JP2021031122A - Plug opening device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a plug opening device capable of removing a plug from a container whose opening is sealed with a type of a plug different from a cork plug.SOLUTION: The plug opening device comprises: a plurality of holding pieces 36b arranged along a peripheral direction of an outer periphery part of a plug S, in a state where a plug contact part 34 is contacted with a top face of the plug S; and a power transmission shaft 33 for transmitting a power for moving the plurality of holding pieces 36b in a radial direction of the plug S to which the plug contact part 34 is contacted. The holding piece 36b protrudes toward the plug S to which the plug contact part 34 is contacted, and has an engagement claw 36b1 that engages with the plug S by the holding piece 36b being moved toward the plug S by the power transmission shaft 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to an opening device for removing a stopper that seals an opening of a container such as a bottle filled with a liquid.

As a conventional opening device, for example, a cork stopper that seals an opening provided at the upper end of a container such as a bottle filled with a liquid such as wine is rotated by a spiral opening member. It is known that the stopper that seals the opening of the container is removed by moving the opening member upward in a state where the stopper is screwed into the stopper and the opening member is screwed into the stopper (for example,). See Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 3649334

As a stopper for sealing the opening of the container, in addition to a cork stopper, a so-called crown as a stopper for sealing the opening of a single bottle, a screw cap screwed to the outer peripheral portion on the upper end side of the container, and the like have a spiral shape. Some opening members cannot be used for opening.

In the opening device, the stopper can be removed from the container whose opening is sealed by the cork stopper, but the container whose opening is sealed by a stopper other than the cork stopper cannot be opened.

An object of the present invention is to provide an opening device capable of removing a stopper from a container whose opening is sealed by a stopper of a type other than a cork stopper.

In the opening device of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the stopper that seals the opening located at the upper end of the container is moved upward with respect to the container, thereby causing the container. A plug-opening device that removes the plug from the stopper to open the opening, and has a plug contact portion that contacts the upper surface of the plug that seals the opening and a plug contact that contacts the upper surface of the plug. The diameter of the plug in which the plurality of gripping pieces arranged along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion of the plug and the plurality of gripping pieces are brought into contact with the plug contact portion in a state where the portions are in contact with each other. A power transmission mechanism for transmitting power to be moved in a direction is provided, and the grip piece projects toward the plug with which the plug contact portion is in contact, and the grip piece is attached to the plug by the power transmission mechanism. It has an engaging claw that engages the plug by moving towards it.

According to the present invention, when the stopper is gripped by a plurality of gripping pieces, the portion exposed to the outside of the container of the stopper can be reliably gripped by the engaging claw, and thus a type other than the cork stopper. It is possible to open the container whose opening is sealed by the stopper.

It is an overall perspective view of the stopper exchange device which shows one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which arranged the opening | opening unit above the container holding part. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which arranged the opening | opening unit above the container holding part. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the connection structure of a power transmission shaft and a pair of plug gripping members. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the connection structure of a power transmission shaft and a pair of plug gripping members. It is sectional drawing explaining the gripping operation of the stopper gripping member. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the method of removing a screw cap from a container.

1 to 8 show an embodiment of the present invention.

In the opening device of the present invention, the stopper S that seals the opening provided at the upper end of the container B filled with the liquid is placed in a space filled with a gas capable of preventing the deterioration of the liquid. It is applied to a plug changing device 1 for removing from an opening and attaching an alternative plug.

In the present embodiment, the liquid filled in the container B is sake. The container B is a single bottle B1 that can be filled with 1800 ml of sake, or a four-goal bottle B2 that can be filled with 720 ml of sake.

The crown S1 as a stopper S attached to the one-box bottle B1 has a main body S1a that is press-fitted into the bottle from the opening of the one-box bottle B1 and an opening of the one-box bottle with the main body S1a press-fitted into the bottle from the opening. It has a flange portion S1b that projects outward in the radial direction of the main body portion S1a along the edge of the main body portion S1a. Further, the screw cap S2 as the stopper S attached to the four gobos B2 seals the opening by screwing into the outer peripheral portion on the upper end side of the four gobos B2.

