22 are opened after the resin bottle is delivered (see FIG. 2).

  A rotation wheel 50 is coaxially provided below the rotation support member 42 of the gripper wheel 40. The rotating wheel 50 is integrally fixed to the rotating shaft 60 and is rotatable together with the rotating shaft 60 around its axis. The rotating shaft 60 has an upper rotating shaft 61, a lower rotating shaft 62, and an intermediate rotating shaft 63. The upper rotating shaft 61 is fitted into a hole formed in the central portion of the rotating wheel 50. The rotating wheel 50 has a raised portion 51 that protrudes toward the rotation support member 42 of the gripper wheel 40, and the raised portion 51 fits into a recess 45 formed in the rotation support member 42. The columnar member 46 fixed to the center of the rotation support member 42 is positioned in a shaft hole formed in the upper rotation shaft 61 and is slidably supported by a sleeve 64 fitted in the shaft hole.

  The upper rotary shaft 61 is rotatably supported by a cylindrical support member 71 fixed to the base 70 and extending vertically upward via a bearing 72. The lower rotating shaft 62 is rotatably supported by a bearing 73 attached to the lower surface side of the base 70. A through hole is formed in the axial center portion of the lower rotating shaft 62, and similarly, a through hole is also formed in the axial center portions of the upper rotating shaft 61 and the cylindrical member 46. These through holes communicate with each other via an intermediate rotation shaft 63 that is a cylindrical member, whereby an air passage 74 is formed. A joint 75 is provided at the lower end surface of the lower rotary shaft 62, and the air passage 74 is connected to a compressed air supply source (not shown) via the joint 75. The air passage 74 extends to the upper end of the cylindrical member 46, and the upper end portion of the air passage 74 communicates with an air chamber 76 defined by the outer wall surface of the raised portion 51 and the inner wall surface of the recess 45.

  The raised portion 51 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface 51 a coaxial with the axis of the rotating shaft 60, and the concave portion 45 has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface 45 a coaxial with the axis of the rotating shaft 60. Between the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 51a and the cylindrical inner peripheral surface 45a, there is provided a seal ring 32 that blocks the air chamber 76 from outside air while keeping it airtight. That is, in order to adjust the height position of the grippers 21 and 22 when the type of the resin bottle B to be transported is changed, the gripper wheel 40 can move up and down in the axial direction with respect to the rotating wheel 50, and the seal ring 32, the lifting operation of the gripper wheel 40, that is, the pressure adjustment of the air chamber 76 is ensured.

  A gear 65 is fitted to the lower end portion of the lower rotating shaft 62, and the gear 65 is engaged with a driving mechanism (not shown) and rotated. The rotation of the gear 65 is transmitted to the rotating wheel 50 via the rotating shaft 60, and the rotation of the rotating wheel 50 is transmitted to the gripper wheel 40 via the rod 52. The rod 52 is provided at a plurality of locations along the outer peripheral edge of the gripper wheel 40. The rod 52 is fixed to the lower surface of the gripper wheel 40 and extends vertically downward, and is inserted into a cylindrical connecting member 53 attached to the rotating wheel 50. A compression spring 56 is provided between a flange 54 formed at the lower end of the rod 52 and a nut 55 screwed onto the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical connecting member 53, and the gripper wheel 40 is always kept in place by the elastic force of the compression spring 56. Then, it is biased toward the rotating wheel 50 side.

