JP2824840B2 - Liquid filling device and method for container with cap - Google Patents

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to liquid treatment systems, and more particularly to a method for removing liquid from a bulk liquid supply as needed and a dispenser for performing such a method. Related to the device.

[Problems to be solved by conventional technology and invention]

In mass merchandising, there is a strong desire to optimize the sales promotion effect.

For example, in the case of liquid products sold in large quantities such as foodstuffs such as antifreeze and oil, milk, etc., a windshield cleaning liquid for automobiles, it is often necessary to secure a place to stock a large amount of packaged product stock. Cost. In addition, the merchandise display shelves must be reloaded and reconfigured regularly, requiring a large labor force.

An alternative to conventional methods of selling such products, which solves the location problem, is to dispense liquid from bulk sources in stores. When a human performs such a liquid distribution process, it is conceivable that a customer or a retail store staff will perform the process. The former is often not a practical method and may be limited in terms of hygiene, safety and marketing of the product. Also, the latter method by the clerk is costly due to labor problems, hygiene,
There may be disadvantages in terms of safety and sales. Therefore,
Transporting liquids directly from the supply source to the point of sale by tank trucks or similar transport means would lead to significant cost savings, but on the other hand the cost, complexity and reliability of processing liquids As for, there remains a problem.

Currently used vending machines are expected to partially but partially solve the floor space and reloading problems. However, vending machines cannot accommodate a wide range of commodities, and no economical system has been realized that can bulk process liquids and other fluid products on site.

Although automatic devices for filling containers with liquids are known, such devices are commonly used as part of high volume packaging lines and are unsuitable for installation at retail outlets.

[Object of the invention]

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for automatically dispensing liquids and other flowable products from bulk sources to individual containers as needed. This method is most suitable for on-site use, for example, in retail sales facilities.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically dispensing liquids and other flowable products from bulk sources to individual containers as needed. Such a device is of a suitable size and is ideally suited for practical use in retail establishments.

[Means for solving the problem]

According to one aspect of the invention, each predetermined amount of bulk liquid is:
A process is provided for dispensing in a container having a hinged closure mounted on a neck in a sealed form. The process sequentially includes the steps of mechanically selecting an appropriate container from among a plurality of containers of the same type loaded in alignment, maintaining a predetermined indicated relationship between the selected container and its opening / closing part. Meanwhile, a step of mechanically setting a predetermined filling position, a step of mechanically opening the opening and closing section to access the container, a step of mechanically introducing the measured bulk liquid into the container from the opened opening and closing section, a step of mechanically And the step of closing the opening / closing section and sealing the container, and the step of mechanically transporting the sealed liquid container to the distribution means of the apparatus.

According to another aspect of the invention, the process of the present invention is performed by a hinged opening and closing portion having an annular rim portion and a hinged lid portion, wherein the opening and closing portion step radially applies a pressure-sensitive portion of the rim portion. Pressing and first opening the hinged lid so that the opening force is applied to the working back side of the lid and the hinged lid of the opening and closing part is opened to a operable extent over a predetermined distance. Go to

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the containers are stacked vertically and the container sorting step comprises selecting containers from the topmost position of the stack by pinching the neck of the containers and retracting them from the container stack. Additionally includes an operation of moving. In this aspect, the positioning step likewise includes a swirling step of moving the sorted and pinched container to a filling position by a downward swiveling operation about the container neck, in which the container is substantially submerged. It is in a position suspended in the vertical direction, and the container neck is substantially oriented in the vertical direction.

In yet another embodiment of the process according to the invention, the pressure sensitive part of the rim abuts the joining means by a swiveling movement of the sorting container to the filling position. In this abutting operation, the pressure sensitive portion is pressurized, and as a result, the hinged lid is first opened to continue the opening operation.

The present invention further provides a container filling and dispensing device for use with a plurality of containers each having an opening for providing access to the interior of the container and an opening and closing portion having a hinged lid that can be positioned on the opening and closes the container. The apparatus comprises: magazine means for receiving a plurality of containers stacked in appropriate directions; container positioning means for rearranging one of the loaded containers at a predetermined filling position; Opening means for opening and closing the open / close portion of the container, liquid distributing means for distributing the measured bulk liquid through the opening to the inside of the container selected through the opening while maintaining a sealed state with the opening, and the selected container Is transported to the container receiving port of the apparatus.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for filling and dispensing a plurality of containers each having a neck forming a circular opening to the container and an opening and closing portion on the neck.
Each of the opening / closing portions has a rim portion that surrounds the container neck portion so as to be sandwiched therebetween, and a lid portion that is connected to the rim portion by hinge means and selectively seals the opening. The arrangement comprises cabinet means forming a housing, first trolley means mounted within the housing and capable of opposing first and second longitudinal movements, a first trolley located within the housing and having a first vertical position. Magazine means for receiving a plurality of containers arranged in an appropriate state with the neck of the container protruding in the direction substantially, and attached to the first trolley means, and sorting in the first vertical operation of the first trolley means. Holding means for pinching the neck of the selected container to retreat the selected container from the magazine means, and for rotating the pinched container to a filling position where the neck generally intersects the first and second longitudinal directions. , Attached to the first trolley means, moves in the vertical direction relative to the first trolley means, and when moving in the second vertical direction, engages with the operating back surface of the lid and is not interfered with by the container opening. Opening means for bringing the lid to the release position, having a dispensing nozzle in the housing, the nozzle being disposable over the opening when the lid is in the open position, so that it is metered into the sorted containers. The nozzle can be filled with a fluid substance, and the nozzle is attached to a filling means and a first trolley means which retreats from the opening / closing section after the filling, and corresponds to the operation of the opening means, and corresponds to the first trolley means. And moving in the second longitudinal direction, after the dispensing nozzle retracts, comes into contact with the upper surface of the lid, closes the opening, is located in the housing, and fills the selected container and seals it after holding it And a transport means for transporting the filled and sealed container from the release point to the user receiving point.