Further, the alternative stopper is a dedicated stopper attached to the container B when extracting sake from the container B by an extraction device for extracting sake from the container B with the opening facing downward.

Nitrogen gas is used as a gas that can prevent the deterioration of sake.

The stopper changing device 1 is attached to an elevating device (not shown), and the attachment height can be adjusted according to the height of the container B for which the stopper S is to be replaced with an alternative stopper.

As shown in FIG. 1, the stopper changing device 1 includes a container holder 10 that detachably holds the upper portion of the container B, a swivel table 20 that is swivelly provided with respect to the container holder 10, and an opening of the container B. It is provided with an opening unit 30 for removing the stopper S for sealing the container B, and a closing unit 40 for sealing the opening of the container B with an alternative stopper.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the container holder 10 is connected to a container holding portion 11 that holds the upper portion of the container B from the outside in the radial direction and an upper end portion of the container holding portion 11, and is swiveled to support the swivel base 20. It has a table support portion 12. The opening of the container B held by the container holder 10 communicates with the internal space of the container holder 10.

The container holding portion 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the outer peripheral portion is formed in a male screw shape. The container holding portion 11 can be tightened from the outer peripheral side by screwing a nut 11a having a female screw shape on the inner peripheral portion into the outer peripheral portion of the container holding portion 11. The container holding portion 11 holds the upper side of the container B by tightening with the nut 11a in a state where the upper portion of the container B is positioned on the inner peripheral portion of the container holding portion 11, and also holds the upper peripheral surface of the upper portion of the container B. Close the gap between and.

The swivel support portion 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the container holding portion 11, and the lower end portion is closed and the outer peripheral portion is formed in a male screw shape. The space on the inner peripheral side of the swivel support portion 12 communicates with the space on the inner peripheral side of the container holding portion 11. The radial center of the container holding portion 11 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the radial center of the swivel support portion 12. Further, on the lower surface of the swivel support portion 12, a gas inflow port (not shown) for allowing nitrogen gas to flow into the space on the inner peripheral side of the swivel support portion 12 is provided.

The swivel base 20 includes a swivel base main body 21 rotatably provided with respect to the swivel base support portion 12 of the container holder 10, a first support cylinder 22 and a first support cylinder 22 formed so as to extend upward from the swivel base main body 21, respectively. It has two support cylinders 23 and a holding ring 24 that rotatably holds the swivel base main body 21 with respect to the swivel base support portion 12.

The swivel body 21 is made of a disk-shaped member, and is fitted by inserting it into the inner peripheral surface of the swivel support portion 12 of the container holder 10 from above. A ring-shaped seal member 21a is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the swivel base main body 21 to close the gap between the swivel base support portion 12 and the swivel base main body 21. An air bleeding valve for exhausting air in the space between the swivel support portion 12 and the swivel body 21 between the first support cylinder 22 and the second support cylinder 23 on the upper surface of the swivel base main body 21. 21b is provided. By operating the air bleeding valve 21b, the user of the plug changing device 1 can communicate the space between the swivel base support portion 12 and the swivel base main body 21 to the outside. The first support cylinder 22 and the second support cylinder 23 in the circumferential direction of the lower surface of the swivel base main body 21 are brought into contact with the upper end of the container B when the stopper changing device 1 is positioned in the height direction. A container contact surface 21c is provided.

The first support cylinder 22 and the second support cylinder 23 are cylindrical bodies communicating with each other in the space formed between the swivel base support portion 12 and the swivel base main body 21, respectively, and the swivel base main body 21 is connected to the swivel base main body 21. By swiveling with respect to 12, it is possible to position it above the container holding portion 11. Further, the opening unit 30 is arranged in the first support cylinder 22, and the closing unit 40 is arranged in the second support cylinder 23. The outer peripheral portion on the upper side of the first support cylinder 22 and the second support cylinder 23 is formed in a male screw shape, and a rod cover described later is screwed into the first support cylinder 22 and the second support cylinder 23.

