JP2023097544A - capping device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cap holding device capable of surely holding a cap regardless of a cross-sectional shape of the cap and surely preventing misalignment of the cap when holding the cap.SOLUTION: A capping device comprises: an exterior section including a top board and an outer wall hanging down from a periphery of the top board and formed such that a lower part thereof is open so that at least an upper part of a cap to be held can be inserted thereinto; a suction pad which can be advanced/retracted, is connected to suction means via a suction channel, and is disposed to hang down from the top board inside the exterior section; and plural movable pins that are inserted through insertion holes formed in the top board and hanging down from the top board. The movable pins are formed movable upward and downward within a predetermined range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a capping device for automatically attaching a roll-on cap to a container.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a bottle container production line, a capping device capable of automatically tightening is used to attach a tightening type cap to a container body. Such a capping device is of a uniaxial rotation type, and tightens by applying axial rotation to the gripped cap.

As a mechanism for gripping the cap of such a capping device, there is known one that presses and grips the side surfaces of the cap from three sides by three chuck portions (Patent Documents 1 and 2). In the case of a cap with a deformed cross section other than a perfect circle, the following problems have arisen.

That is, when the distance from the core of the cap to the outer peripheral surface is uneven, if the chuck part tries to grip the cap from three sides, the timing at which the chuck part contacts the outer peripheral surface of the cap is shifted, and as a result, the core of the cap is displaced. It will be gripped in the state of

In order to address this problem, Patent Document 3 discloses a bottle cap chucking device that allows a cap holding portion to grip the cap by engaging four chuck bodies with the outer peripheral surface of the cap. In this device, two chuck bodies out of four chuck bodies arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the cap always face each other, so misalignment does not occur when the cap is gripped.

However, in the case of holding the cap from all sides by the chuck part, the desired effect can be obtained if the cross section of the cap to be held is elliptical or rectangular. In the case of deformation, it was difficult to achieve both prevention of misalignment and gripping.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-187290 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-19090 JP 2003-54686

Accordingly, the present invention overcomes the drawbacks of conventional article holding devices, can reliably hold a cap regardless of the shape of the cross section of the cap, and can reliably prevent misalignment of the cap when held. It is an object of the present invention to provide a capping device capable of preventing overheating.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and includes a top plate and an outer wall hanging down from the peripheral edge of the top plate. an extensible suction pad connected to the suction means via a suction path and provided in the exterior so as to hang down from the top plate; and an insertion hole formed in the top plate. , the capping device is provided with a plurality of movable pins suspended from the top plate, and the movable pins are vertically movable within a predetermined range.

The present invention also provides a shaft in which the movable pin is formed to be thinner than the opening diameter of the insertion hole, a head provided at the upper end of the shaft and formed to be thicker than the opening diameter of the insertion hole, and a lower portion of the shaft. The capping device is characterized by comprising a main body which is attached to the body and is formed to have a larger diameter than the opening diameter of the insertion hole.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that an inner wall is provided inside the outer wall and hangs down from the top plate at a predetermined distance from the outer wall, and the outer wall and the inner wall are provided in a shape similar to each other when viewed from the bottom. A capping device.

Also, the present invention is the capping device, wherein the movable pin is provided between the outer wall and the inner wall.

Further, the present invention is the capping device, wherein the top plate is polygonal.

In the capping device according to the present invention, even if the cross-sectional shape of the cap is deformed due to the blocking effect of the movable pin provided in the exterior part so as to be vertically movable, the cap can be securely crimped without misalignment. work can be done.

In addition, since the capping device according to the present invention holds the cap by the suction force of the suction pad, unlike the holding by the conventional chuck portion, even if the cross section of the cap is deformed other than elliptical or rectangular, can be held securely.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the capping device according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the capping device according to the present invention; The top view of the exterior part of the capping apparatus which concerns on this invention. The front view of the exterior part of the capping device which concerns on this invention. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the internal structure in a state where the cap is gripped by the capping device according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the cap held by the capping device according to the present invention;

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the embodiment of the capping apparatus of this invention is concretely demonstrated based on drawing. In addition, this invention is not restricted at all by these embodiments.