In a further development of the device according to the invention, a joining means is provided on the first trolley means so that when the selected containers are swiveled to the filling position, they come into contact with the pressure-sensitive part of the rim of the hinged opening and closing part. This activates the hinged opening of the lid to apply the largest radial stress to the pressure sensitive portion of the rim.

In yet another aspect of the apparatus of the present invention, the magazine means has a plurality of magazine means in the housing, forming opposed first and second lateral directions. The device additionally includes a second trolley means on which the first trolley means is mounted, and is configured to be movable in the first and second longitudinal directions, respectively. The second trolley means itself is attached to the housing, is movable in the first and second sides facing each other, and can be selectively arranged at a position close to one selected from a plurality of magazine means. It is. Thereby, the holding means of the selected magazine means can properly insert the selected container.

In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of magazine means is capable of swinging in the second vertical direction from the rest position when contacted by the first trolley means, and then one of the ones selected from the original loaded state. The container is partially moved in each magazine and is subjected to being sandwiched by the holding means. Further, in this embodiment, the filling means has a moving means for relatively moving the nozzle so as to be fitted to the opening in order to easily fill the selected containers. Preferably, the moving means is attached to a third trolley means held by the first trolley means, the third trolley means being configured to move in first and second longitudinal directions, respectively.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings for better understanding of the present invention. FIG.
Indicates a microprocessor-controlled vending machine specified in FIG. The device according to the invention has a substantially circular opening 13.
A plurality of containers 11 each having a neck portion 12 for forming a container and an opening 14 located on the neck portion 12 are filled and distributed. Preferred as the illustrated switch 14 is a safety switch exclusively sold by Polytop, USA (Slaterville, RI). When selling potentially harmful substances such as automotive windshield cleaning solutions antifreeze, etc., it is generally desirable to use a safe opening and closing device that is not hazardous to children of the type described above. The safety opening / closing section is not limited to the above and the special hinge-type opening / closing section, and any opening / closing section may be used as long as it is the mode mentioned in the claims of this specification. .

As shown in FIG. 1 a, the opening / closing part 14 surrounds the neck part 12 so as to sandwich the neck part 12, the filling / dispensing opening part 15, and the strap
It is preferable to have a lid 16 which is connected by hinge means having the form of 17 and selectively closes the opening 15a when closed. The opening 15 surrounds the neck 12 so as to pinch and engage threads of an interference rim on the neck 12 (not shown)
Alternatively, it is secured in a conventional manner, such as by a snap fastener (not shown). Further, the illustrated opening / closing section 14 (patented) is a safety opening / closing section for children without danger, and when a maximum radial pressing force is applied to the pressure sensitive section of the opening section 15, the lid section is provided. 16 facilitate opening first by hinges. The opening / closing section 14 is desirably integrally formed of a suitably resistant plastic material.

The device 10 comprises a substantially three-dimensional cabinet means 18 formed by opposing side walls 22, opposing upper and lower walls 24, rear wall 23, upper front wall 152, and front access door 19. The access door 19 is hingedly mounted at the left front end of FIG. 1 and opens outwardly, so that the inner housing 20 formed by the cabinet means 18 and the components of the apparatus as described below. Provide access.

The first trolley means 21 is attached to the second trolley means 25 in the housing 20 and is movable in opposed first and second longitudinal directions. In this embodiment, the first vertical direction is the direction toward the access door 19 (the direction of arrow 5 in FIG. 5), and the second vertical direction is the direction facing the rear wall 23 of the cabinet means 18. (Direction of arrow B in FIG. 2a),
These two definitions are not absolute in the claims and are used only relatively to distinguish them from the “first side direction” and the “second side direction” described later.

As can be seen from the figures, especially FIG. 3, the first trolley means
The reference numeral 21 is attached to the second trolley means 25, and is movable by the four side casters 26 in the first and second vertical directions. The side casters 26 are disposed at the four corners of the substantially rectangular top plate 28 and opposed to the first down plate 30 and the second down plate 30 of the first trolley means 21.
Two coaxially fixed shafts 29 protruding above 31 are rotatably mounted about the shafts. The casters 26 are provided on opposite side panels 33 of the second trolley means 25.
It slides in the side track 34 (plural) fixed to (plural). An electric motor means 35 controlled by a suitably programmed microprocessor means 35 (not shown) is mounted on the back of the top plate 28 and
By 36, it is drivably connected to the rack means 37 securely attached to the back surface of the top plate 27 of the second trolley means 25, and controls the first trolley means 21 in the first and second vertical directions as necessary. Can be operated.