The holding ring 24 is a ring-shaped member whose inner peripheral portion is formed in a female screw shape, and the swivel base main body 21 is fitted to the swivel base support portion 12 by being screwed into the outer peripheral portion of the swivel base support portion 12. Hold the matching state.

As shown in FIG. 3, the opening unit 30 closes the upper end of the first support cylinder 22 with the piston rod 31 movably provided along the first support cylinder 22 and the piston rod 31 penetrating the piston rod 31. The rod cover 32, the power transmission shaft 33 as a power transmission mechanism that penetrates the piston rod 31 in the axial direction, the plug contact portion 34 provided on the lower surface of the piston rod 31, and the plug contact portion 34 extending downward. It has a plug holding portion 35 and a pair of plug gripping members 36 connected to a power transmission shaft 33.

The piston rod 31 has a piston portion 31a provided on the lower end side and a rod portion 31b extending upward from the upper surface of the piston portion 31a. The piston portion 31a is provided so as to be movable in the first support cylinder 22. A ring-shaped sealing member 31a1 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the piston portion 31a to close the gap between the piston portion 31a and the inner surface of the first support cylinder 22. The rod portion 31b moves in the vertical direction together with the piston portion 31a, and at least a part of the upper end side is exposed to the outside from the upper end of the first support cylinder 22.

The rod cover 32 covers the outer peripheral side of the rod portion 31b and closes the upper end opening of the first support cylinder 22 so that the rod portion 31b of the piston rod 31 can move in the vertical direction.

The power transmission shaft 33 is for transmitting the power for causing the pair of plug gripping members 36 to perform the gripping operation and the power for removing the plug S. The power transmission shaft 33 has a rod-shaped shaft main body 33a, a disk 33b provided at the lower end of the shaft main body 33a, and an operation lever 33c provided at the upper end of the shaft main body 33a.

The shaft body 33a is configured to be rotatable around the axis with respect to the piston rod 31. A ring-shaped sealing member 33a1 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the shaft body 33a to close the gap between the outer surface of the shaft body 33a and the inner surface of the piston rod 31.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the disk 33b has a disk shape in which the outer peripheral side is cut out so that each of the plug gripping members 36 can move during the gripping operation of the pair of plug gripping members 36. It is a member. Further, on the upper surface of the disk 33b, a plurality of locking pins 33b1 are provided so as to extend upward and lock each of the pair of stopper gripping members 36. Further, on the radial center side of the upper surface of the disk 33b, an engagement is provided so as to project radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body 33a and engage with each of the pair of stopper gripping members 36. The protrusion 33b2 is provided.

The operation lever 33c is made of a rod-shaped member, and has an axial center oriented in a direction orthogonal to the axial center of the shaft main body 33a, and a central portion in the axial direction is fixed to the upper end of the shaft main body 33a. The user of the plug changing device 1 grips the operating lever 33c and rotates the shaft body 33a.

The plug contact portion 34 is made of an elastic rubber member, and is fixed to the lower surface of the disk 33b of the power transmission shaft 33 as shown in FIG. The stopper contact portion 34 contacts the stopper S that seals the opening of the container B by moving the piston rod 31 downward while the container B is arranged below. The pair of plug gripping members 36 rotate the power transmission shaft 33 counterclockwise with respect to the plug S in a state where the plug contact portion 34 is in contact with the plug S to rotate the plug contact portion 34 and the plug S. The gripping operation is performed by causing friction between the two.