  The configuration of the height adjustment mechanism (height adjustment means) 90 will be described. The height adjusting mechanism 90 adjusts the height position of the gripper wheel 40 with respect to the rotating wheel 50 by changing the position where the gripper wheel 40 abuts. The height adjusting mechanism 90 has a different circumference from the cylindrical connecting member 53 of the rotating wheel 50. Arranged in the directional position. The height adjusting member 91 is disposed between the rotating wheel 50 and the rotation supporting member 42 of the gripper wheel 40, and the engaging member 92 is opposite to the gripper wheel 40 of the rotating wheel 50, that is, the lower side of the rotating wheel 50. Is provided. The connecting member 93 extends through a hole formed in the rotating wheel 50 and connects the height adjusting member 91 and the engaging member 92.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the height adjusting member 91 is a disk-shaped member having a relatively thick thick plate portion 91 a and a relatively thin thin plate portion 91 b, and is fixed to the connecting member 93. The thick plate portion 91a and the thin plate portion 91b are provided every 90 ° with the connecting member 93 as the center. The engaging member 92 is fixed to the connecting member 93 and has a recess 92a every 90 ° with the connecting member 93 as the center, as shown in FIG. Each recess 92a corresponds to the thick plate portion 91a or the thin plate portion 91b. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, a swing arm 95 is provided on the lower side of the rotary wheel 50 so as to be swingable by a pin 94, and the swing arm 95 is engaged as shown in FIG. A stopper member 96 that can be engaged with the recess 92a of the combined member 92 is attached. The swing arm 95 is always urged by a spring 97 in a direction in which the stopper member 96 contacts the engaging member 92.

  A lever 98 is fixed below the engaging member 92 of the connecting member 93. In the present embodiment, four levers 98 are provided, which extend radially from the connecting member 93 and can protrude outward from the outer peripheral edge of the rotating wheel 50. That is, the lever 98, the engaging member 92, and the height adjusting member 91 rotate together with the connecting member 93, and any of the four levers 98 protrudes outward from the outer peripheral edge of the rotating wheel 50. An advancing / retracting arm 101 with which the lever 98 can abut is provided outside the rotating wheel 50. The advance / retreat arm 101 is fixed to the output shaft 103 of the rotary actuator 102, and the rotary actuator 102 is attached to a support member 104 provided on the base 70 (FIG. 5). The advance / retreat arm 101 is rotated by the rotary actuator 102 and can be displaced between a forward position where it abuts on the lever 98 and a retreat position where it does not abut on the lever 98.

Next, the operation of the height adjusting mechanism 90 will be described with reference to FIGS.
During normal operation, the advance / retreat arm 101 is in the retracted position as shown in FIGS. The stopper member 96 is engaged with the recess 92 a of the engaging member 92, whereby the height adjusting member 91 is held at a predetermined position and does not rotate around the axis of the connecting member 93. In the state shown in FIG. 8, the thick plate portion 91 a of the height adjusting member 91 is in contact with the contact pin 48 attached to the lower surface of the rotation support member 42 of the gripper wheel 40. That is, the gripper wheel 40 is set at a relatively high position. The resin bottle transported in this state is a resin bottle in which the axial length of the cylindrical portion C shown in FIG. 4B is relatively long.

  Here, when the resin bottle to be transported is changed to a resin bottle in which the axial length of the cylindrical portion C shown in FIG. 4A is relatively short, the compressed air supply source is driven, and the air passage Compressed air is supplied to the air chamber 76 via 74. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the volume of the air chamber 76 increases, the gripper wheel 40 rises, and the interval between the rotating wheel 50 and the gripper wheel 40 increases. That is, the contact pin 48 provided on the rotation support member 42 of the gripper wheel 40 is separated from the upper surface of the height adjustment member 91. At substantially the same time as the raising operation of the gripper wheel 40, the rotary actuator 102 is driven, and the advance / retreat arm 101 is set to the advance position where it can contact the lever 98.

  In this state, when the gripper wheel 40 and the rotary wheel 50 are driven to rotate via the rotary shaft 60, the lever 98 contacts the advance / retreat arm 101. As a result, the lever 98, the engaging member 92, and the height adjusting member 91 are integrally rotated, and the stopper member 96 is engaged with the engaging member 92 as shown in FIGS. 7 (a), (b), and (c). Pushed by the protrusion 92b formed next to the recess 92a, the swing arm 95 is rotationally displaced (FIGS. 7B and 7C), and the stopper member 96 engages with the recess 92a different from the previous one. (FIG. 7D). In this way, the height adjustment member 91 is determined at a position where the thin plate portion 91 b faces the contact pin 48 by changing the recess 92 a with which the stopper member 96 is engaged. Immediately after this, the advance / retreat arm 101 returns to the retracted position.