A plurality of magazine means, indicated by the numeral 39 in the figure, are arranged in the housing and form opposing first and second side directions. The first and second side directions are substantially perpendicular to the first and second vertical directions and the surface of the access door 19. FIG. 10 shows one of the magazine means 39 in detail. In the magazine means, the neck 12 is a magazine means
The plurality of containers 11 properly loaded are received in a state where they are substantially protruded from 39 in the first vertical direction (the direction of the access door 19). The container 11 is preferably of a low density polyurethane material and is emptied at least partially prior to loading to reduce the floor space occupied and to allow for uniform loading within the cardboard container sleeve 40, the magazine means 39. Received in stacked form.

The cardboard sleeve 40 is sized to be easily slid into and out of the magazine means 39, and the empty sleeve 40 can be lowered to load a new sleeve containing the loading container 11. As shown in FIG. 10, the upper end 41 of the sleeve 40
And has a vertically elongated front slot 43 for accommodating the neck 12 of the loaded container 11 which is closed at the lower end 42 but protrudes as described above. When loading a new sleeve 40 loaded with the container 11 into the device 10, the lower rear pull tab 44
However, along the perforation line 46, it is cut off from the lower rear end of the sleeve 40 to gain access to the rear of the lowermost container 11B. Thereafter, a similar rear pull tab 45 is cut off along the perforation line 47 from the uppermost corner of the sleeve 40 to access the rear of the uppermost container 11a. Perforated line 48 tangents to perforated lines 46 and 47 and runs through the center of back panel 49 of sleeve 40. Details of the function will be described later. Prior to insertion into magazine means 39,
The upper and lower ends must likewise be cut off so that the upper surface of the uppermost container 11a and the lower surface of the lowermost container 11b are completely exposed. When the pull tab and the end are separated from the sleeve 40, the upper and lower latch members 51a and 51b (arrow C) are released (the lower latch 51 is disengaged and the upper latch 51 is engaged), and as shown by the arrow D When each hinge member hinges and opens the front wall member 52 of the magazine means, the sleeve can slide into the central cavity formed by the magazine means 39. The sleeve 40 is slightly longer than the wall of the magazine means 39, and when inserted into the housing, the upper end 54 of the sleeve 40 contacts the back side of the upper end member 55. The upper end member 55 is fixed so as to be located close to the upper free end 56 of the magazine means 39 which keeps an appropriate distance. When loaded in the magazine housing, the sleeve protrudes sufficiently from the upper surface of the upper free end 56 that the uppermost container 11a disengages from the upper free end 56 when moving in the first longitudinal direction as described below.

The magazine housing is preferably made of sheet metal or other suitable material, has a generally square configuration, and receives a tight and slidable engagement of the sleeve 40 in the central cavity, as described below. be able to,
Given the proper cross-sectional size. The front wall member 52 of the housing forms a longitudinal slot 53 that properly overlaps the slot 43 of the cardboard sleeve 40 so that the neck 12 of the container 11
Protrudes.

An upper latch member 51a adjacent to the upper end of the front wall member 52 of the housing is attached to the housing 52, and not only increases the strength of the housing structure, but also protrudes in the first vertical direction and has Provides a platform for easily removing the uppermost container 11 from the top of the stack of containers 11 loaded into it. The lower latch member 51b, which is fixed downwardly on the front side of the magazine housing, also increases in strength and projects in the first vertical direction behind the front side of the front wall member 52 of the housing. Both latches are in the front slot
It is aligned with 53 and freely passes through the protruding opening / closing part 14 attached to the neck 12 of the loaded container 11.

In FIG. 1, the container 1 is provided only in the rightmost magazine means 39a.
1 is loaded and all other magazine means are in the rest position. Also, in the illustrated rest position, the housing 52 is not fully upright, but is somewhat inclined in the first longitudinal direction, i.e., in the direction of the access door 19, and is pivotally mounted in the first and second longitudinal directions. ing. This aspect of the tilt is clearly illustrated in FIG. More specifically, the lower portion of each magazine housing is fixed at both rear corners by protrusions 59. U-shaped bracket
A 60 is fixed to the rear wall 23 of the device housing 20 and its side arms 61 surround the projections 59 of each magazine housing 39 in an overlapping manner. The pivot pin 62 connects each arm 61 and the corresponding projection 59, and rotates the corresponding magazine housing about the hinge. Rotating and tilting the magazine housing in the first longitudinal direction not only makes it easier to load and unload the cardboard sleeve 40 in the housing when accessed from the access door 19, but also as described below, the first trolley means 21. , The uppermost container 11a can be similarly removed from the container stack.

Holding means generally indicated by reference numeral 63 in the figure (see FIG. 3)
Is pivotally attached to the first trolley means 21 by a pivot shaft 64 attached to the shaft housing 65. The shaft housing 65 is securely fixed between the first down plate 30 and the intermediate down plate 32 as shown in FIG. Desirably, the pivot shaft 64 is vertically adjustable with respect to the housing 65 by means of threads (not shown), so that the gap between the mounting plate 84 mounted on the pivot shaft 64 and the housing 65 can be adjusted. . The holding means 63 is configured so that the uppermost container 11a is sandwiched by the neck 12, and when the first trolley means 21 moves in the first vertical direction, the container is pulled out from the magazine means 39. Thereafter, as shown below, the holding means is used as shown in FIG.
In the filling position shown by the solid line of FIG.
And 3 of 11z) are rotated.