A capping device 1 according to the present invention includes an exterior portion 2 formed in the shape of a polygonal column, a suction pad 4 vertically installed in the center of the interior of the exterior portion 2, and a plurality of movable pads suspended from the top plate of the exterior portion 2. A pin 3 is provided. Each part will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the exterior part 2 includes a top plate 21 formed in a regular hexagon and six outer walls 22 hanging down from the periphery of the top plate 21, the lower part of which is open. ing. Furthermore, the interior of the exterior part 2 is provided with six inner walls 23 hanging down from the top plate 21 . In this embodiment, the top plate 21 is formed to be a regular hexagon, but the shape is not limited to this, and may be other polygons such as a quadrangle or an octagon. A plurality of holes 27 are formed in the outer wall 22 of this embodiment, and by providing the holes 27 in this way, the weight of the exterior part 2 can be reduced.

A space large enough to accommodate at least the upper portion of the cap gripped by the capping device 1 according to the present invention is formed inside the exterior portion 2 . The inner wall 23 is spaced from the outer wall 22 by a certain distance and formed in a regular hexagon similar to the outer wall 22 when viewed from the bottom. The inner wall 23 is shorter than the outer wall 22 in its length in the height direction, and is formed about half the length of the outer wall 22 in this embodiment. As will be described later, since a plurality of movable pins 3 are arranged between the inner wall 23 and the outer wall 22, it is preferable that the inner wall 23 has a shape similar to that of the outer wall 22 when viewed from the bottom because the arrangement thereof is facilitated.

As shown in FIG. 3, the top plate 21 has an opening 25 in its central portion, and a plurality of insertion holes 24 in a portion corresponding to the space between the inner wall 23 and the outer wall 22. Drilled at intervals. In this embodiment, the insertion holes 24 are arranged in three rows along the outer wall 22 and the inner wall 23 in plan view.

The movable pins 3 are inserted through these insertion holes 24, respectively. The movable pin 3 includes a rod-shaped shaft 32 and a head 31 provided at the upper end of the shaft 32 and having an outer diameter larger than that of the shaft 32 . there is

In the movable pin 3 , the shaft 32 is formed thinner than the opening diameter of the hole 24 , while the head 31 is formed thicker than the opening diameter of the insertion hole 24 . As a result, the head 31 portion of the movable pin 3 is locked in the insertion hole 24 and suspended from the top plate 21 .

The movable pin 3 is provided so as to be vertically movable within a predetermined range with respect to the top plate 21 . That is, the movable pin 3 is only inserted through the insertion hole 24 and is not fixed to the top plate 21. Further, the head 31 and the main body 33 are formed to be thicker than the opening diameter of the hole 24 so that they can be inserted. Since it cannot pass through the hole 24 , it can move up and down with respect to the top plate 21 within the range of the shaft 32 between the head 31 and the main body 33 .

The movable pin 3 is provided so as to hang down between the inner wall 23 and the outer wall 22. As shown in FIG. It is preferable that they are arranged almost without gaps in the region. In this manner, the movable pins 3 are aligned in a honeycomb pattern in the region between the inner wall 23 and the outer wall 22, and are arranged with a very small gap to ensure slidability, so that the movable pins 3 are attached to the exterior portion. 2, it can move up and down while maintaining an upright posture without being oblique.

An existing cap bolt (hexagon socket head bolt) can be suitably used as the movable pin 3 . The main body 33 may be externally attached to the threaded portion of the cap bolt, and it is preferable that the main body 33 be screwed into a hole provided in the main body 33 to facilitate replacement when damaged. Since the main body 33 is the part that contacts the container cap, it is preferably made of a material that does not easily damage the container cap, is as lightweight as possible, and has a certain level of durability. It is preferably made of a synthetic resin such as polyacetal resin, particularly ABS resin. , fluororesin and MC nylon resin are preferred.