The stopper holding portion 35 is for holding the stopper S removed from the container B without falling off. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the stopper holding portion 35 is made of an elastic rubber member and is integrally formed with the stopper contact portion 34. The plug holding portion 35 has a plurality of holding pieces 35a extending downward from the outer peripheral side of the plug contact portion 34. The plurality of holding pieces 35a are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the plug contact portion 34. When the piston rod 31 is moved downward and the stopper holding portion 35 is moved from above toward the stopper S of the container B, the plurality of holding pieces 35a come into contact with the stopper S and are elastically deformed to form the stopper S. It is located on the outer peripheral side, and the stopper S is held from the outside in the radial direction by the restoring force.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, each of the pair of stopper gripping members 36 has a shaft connecting portion 36a connected to the disk 33b and a gripping piece 36b extending downward from the shaft connecting portion 36a, respectively. .. The gripping pieces 36b of the pair of plug gripping members 36 are arranged to face each other in the gaps between the plurality of holding pieces 35a, and are movable in the radial direction of the piston rod 31.

The shaft connecting portion 36a is formed in a plate shape that is slidable with respect to the upper surface of the disk 33b. The shaft connecting portion 36a is provided with an elongated hole 36a1 that engages with a locking pin 33b1 provided on the upper surface of the disk 33b. The shaft connecting portion 36a is movable with respect to the disk 33b within the movable range of the locking pin 33b1 in the elongated hole 36a1. The shaft connecting portion 36a is provided with a notch 36a2 for gripping operation to which the engaging projection 33b2 provided on the upper surface of the disk 33b engages. The shaft connecting portion 36a moves on the disk 33b in conjunction with the engaging projection 33b2 that swings by rotating the power transmission shaft 33.

The grip piece 36b is formed in a plate shape extending downward from the outer peripheral side of the plug contact portion 34. At the lower end of the grip piece 36b, an engaging claw 36b1 is formed which protrudes from the lower end of the grip piece 36b toward the radial center portion of the piston rod 31 and whose tip end engages with the outer peripheral portion of the stopper S. The engaging claw 36b1 is formed in a flat plate shape extending in the horizontal direction. A plurality of protrusions are provided in the horizontal direction at the tip of the engaging claw 36b1. Each of the pair of gripping pieces 36b moves together with the shaft connecting portion 36a that moves on the disk 33b, and grips the stopper S by causing the tip of the engaging claw 36b1 to bite into the outer peripheral portion of the stopper S.

As shown in FIG. 2, the closing unit 40 includes a piston rod 41 movably provided along the second support cylinder 23 and a rod that closes the upper end of the second support cylinder 23 with the piston rod 41 penetrating. It has a cover 42 and. At least a part of the piston rod 41 on the upper end side is exposed to the outside from the upper end of the second support cylinder 23. At the upper end of the piston rod 41, a knob 41a used when the user of the plug changing device 1 inputs an operation for moving the piston rod 41 in the vertical direction is provided.

In the stopper changing device 1 configured as described above, when the crown S1 as the stopper S is replaced with an alternative stopper in the one-box bottle B1 as the container B, first, as shown in FIG. 2, the container of the container holder 10 is used. The container holding portion 11 is attached to the tip of the one-box bottle B1 in a posture in which the container contact surface 21c of the swivel base main body 21 is positioned above the holding portion 11. Further, an alternative plug is arranged in the second support cylinder 23 of the swivel base 20, the internal space is filled with nitrogen gas through the gas inflow port, and the air in the internal space is discharged through the air vent valve 21b.

Next, the swivel table 20 is swiveled in one direction in the circumferential direction, and as shown in FIG. 3, the first support cylinder 22 of the swivel table 20 is positioned above the container holding portion 11, and then the user opens the swivel table 20. The operating lever 33c of the plug unit 30 is gripped and rotated clockwise to widen the distance between the pair of plug gripping members 36. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the user moves the piston rod 31 downward and rotates it counterclockwise. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the pair of plug gripping members 36 perform a gripping operation in which the gripping pieces 36b move toward the crown S1 with each other. At this time, the engaging claws 36b1 located at the tip ends of the respective gripping pieces 36b enter between the upper end portion of the one-box bottle B1 and the flange portion S1b of the crown S1 to grip the outer peripheral portion of the main body portion S1a.