The holding means 63 is constituted by a first holding element which is rotatably connected to the first trolley means 21 via a first linear portion 67 attached to the pivot shaft 64. The offset portion 68 extends in a direction having an appropriate angle toward the first down plate 30 (see FIG. 3), whereby the holding means can be moved to the second straight portion 69.
The terminal end 70 in the same direction as the first straight line
Continue to. The terminal end section 70 is configured to intersect the second straight section 69 vertically. further,
The terminal end portion 70 is provided between the first and second space ribs 71 and 72 surrounding the container neck portion 12, and the sorted container 11z
Provide a generally U-shaped slot (see FIG. 9) sized appropriately to pinch and enclose the cervical portion 12. The opposite straight portion 73 extends in the opposite direction from the end facing the terminal end portion 70 in a state generally parallel to the second straight portion 69.

A second holding element 74 in the form of a transversely bent wire bail loop is mounted in the first holding element 66 via a pivot pin 77, and
Hold the 11z neck 12 securely. The veil
The loop, when in the operating position of FIG.
A first part 75a that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the neck 12 at 11z,
And in the same position, a first part 75a and a second part 75b which is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the neck 12. A bail spring 76 is located at each end of the bail loop, each spring being rounded about a corresponding pivot pin 77, a free end 78 mating with the first part 75a of the bail loop, and a One holding means 66 has another free end 79 which engages with the bent portion 70a of the terminal end portion 70, and the spring bias caused by the bail spring 76 is released by the releasing means generally indicated by numeral 80. Until the bail loop 75 is displaced in the holding state with respect to the terminal end portion 70.

The release means 80 is provided with a bolt 83 at the proximal end of the pivot shaft 64.
Consists of a mounting plate 84 which is securely held via The play 84, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 3a,
It serves as a spacer between the first retaining element 66 and the trip lever 81 pivotally mounted on the mounting plate 84 so as to rotate about the mounting pin 85. The stop pin 142 limits the counterclockwise rotation of the trip lever 81 when the first trolley means 21 moves in the second longitudinal direction (see FIG. 3a), so that the fixed holding means 66
Makes a second longitudinal rotation (rightward in FIG. 3a), securely mates with the first part 75a of the bail loop,
Countering the displacement of the bail loop by the spring 76, after filling and sealing the container 11z selected as described below,
The container 11z is released from the holding means.

As can be seen from FIG. 3a, when the trip lever 81 is in the position shown by the phantom line in FIG. 3a, when the first holding element 66 rotates clockwise around the center of the pivot shaft 64 (see FIG. 3a), As one trolley means moves in the first longitudinal direction, the trip lever 81 can slide freely on the first part 75a of the bail loop, so that the holding means during and after such operation. The sorted containers 11z can be continuously held.

The first straight part 67 of the first holding element 66 passes through the pivot mounting point of the pivot shaft 64 and continues to the terminal end part 86.
The terminal end portion 86 has a fixed shaft 87 extending on both sides of the terminal end portion 86. The plurality of rollers 88 are
Is mounted so as to be freely rotatable at each protruding end of the second trolley means 2 via a plurality of support members 153.
Guide track 8 of corresponding shape securely fixed to 5
It is configured to provide proper movement within the 9. As the first trolley means 21 and the corresponding holding means 63 move in the first and second longitudinal directions, the rollers 88
It rotates along the contour of 89 to effect proper controlled movement of the first retaining element 66 and corresponding retaining means 63 structure described above.

6-9, the opening means, designated by the numeral 80 in the figures and taking the form of wedge means 90, is positioned in a bridge between the plurality of parallel arms 91 of the third trolley means 92. I have. The third trolley means 92 is driven in the first and second longitudinal directions, respectively, by roller means (FIG. 6) having a pair of coaxial rollers provided at the lower end of the third trolley means at an appropriate distance in the vertical direction. It is configured to perform an operation. The third trolley means is guided in the first and second longitudinal directions by opposing shaped guide tracks 94 which rotate the roller means 93 along it. The guide track 94 is securely attached to a tank generally indicated by numeral 95 in the figure. The tank 95 is suspended from the first down plate 30 of the first trolley means 21 via a hanger bracket 96. In this way, the third trolley means 92 is supported by the first trolley means 21.

The third trolley means 92 is driven by the electric motor 97 attached to the tank 95 with the drive pinion 98 protruding from the opening 99 provided in the bottom plate 100 of the tank 95, and the first and second trolley means 92 described above. It is driven in two longitudinal directions, and as a result, it is drivingly engaged with the rack member 101 supported on the back surface of the bottom plate 102 of the third trolley means 92. The electric motor 97 is under the timing control of a programmed microprocessor control means (not shown). In this way, the wedge means 90 is structurally connected to the third trolley means 92 and is capable of performing first and second longitudinally aligned movements.