A suction pad 4 is provided on the lower surface of the top plate 21 so as to hang down. The suction pad 4 is a bellows-structured tube having openings at its upper and lower ends, and the upper opening is provided so as to communicate with the opening 25 of the top plate 21 .

The suction pad 4 is formed to be vertically extendable, and is provided so that its lower opening 41 is positioned above the lower end 34 of the movable pin 3 in a standby state in which the cap is not gripped. .

An upper opening of the suction pad 4 communicates with a pipe 5 as a suction path. The pipe 5 extends downwardly from the top plate 21 in communication with the opening 25 , and three pillars 6 extend downwardly from the top plate 21 around the pipe 5 . A mounting base 7 for mounting the container cap gripping device 1 on the rotating shaft, which is the rotating drive means of the capping device, is attached to the upper end of the support 6 . The pipe 5 further communicates with suction means such as a vacuum generator through a tube or the like that serves as a suction path.

A series of operations performed by the cap gripping device 1 according to the present invention will be described below. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the cap 8 to be gripped is oval. First, the cap gripping device 1 is placed above the cap 8 to be gripped, and alignment is performed so that the core of the cap 8 and the core of the cap gripping device 1 are aligned. The capping device 1 is lowered so as to cover it.

The capping device 1 is lowered until the lower ends 34 of some of the movable pins 3 contact the top surface 81 of the cap 8, and if the lowering is continued, the movable pins 3 that are in contact with the top surface 81 are further lowered. Since it stays in that position without descending, it is relatively pushed up by the container cap 8 and protrudes upward from the top plate 21 of the exterior part 2 .

As the capping device 1 continues to descend, the lower opening 41 of the suction pad 4 contacts the top surface 81 of the cap 8 . At this time, the air inside the suction pad 4 is sucked through the suction path such as the pipe 5 to create a negative pressure.

As the capping device 1 continues to descend, as shown in FIG. 5, the suction portion 4 is contracted upward, and the main body 33 of the movable pin 3, which is in contact with the cap 8 and protrudes upward from the top plate 21, moves into the hole. It is locked to the portion 24 and its upward movement is restricted. Even if the capping device 1 continues to descend as it is, the main body 33 is locked in the hole 24, so that the gripping function is not lost. In FIG. 5, the main body 33 of the movable pin 3 moves to the upper limit where it contacts the top plate 21, but it is not necessary to move the movable pin 3 to the upper limit of movement in order to grip the article. A gap may be formed between the upper end of the main body 33 and the top plate 21 in this state.

FIG. 6 shows the state of FIG. 5 from the bottom. In the drawing, the movable pin 3b is in contact with the top surface 81 of the cap 8 and pushed upward from the top plate 21. As shown in FIG. Also, the movable pin 3a remains in its original position without contacting the top surface 81 of the cap 8, and the main body 33 is in contact with the side surface 82 of the cap 8. .

In this embodiment, there are seven movable pins 3a with which the main body 33 is in contact with the side surface 82 of the cap 8. As shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the movable pin 3a of this embodiment is in contact with the side surface 82 of the cap 8 from approximately five directions. The number and contact positions of the movable pins 3a in contact with the side surface 82 of the cap 8 differ depending on various conditions such as the shape and size of the container cap 8, the number and thickness of the movable pins 3, and the like.

After the capping device 1 is completely gripped, the capping device 1 is placed above the container to be attached, the core of the cap 8 and the neck of the container are aligned, and the cap 8 is attached to the neck of the container. For mounting, the cap gripping device 1 is axially rotated by the rotating means, and the threaded portion of the cap 8 and the threaded portion of the container neck are crimped until both are completely fixed.

Thus, in the stage of screwing the cap 8 and tightening the threaded portion, the cap 8 generates rotational resistance. When the cross-sectional shape of the cap 8 is a perfect circle, the frictional force and the pressing force between the side surface 82 of the cap 8 and the movable pin 3a in contact with the side surface 82 are close to zero. Frictional force and pressing force generated between the movable pin 3a and the side surface 82 increase as they differ. The movable pin 3 a pressed by the side surface 82 of the cap 8 is supported by the movable pin 3 behind it and the outer wall 22 and can receive the pressing force from the side surface 82 . Appropriate rotational torque can be applied to the cap 8 by the frictional force and pressing force generated between the movable pin 3a and the side surface 82, so that the cap 8 can be reliably attached to the container body.