After gripping the crown S1 with the pair of plug gripping members 36, the user grips the operating lever 33c and moves the piston rod 31 upward. As a result, the crown S1 sealing the opening of the one-box bottle B1 moves upward with respect to the one-box bottle B1 and is removed from the one-box bottle B1. Since the crown S1 removed from the one-box bottle B1 is in a state of being held by the stopper holding portion 35, it does not fall even if the grip by the pair of stopper gripping members 36 is released.

After removing the crown S1 from the one-box bottle B1, the user swivels the swivel base 20 to the other in the circumferential direction, positions the second support cylinder 23 of the swivel base 20 above the container holding portion 11, and closes the plug unit 40. By moving the piston rod 41 downward, the opening of the one-box bottle B1 is sealed by an alternative stopper.

Finally, the container holding portion 11 of the container holder 10 is removed from the one-box bottle B1.

Further, in the case of replacing the screw cap S2 as the stopper S with a substitute stopper in the four bottle B2 as the container B, when removing the screw cap S2 from the four bottle B2, the same as when removing the crown S1. The user grips the operating lever 33c of the cap opening unit 30 and rotates it clockwise to widen the distance between the pair of plug gripping members 36. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the user grips the operating lever 33c to move the piston rod 31 downward and rotates it counterclockwise to perform the gripping operation. At this time, the engaging claws 36b1 of the respective gripping pieces 36b bite into the outer peripheral portion of the screw cap S2 located slightly above the upper end of the four gobos B2 to grip the screw cap S2.

After gripping the screw cap S2 by the pair of plug gripping members 36, the user grips the operating lever 33c and further rotates it counterclockwise. As a result, the screw cap S2 that seals the opening of the four gobo B2 is released from the screw cap S2 with respect to the upper end side of the four gobo B2, and is removed from the four gobo B2.

As described above, according to the cap opening device of the present embodiment, a plurality of grips arranged along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion of the plug S in a state where the plug contact portion 34 is in contact with the upper surface of the plug S. A piece 36b and a power transmission shaft 33 for transmitting power for moving a plurality of gripping pieces 36b in the radial direction of the plug S with which the plug contact portion 34 is in contact are provided, and the grip piece 36b is in contact with the plug. It has an engaging claw 36b1 that projects toward the plug S with which the portion 34 is in contact and engages with the plug S by moving the grip piece 36b toward the plug S by the power transmission shaft 33.

As a result, when the stopper S is gripped by the plurality of gripping pieces 36b, the portion of the stopper S exposed to the outside of the container B can be reliably gripped by the engaging claw 36b1. It is possible to open the container B whose opening is sealed by the stopper S of the above type.

Further, the stopper S is an edge of the opening of the container B in a state where the main body S1a is press-fitted into the container B from the opening of the one-box bottle B1 as the container B and the main body S1a is press-fitted into the container B from the opening. It is a crown S1 having a flange portion S1b protruding outward in the radial direction of the main body portion S1a along the above, and the engaging claw 36b1 grips the crown S1 that seals the opening of the one-box bottle B1 by the gripping piece 36b. At that time, it enters between the upper end of the one-box bottle B1 and the flange portion S1b.

As a result, the engaging claw 36b1 can be engaged with the flange portion S1b of the crown S1, so that the crown S1 can be reliably gripped by the gripping piece 36b.

Further, the stopper holding portion 35 formed of an elastic member and capable of holding the stopper S removed from the container B is provided.

As a result, the plug S removed from the container B is held by the plug holding portion 35, so that the plug S does not fall even when the grip of the plug S by the pair of plug gripping members 36 is released.

Further, the engaging claw 36b1 is formed in a flat plate shape extending in the horizontal direction.

As a result, when the crown S1 is gripped by the gripping piece 36b, the engaging claw 36b1 can be surely inserted between the upper end of the one-box bottle B1 and the flange portion S1b.