As shown in FIG. 6, the wedge means 90 has two sides.
Consisting of a central ramp 103 between the 104, it provides a neck receiving slot. The central portion is slightly shorter in length than the side portions 104, and has a somewhat steep vertical inclination. The two sides are central 10
It is angled up and down toward 3. Thus, the opening means 80 is configured to engage with the back surface 16a of the lid 16 of the opening / closing section 14 when moving in the second vertical direction together with the third trolley means. As a result, as shown in FIGS. As described above, the lid 16 is moved to the open position. In this open position, the opening means 80 releases the container opening 13. The above operation will be described in detail below.

The filling means, generally indicated by the numeral 105 in the figure, comprises a dispensing nozzle 106 (see FIG. 7). The nozzle 106 can be positioned on the container opening / closing portion 15a when the lid portion 16 is in the fully open position as shown in FIG. 8, and can be fitted so that the container 11z can be filled without spilling. . In the embodiment shown, such a structure is obtained by employing a moving means forming part of the filling means 105. The moving means comprises a substantially square plate 107 which is supported rotatably about each end of a pair of pivot pins. The pivot pins 108 respectively correspond to a pair of downward projections 109 and a parallel arm 91 of the plate 107 of the third trolley means 92.
With the pair of upward projections 110. A pair of coaxial rollers 111 are rotatably supported on a free end 113 of the plate 107, and the third trolley means 92 moves in the first or second longitudinal direction under the control of the electric motor 97, as described above. In doing so, it can be located along a pair of parallel correspondingly shaped tracks 112 formed on the upper free end of the tank section 95 of the first trolley means 21. By such an operation, the roller 111 rotates upward on the inclined portion 114 of the track 112, and the free end 113 of the plate 107a pivots upward. As a result, the dispensing nozzle pivots downward, and is tightly fitted to the protruding edge 148 of the rim 15. The edge 148 surrounds the opening / closing opening 15a and overlaps the container opening 13, thereby filling the sorted container 11z held by the holding means 62 as shown in FIG. 8 and below. it can.

The filling means also comprises a filling tube 115 connected to the distribution nozzle 106. The tube 115 includes a solenoid-driven flow valve 154 and a liquid flow meter (not shown).
The two parts are electrically connected in a known manner to microprocessor control means (not shown).

As a result, the measured fluid substance flows through the distribution nozzle 106, and the selected container 11z can be filled with a predetermined amount. The filling tube 115 is, for example,
It drains out of the device housing 20 via 2 and is connected to a conventional bulk storage tank (not shown) remote from the device 10. A properly sized bulk storage tank (not shown)
Optionally, it can be added to the cabinet means 18, for example it can be configured such that the container tank is located below the cabinet means. A normal float valve switch in the bulk storage tank unit sends an electronic signal to the microprocessor control means, indicating that the bulk storage tank is nearly empty and halting operation of the device 10 until the tank is refilled It is configured to be.

The opening / closing portion lid closing means generally indicated by numeral 116 in the drawing is a first trolley in the form of a roller means 117 rotatably provided between two upwardly directed terminals 118 of the two parallel arms 91 of the third trolley means 92. Provided on the means. The roller means 117 mounted on the parallel arm 91 of the third trolley means keeps a distance such that the opening means 80 and the closing means 116 do not interfere with each other during the aforementioned vertical movement of the third trolley means 92. While opening means 80
And is configured to move in first and second longitudinal directions relative to the first trolley means. Further, after the selected container 11z is filled and the dispensing nozzle 106 is retracted (that is, the roller 111 is
After returning to 114), when the opening means 80 is retracted in the first vertical direction, so as to engage with the upper surface 16b of the lid 16 of the opening / closing section 14,
The upward terminal portion 118 is appropriately sized, and the roller means 117 is located therebetween. By fitting in this manner, the cover 16 is moved in the direction of the broken arrow E in FIG.
Is rotated, and the opening 15a is sealed. This operation is described in detail below.