  Next, the supply of compressed air from the compressed air supply source is shut off. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10, the gripper wheel 40 is lowered to the rotating wheel 50 side by the elastic force of the compression spring 56, and the contact pin 48 of the rotation support member 42 is the thin plate portion 91 b of the height adjusting member 91. It is determined to be in contact with In this way, the grippers 21 and 22 are changed to an appropriate height position in order to grip the resin bottle in which the axial length of the cylindrical portion C is relatively short.

  As described above, the present embodiment supports the intermediate wheel (first transport mechanism) 14 that grips and transports the upper portion of the flange portion F formed on the neck portions N1 and N2 of the resin bottle, and the lower surface side of the flange portion F. An air chamber 76 is formed between the gripper wheel 40 and the rotary wheel 50 in the apparatus for transferring and transporting the resin bottle between the filler (second transport mechanism) 13 and the capper (second transport mechanism) 15. In addition, an air passage 74 is provided in the rotating shaft 60 that rotationally drives the rotating wheel 50. The height adjusting member 91 provided between the gripper wheel 40 and the rotating wheel 50 supplies compressed air to the air chamber 76 via the air passage 74 and expands the distance between the rotating wheel 50 and the gripper wheel 40. It is rotated, and the height position of the gripper wheel 40 is adjusted thereby. The rotation angle position of the height adjustment member 91, that is, the state where the thick plate portion 91 a or the thin plate portion 91 b of the height adjustment member 91 is in contact with the gripper wheel 40 is formed in the engagement member 92 that rotates together with the height adjustment member 91. The stopper member 96 is stably held by engaging the recessed portion 92a.

  Thus, this embodiment employs a configuration in which compressed air is supplied to the air chamber 76 via the air passage 74 formed in the rotating shaft 60, and the air passage 74 and the air chamber 76 are hermetically shut off from the outside. Therefore, even if the conveyance processing system is provided in the aseptic chamber, the decontamination process for the mechanism for raising and lowering the gripper wheel 40 is easy. Further, the rotation operation of the height adjusting member 91 is automatically performed by the lever 98 coming into contact with the advance / retreat arm 101 when the gripper wheel 40 rotates, and manual operation by the operator is unnecessary.

  11 to 13 show other examples of the height adjusting mechanism. The height adjusting mechanism 110 has first to third cylindrical gears 111 to 113, and these cylindrical gears 111 to 113 are fitted to a rod-shaped connecting member 114. In FIG. 11, the first cylindrical gear 111 has teeth 115 at the lower cylindrical end, and the third cylindrical gear 113 has teeth 116 at the upper cylindrical end. The second cylindrical gear 112 has teeth 117 at the upper cylindrical end, and the teeth 117 can mesh with the teeth 115 of the first cylindrical gear 111. The second cylindrical gear 112 has teeth 118 at the lower cylindrical end, and the teeth 118 can mesh with the teeth 116 of the third cylindrical gear 113.

  The first cylindrical gear 111 is fixed to the upper end portion of the connecting member 114 by a bolt 121. The upper end portion of the connecting member 114 is fixed to the grip wheel 40 via the intermediate member 122. The third cylindrical gear 113 is fixed to the lower end portion of the connecting member 114 by a bolt 123. The second cylindrical gear 112 is fitted to the connecting member 114 and can be moved up and down and rotated relative to the connecting member 112. Further, the second cylindrical gear 112 is rotatably supported by a sleeve 125 provided in the hole 124 of the rotating wheel 50. A height adjusting member 91 is fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical gear 112 and coupled by a key 119. That is, the second cylindrical gear 112 and the height adjusting member 91 are rotatable with respect to the connecting member 114.

  The height adjusting member 91 has a thick plate portion 91a and a thin plate portion 91b. The thick plate portion 91a and the thin plate portion 91b are formed every 120 ° around the connecting member 114 as shown in FIG. In FIG. 12, reference numeral 48 indicates a contact pin provided on the gripper wheel 40.

  FIG. 13 shows the first to third cylindrical gears 111 to 113 in an expanded state. The pitch of the teeth 115 to 118 of these cylindrical gears 111 to 113 is 60 ° centering on the axis of the connecting member 114, which corresponds to the distance between the thick plate portion 91a and the thin plate portion 91b of the height adjusting member 91. doing. All the teeth 115 to 118 are inclined in the same direction.