Further, the cap opening unit 30 including the plug contact portion 34, the gripping piece 36b, and the power transmission shaft 33 integrally is provided, and the cap opening unit 30 abuts on the upper end of the container B in the vertical direction with respect to the container B. It has a container contact surface 21c for adjusting the mounting position.

As a result, the height of the opening unit 30 is positioned by bringing the container contact surface 21c into contact with the upper surface of the container B, so that the work efficiency of the work of removing the stopper S from the container B can be improved. It will be possible.

In the above embodiment, sake is shown as the liquid filled in the container B, but the present invention is not limited to this. The liquid to be filled in the container B may be any liquid that is required to prevent deterioration, and may be, for example, a liquid such as wine.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the container B is shown as a 1-box bottle B1 and a 4-go bottle B2, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the stopper S for sealing the opening formed at the upper end is exposed to the outside of the opening of the container B, for example, a bottle can with a screw cap, a PET bottle, or the like. May be good.

Further, in the above embodiment, the work of replacing the plug S with a substitute plug is performed in a nitrogen atmosphere filled with nitrogen gas as a gas capable of preventing the deterioration of the liquid, but it is not limited to nitrogen gas. Absent. The gas is not limited to nitrogen gas as long as it is a gas that is inert to the liquid filled in the container B and can prevent the deterioration of the liquid. Further, as long as the gas can prevent the deterioration of the liquid, a gas obtained by mixing a plurality of types of gases may be used.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the stopper S is gripped by a pair of gripping pieces 36b, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, three or more gripping pieces may be arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, and the plug S may be gripped from the outside in the radial direction by the three or more gripping pieces.

Further, in the above embodiment, the device in which the present invention is applied to the plug changing device 1 in which the plug opening unit 30 and the plug closing unit 40 are integrally configured is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It is also possible to apply the present invention to a dedicated opening device for removing the stopper S from the container B to open the opening.

20 ... swivel table, 21 ... swivel table body, 21c ... container contact surface, 30 ... cap opening unit, 33 ... power transmission shaft, 34 ... plug contact part, 35 ... plug holding part, 35a ... holding piece, 36 ... Plug gripping member, 36b ... Gripping piece, 36b1 ... Engaging claw, B ... Container, B1 ... Single bottle, B2 ... Four bottles, S ... Plug, S1 ... Crown, S1a ... Main body, S1b ... Flange, S2 ... Screw cap.

Claims (6)

An opening device that removes the stopper from the container and opens the opening by moving the stopper that seals the opening located at the upper end of the container upward with respect to the container. There,
A stopper contact portion that abuts on the upper surface of the stopper that seals the opening, and a stopper contact portion.
A plurality of gripping pieces arranged along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion of the stopper in a state where the stopper contact portion is in contact with the upper surface of the stopper.
A power transmission mechanism for transmitting power for moving a plurality of the gripping pieces in the radial direction of the plug with the plug contact portion in contact with the plug is provided.
The grip piece has an engaging claw that projects toward the plug with which the plug contact portion is brought into contact and engages with the plug by moving the grip piece toward the plug by the power transmission mechanism. Opening device. The stopper includes a main body that is press-fitted into the container through the opening, and a main body that is press-fitted into the container from the opening along the edge of the opening in the container. It has a flange portion that projects outward in the radial direction.
The opening device according to claim 1, wherein the engaging claw enters between the upper end of the container and the flange portion when the stopper sealing the opening is gripped by the gripping piece. .. The stopper is screwed onto the outer peripheral portion on the upper end side of the container.
The opening device according to claim 1, wherein the stopper gripped by the plurality of gripping pieces is removed from the container by moving it upward while swirling with respect to the container. The opening device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a plug holding portion formed of an elastic member and capable of holding the plug removed from the container. The opening device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the engaging claw is formed in a flat plate shape extending in the horizontal direction. A plug opening unit in which the plug contact portion, the gripping piece, and the power transmission mechanism are integrally formed is provided.
The opening device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the opening unit has a container contact surface that adjusts a vertical attachment position with respect to the container by contacting the upper end of the container. ..

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