The joining means 119 (see FIG. 6) is attached to the first trolley means 21, and when the selected container 11z rotates to the filling position shown in FIG.
, The lid 16 is first opened in a hinge manner. The joining means 119 comprises two arm parts 120 fixed to the respective side walls 121 of the tank part of the first trolley means 21. The arm portion 120 is configured to be upward and perpendicular to each mounting point in the direction of the elastic rubber bumper element 122 fixedly provided therebetween. The bumper element 122 has a rounded contour and projects from between the arms 120 and contacts the pressure sensitive part 38 during the aforementioned swiveling movement. In this way, the bumper element applies the required radial pressure to the pressure sensitive part, releasing the seal between the opening 15 and the lid 16 and, as shown in FIG. First open the lid. This operation makes it easier for the opening means 80 to further open the lid 16 when the opening means 80 moves in the second vertical direction (left side in FIG. 7) to the operating position shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second trolley means 25
Are driven in opposing first and second longitudinal directions, and can be selectively positioned in proximity to one selected from a plurality of magazine means 39. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the second trolley means 25 is located in close proximity to the right-handed magazine means that comprise the "selected" magazine means 39a. In this position, the uppermost container 11a is gripped by the holding means 62 from the selected magazine means 39a, as shown in FIGS. The second trolley means 25 is mounted in the housing 20, and the second trolley means 25
Are configured to be positioned by a pair of opposed end rollers 122 attached so as to rotate at opposed vertical ends. The rollers 122 are mounted in corresponding parallel guide tracks provided on the rear wall 20 and the upper front side of the door member 19, respectively. Electric motor 124
Is mounted on the second trolley means 25, and is engaged with the rack member 126 securely attached to the rear wall 20 parallel to the guide track 123 provided therebelow by the drive pinion 125. The electric motor 124 is hard-wired to the microprocessor control means (not shown) in a known manner, when one magazine means 39 has ejected the container 11 and when commanded by the microprocessor control means, The second trolley means 25 is driven in the first and second side directions.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, each magazine means 39 has a moving plate inside its lowermost end. The moving plate 127 is configured to move up and down the central cavity along a longitudinal axis at its center. The purpose of the plate is the top container
After the 11a is selectively removed from the top of the stack, the container 11 is advanced upward, so that after the advance, the container 11a at the top can be continuously sorted. . The base plate 127 enters the cardboard sleeve 40 from above the cardboard sleeve 40 rear section 42 through the sleeve rear opening by cutting off the lower rear pull tab 44, and as a result, as shown in FIG. It is located below the uppermost container 11b.

The base plate 127 holds the electric motor 13 on the base 153.
When the screw shaft is driven in a conventional manner by a worm gear (not shown) drivably connected to 0, the motor-driven threaded shaft 128 is configured to move in the vertical direction. . The screw shaft 128 engages with a threaded bushing 131 which is locked to a protruding projection 132 (FIG. 2) of the base plate 128. The protrusion projects from an elongated rear slot 134 located centrally in the rear wall of the magazine housing and is sized to support the base plate 127. The microswitch (not shown) is located at the top of the magazine housing and is the last container (bottom container) remaining in the cardboard sleeve 40.
When a predetermined position indicating the sorting of 11b) is reached, the operation is performed by the base plate 127. When the micro switch is actuated in this way, the microprocessor operates the electric motor 124 and the second trolley means 25
Move in both directions to the next adjacent magazine means full of containers and loaded with cardboard sleeve 40. Further, the electric motor 130 of the emptied magazine means 39 is simultaneously inverted to drive the base plate 127 downward to the lowest position, and then the cutout switch (not shown) stops such downward movement. To allow the magazine means 39 to receive a new cardboard sleeve 40.

A vertical cutting wedge 133 (FIG. 2) is located in the center of the top surface of the projection 132 that aligns with the rear slot 134,
Further, the cardboard sleeve 40 is located at the center of the upper surface of the protrusion in contact with the central cut line 48, and cuts the rear wall of the cardboard sleeve 40 along the central cut line 48 when the base plate 127 moves upward. By separating in this manner, the projection 132 and the base plate 1
27 can be moved upwards.

The transport means in the form of a downwardly inclined transport chute 136 comprises an access door 19 behind the access opening 137.
After filling and sealing, the sorted containers 112 are configured to be conveyed from a point where they are released from the holding means to a user receiving point located in the lower half of the access door 19. The transport chute 137 swings outward with the opening of the access door 19, so that the magazine means 39 and other components of the housing 20 can be properly accessed. It additionally includes a reverse ramp or chute that overlaps the transport means 136 depending on the weight of the filled container and the falling distance from the release point to the chute 137 to ensure that the filled container can be transported to the user screw point. desirable.

In actual use, a user inserts a defined coin into a coin slot 139 of a conventional coin-operated switch mechanism 140 located in an access door. The switch mechanism 140 is electrically wired to a microprocessor (not shown) and, when activated as described above, initiates a preferred sequence of processes described below.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 2a and 3, the sorted containers 11
2 is filled and sealed, and is released from the holding means 62 and is movable to the inclined conveying chute 137. From this inclined transport chute, the container slides to a user access point where the user receives. When the switch mechanism 140 is operated by inserting a proper coin, the microprocessor control means (not shown) operates the electric motor 35, and the first trolley means 21 and the holding means 62 holding the filled container attached thereto are inserted. , In the direction of the magazine means 39a selected in the second vertical direction. During such traveling, the roller 89 moves the first holding element 66 to the pivot shaft.
In a state of turning around the center 64, it is guided to a guide track 89 having a corresponding shape, and travels along the guide track 89. When the first holding element 66 first moves in the second longitudinal direction from the filling position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 2a, the roller 88 first enters the terminal opening 141 upward and pivots. When the shaft 64 is directly below the shaft 87, the top position is reached.
Continuing the drive motion in this direction causes the first portion 75a of the wire bail loop 75 to contact the trip lever 81 and pivot the lever 81 to contact the stop pin 142 (see FIG. 3a). The contact with the stop pin 142 in this manner causes the wire /
Rotate the bail loop 75 around the pivot pin 77,
As a result, the second portion 75b is pulled out from the U-shaped slot in the container neck terminal end portion, and the filled container is released from the holding means 62 onto the inclined transfer chute 136. Due to the weight of the filled container released from the first holding element 66, the coil spring means 143 (see FIG. 3) mounted around the shaft housing 65 causes one end of the first holding element 66
With the other free end in contact with the intermediate down plate 32 of the first trolley means 21, the first holding element 66
And the members 75, 76, etc. attached thereto are displaced upward to an intermediate position (not shown). In this position, the terminal end of the first holding element 66 is in a direction generally crossing the guide track 89. (This general orientation is shown in FIG. 5 at a later vessel sorting stage according to the process.) The roller 88 of the first holding element is a terminal lamp section.
Continue along guide track 89 until 144 falls. The terminal end portion 144 is biased by the coil spring 143, and the first holding element 66 is further turned upward in the direction shown in FIG. Here, the ramp is above the position occupied by the neck of the next sorted container 11a.