  The operation of the height adjustment mechanism 110 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 14, the number of teeth of the first to third cylindrical gears 111 to 113 is simplified for the sake of explanation, and only three are shown.

  In the state indicated by reference numeral (a), the thick plate portion 91a of the height adjusting member 91 is in contact with the contact pin 48 of the gripper wheel 40, and the upper teeth 117 of the second cylindrical gear 112 are in the first state. Is engaged with the teeth 115 of the cylindrical gear 111. When changing so that the thin plate portion 91b of the height adjusting member 91 contacts the contact pin 48, the compressed air in the air chamber 76 is supplied and the gripper wheel 40 is raised as in the first embodiment. The connecting member 114 is raised. That is, the first and third cylindrical gears 111 and 113 are integrally raised, so that the teeth 116 of the third cylindrical gear 113 abut against the lower teeth 118 of the second cylindrical gear 112 ( (B)).

  When the connecting member 114 is further raised from this state, the teeth 116 of the third cylindrical gear 113 press the teeth 118 of the second cylindrical gear 112, whereby the second cylindrical gear 112 in FIG. The height adjusting member 91 rotates 60 ° clockwise. When the height adjusting member 91 rotates to a position where the thin plate portion 91 b faces the contact pin 48, the connecting member 114 is lowered, and the teeth 115 of the first cylindrical gear 111 are moved to the second cylindrical gear 112. It stops at the position meshed with the upper teeth 117 (symbol (c)).

  As described above, the second cylindrical gear 112 and the height adjusting member 91 are rotated by 60 ° by a single raising / lowering operation of the connecting member 114, and the portion that contacts the contact pin 48 of the gripper wheel 40 is the thick plate portion. It is switched between 91a and the thin plate portion 91b.

  It should be noted that various conventionally known configurations can be employed as the drive mechanism for the raising / lowering operation of the connecting member 114, and for example, an electromagnetic actuator may be used.

20 Gripping means 40 Gripper wheel 50 Rotating wheel 60 Rotating shaft 74 Air passage 76 Air chamber 90 Height adjusting mechanism (height adjusting means)

Claims (3)

Deliver and transfer resin bottles between a first transport mechanism that grips and transports the upper part of the flange formed on the neck of the resin bottle, and a second transport mechanism that supports and transports the lower surface side of the flange part A resin bottle transport device,
The first transport mechanism is
A rotating shaft formed with an air passage connected to a compressed air supply source;
A rotating wheel fixed to the rotating shaft and rotatable around the axis;
A gripper wheel that is coaxially and vertically movable with respect to the rotating wheel, and that defines an air chamber that is shut off from the outside air while being kept airtight;
A gripping means provided on an outer peripheral edge of the gripper wheel, for gripping the upper portion of the flange portion of the resin bottle;
A height adjusting means for adjusting a height position of the gripper wheel with respect to the rotating wheel by changing a position in contact with the gripper wheel;
Compressed air is supplied to the air chamber via the air passage, the position of the height adjusting means is changed in a state where the interval between the rotating wheel and the gripper wheel is enlarged, and the height position of the gripper wheel is adjusted. An apparatus for transporting a resin bottle characterized by adjusting.   The rotating wheel has a raised portion that surrounds the rotating shaft and protrudes toward the gripper wheel, the gripper wheel has a recessed portion that fits into the raised portion, and an outer wall surface of the raised portion and the recessed portion The apparatus for transporting a resin bottle according to claim 1, wherein the air chamber is partitioned by an inner wall surface.   The height adjusting means is disposed between the rotating wheel and the gripper wheel, and includes a height adjusting member having a relatively thick thick plate portion and a relatively thin thin plate portion, and the gripper wheel of the rotating wheel. And an engagement member having a recess corresponding to the thick plate portion and the thin plate portion, and extending through a hole formed in the rotating wheel, and the height adjustment member and the engagement A connecting member that connects the members and a stopper member that can be engaged with the recess. When the stopper member is engaged with the recess, one of the thick plate portion and the thin plate portion contacts the gripper wheel. The apparatus for conveying a resin bottle according to claim 1, wherein a height position of the gripper wheel with respect to the rotating wheel is determined.

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