In order to detach the cap 8 from the capping device 1 after the cap 8 is attached, the suction of the suction pad 4 by the suction means is stopped and the capping device 1 is moved upward.

In the process of gripping a series of caps, the movable pin 3 abuts against the top surface 81 of the cap 8 and there is no pressing force applied to the side surface 82 . Since the lateral movement of the cap 8 is restricted by the movable pin 3a in contact with the side surface 82 of the cap 8, it is possible to solve the problem of misalignment when gripping the cap.

The cap 8 that can be attached by the capping device 1 according to the present invention has a cross-sectional shape other than a perfect circle, and has a length ratio of the major axis to the minor axis of 5:4 to 2:1. , regular polygons, non-regular polygons, and the like.

As the diameter of the main body 33 becomes thinner, the number of movable pins 3 contacting the side surface 82 of the cap 8 increases. is preferably formed in the range of Further, regarding the density of arrangement of the movable pins 3, it suffices that there is at least a gap that does not hinder the vertical movement of the adjacent movable pins 3. Specifically, the main body 33 has a diameter of 6 mm. In this case, it is preferable that the axial distance between adjacent main bodies 33 is in the range of 6.2 mm to 6.5 mm.

In the capping device 1 of the present invention, the main body 33 of the movable pin 3 does not have to be in contact with the entire side surface 82 of the cap 8, and the side surface 82 portion corresponding to the height of about 1/3 of the cap 8 from the top surface 81 If it is provided so as to contact up to, necessary and sufficient rotational torque can be transmitted. Further, the capping device 1 of the present invention can transmit rotational torque if the main body 33 is in contact with a portion of the side surface 82 even when the cap 8 has different cross-sectional shapes and cross-sectional areas. For example, the upper part of the cap 8 has the widest cross-sectional area and narrows toward the bottom, or conversely, the lower part of the cap 8 has the widest cross-sectional area and narrows toward the top, or , the middle portion of the cap 8 is constricted, or conversely, the middle portion is bulging. It is sufficient if the body 33 is in contact with the exposed portion.

Reference Signs List 1... Capping device 2... Exterior part 3... Movable pin 3a... Movable pin (in contact with the side surface of the container cap)
3b … Movable pin (abutting on the top surface of the container cap)
4 : Attraction part 5 : Pipe 6 : Post 7 : Mounting base 8 : Cap 21 : Top plate 22 : Outer wall 23 : Inner wall 24 : Insertion hole 25 : Hole 26 : Post attachment Part 27 ... Hole 31 ... Head 32 ... Shaft 33 ... Main body 34 ... Lower end 41 ... Lower opening 42 ... Intermediate section 81 ... Top surface 82 ... Side

Claims (5)

An exterior part comprising a top plate and an outer wall hanging down from the peripheral edge of the top plate, the lower part of which is open and formed so that at least the upper part of the cap to be gripped can be inserted therein; An expandable suction pad connected and provided to hang down from the top plate in the exterior part, and a plurality of movable pins inserted through insertion holes formed in the top plate and hanging down from the top plate. wherein the movable pin is vertically movable within a predetermined range. The movable pin includes a shaft formed to be thinner than the opening diameter of the insertion hole, a head provided at the upper end of the shaft and formed to be thicker than the opening diameter of the insertion hole, and a lower portion of the shaft and inserted through the head. 2. The capping device according to claim 1, further comprising a main body formed to be thicker than the opening diameter of the hole. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an inner wall hanging down from the top plate at a predetermined distance from the outer wall inside the outer wall, the outer wall and the inner wall having similar shapes in bottom view. Capping device as described. 4. The capping device according to claim 3, wherein the movable pin is provided between the outer wall and the inner wall. 5. A capping device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said top plate is polygonal.

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