When the first trolley means 21 moves in the second longitudinal direction to the position shown in FIG.
5 forcibly comes into contact with the upwardly directed portion 55a of the upper end member of the magazine housing, and turns the selected magazine means 39a from the rest position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. I do. When the tilting rotation of the selected magazine means 39a proceeds, the uppermost container 11a holds the first trolley means 2
One joint 146 is contacted from the rear. The joint 146 is
It protrudes into the cardboard sleeve 40 through an opening formed by separating the upper rear pull tab 45. Due to the contact as described above, the uppermost container 11a is partially biased outward in the selected magazine 39a with the neck 12 on the ledge member of the latch 51a as shown in FIG. As a result, the holding means 62 facilitates the insertion.

In the position shown in FIG. 4, the holding means 63 is suitably located on the neck of the uppermost container 11a. At this time, the electric motor 3
The working direction of 5 is reversed and the first trolley means and the associated first holding means move in the opposing first longitudinal direction. Movement of the roller 88 up the ramp 144 resists deflection by the coil spring 143 and pivots the first holding element 66 downward to the position shown in FIG. Also, in the position of FIG. 5, the second rib 72 of the uppermost container 11a, with the help of the bail springs 76, has the terminal end of the first holding element 66 and the second part of the wire bail loop 74.
It is securely held during 75b. At this time, the uppermost container 11a is "selected" and becomes the "selected container" 112 in the meaning described in the claims.

After sorting the uppermost container 11a, the first trolley means 21
Continues moving in the first vertical direction, as indicated by the arrow F in FIG. 5, and moves to the position of the first holding element 66 and the selected container 112 indicated by the phantom line in FIG. The positioning of the first trolley means is not shown here for the sake of simplicity, but is slightly to the left of the position of the means shown in solid lines in FIG. In FIG. 2, the selected magazine means 39a returns to the rest position, and the rollers 88 move to the guide tracks 89.
Just touched the end wall of However, in this imaginary position, the first holding element 66 is spring-biased in the same general direction as in FIG. First trolley means 21
Is continuously moved in the first vertical direction to the solid line position in FIG. 2, the first holding element 66 rotates downward, and as a result, the selected container 11z is again positioned at the filling position indicated by the solid line. I do. In this position, the pressure sensitive part 38 of the opening 15 of the opening 14 comes into contact with the joining means 119 as shown in FIG. Such contact causes the container lid 16 to first open, as described above and in FIG.

When the sorted container 11z reaches the filling position in FIG. 7,
Under the control of the microprocessor means, the electric motor 35 stops driving, the electric motor 97 operates instead, and the third trolley means 92 is driven in the second vertical direction. As a result, the central portion 103 of the wedge means 90 is pressed against the back surface 16a of the lid portion 16, and the lid portion moves to the open position in FIGS.
In such an operation, the side 104 of the wedge means 90
Slides over the side of the lid 16. Opening means 80 is shown in FIG.
, The electric motor 97 stops driving, while the filling step continues.

To obtain the positioning of FIG.
11 rises and moves up the inclined portion of the truck 112, and as a result, the plate 107 of the distributing means rotates the distributing nozzle 106 so as to be sealed with the protruding edge portion 148 of the opening / closing portion 14. A microswitch (not shown) is connected to and actuated by the pivotable plate 107, thereby opening the microprocessor controlled solenoid driven flow valve 154 and from the bulk storage tank (not shown) via the fill tube 115. ,
Signals to start pumping fluid. In this way, when a predetermined amount of fluid material determined by a flow meter (not shown) is introduced into the sorted containers 112,
The microprocessor control means closes the solenoid-operated flow valve 154 and sends a signal to stop pumping fluid material.

At this stage, the electric motor 97 is performing a reverse operation,
The third trolley means 92 is moved in the first vertical direction indicated by the arrow 8 in FIG. By this moving operation, the filling means 105 including the distribution nozzle 106 is then retracted to a position where the filling means 105 is not in contact with the opening / closing section 14. Further, when the operation is continued in this direction, the roller 117 comes into contact with the upper surface 16b of the lid portion 16, and as a result, the hinged lid portion 16 is mechanically closed (as indicated by the broken arrow E), and the opening portion 13 is sealed. I do. Back 16 of lid 16
A ring-shaped sealing lip located on a fits into the edge 148 on the opening 15 and provides a secure seal.

When the containers 112 thus selected are filled and sealed, the microprocessor control means then stops the drive motor 97 and waits until the coin operation switch 140 is operated again. After the restart, the entire process described above is repeated.

Obviously, many structural changes and modifications not described in the present embodiment are possible in the design and manufacture of the vending machine according to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the process according to the present invention is not limited to that of the illustrated embodiment, but can be performed by various devices having different appearances. Such a device does not depart from the spirit of the invention as long as it fulfills the basic elements of the invention.

For example, in terms of the apparatus, the transport chute 137 may be constituted by a plurality of separately partitioned chutes corresponding to a plurality of magazine means. In this case, the microprocessor control means can be programmed such that a predetermined number of filled containers are distributed from each magazine means to the corresponding chutes. When the prepared number of containers are taken out by the user and reached the predetermined remaining level by the weight sensor or other sensor provided on each transport chute, a new container is filled, and the predetermined number of containers are filled. The number of containers can be distributed and stored in the transport chute again. When there are no more empty containers contained in a particular magazine means, the second trolley means 25 advances to the position of the next magazine means full of containers and repeats the filling process. In such a case, the filled container will be paid by the user at the retail counter or at another option, the cabinet means.
The standard coin-operated unit access technology is applied to the front of the 18 so that when the correct coin is inserted,
Only one can be taken out.

In yet another modification, a continuous cable or belt, crank or other conventional drive technique is used to drive the first, second and third trolley means instead of the rack and pinion drive described above. That is.

Furthermore, the detailed description of the operation in the illustrated embodiment is based on the premise that when a user inserts a coin, the filled container can be immediately removed. However, it is also easy to operate the device 10 from a starting position where the sorted containers 112 of FIG. 1 are empty and the above-mentioned filling step is started by proper coin insertion. Further, the operation of such a device is illustrated in FIGS.
Can be performed in the selection stage shown in FIG. In other words, since the device of the present invention is configured to perform all the functional steps in the process of the present invention in one step, it is necessary for the user to actually use the steps of the process. The starting points and the ending points may be changed within one process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the present invention and is a partially cutaway perspective view of a container filling and dispensing apparatus for performing the process of the present invention. FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a container opening and closing unit used in the process and the apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows one sorted container in the filling position.
FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway longitudinal sectional view from FIG. 1. FIG. 2a is a detail view of FIG. 2, showing that the first trolley means has moved from the position shown in FIG. 2 by the initial amount in the direction of arrow B in FIG. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along a dotted line 3-3 in FIG. FIG. 3a is a side view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 3 at the arrow G in FIG. FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 2 and shows the sorting container sandwiched by holding means attached to the first trolley means. FIG. 5 is the same as FIG. 4 and shows a holding means for holding the selected containers at the neck thereof from the container stack loaded in the magazine means and retreating them. FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the third trolley means attached to a part of the first trolley means. FIG. 7 is a side view of the elements shown in FIG. 6, and shows the configuration of each element when there is a sorted container at the filling position before opening is performed by the opening means. FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7, with the lid of the selected container moved to an open position and a dispensing nozzle positioned over the opening of the container to fill the container. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a plurality of magazine means shown in FIG. 1, and shows a box of a loading container inserted into the magazine means. 10 vending machine, 11 container, 12 neck, 14 opening / closing part, 15 opening, 16 lid, 19 access door, 20 internal housing, 21 ... first trolley means,
25 ... second trolley means, 26 ... casters, 33 ... side panels, 37 ... rack means, 39 ... magazine means,
40: empty sleeve, 43: slot, 51b: lower latch member, 53: slot, 57a: upper latch member, 60
…… Bracket, 63 …… Retention means, 80 …… Release means, 90
... wedge means, 106 ... dispensing nozzle, 115 ... filling tube, 116 ... closing means, 137 ... chute.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Daniel Arthur Moyer, Dundalk Cart 11 at Katherine's Street, Ontario, Canada (56) References JP-A-63-248622 (JP, A) 1984-196445 (JP, U) JP-B-59-6676 (JP, B2) JP-B-56-43936 (JP, B2) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B65B 3 / 00-3/36 B65B 43/00-43/62 B65D 47/00-47/44

Claims (27)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method of filling an appropriate amount of bulk liquid into a container having a hinged substantially annular opening / closing portion having a closed structure in a neck portion, wherein a specific container is mechanically selected from a stack of the same type of containers aligned. Step: mechanically aligning the selected container to a predetermined filling position with the opening / closing part of the selected container oriented in a predetermined filling direction; and accessing the aligned container. Therefore, a step of mechanically opening the opening / closing section of the container; a step of mechanically introducing the measured bulk liquid into the container from the opened opening / closing section; A step of closing the opening / closing section, and a step of mechanically transporting the sealed liquid-containing container to a receiving section of the apparatus, in the order of the above steps, with a cap. Liquid filling method for containers. 2. The liquid filling method according to claim 1, wherein the hinge type opening / closing portion has an annular rim portion and a hinge type lid portion, and the opening / closing portion opening step includes the step of opening the pressure sensitive portion of the rim portion. Radially pressurize, first open the hinged lid to the open position, then apply an opening force to the back surface of the lid, and move the hinged lid of the opening and closing part by a predetermined distance until it is properly opened. A liquid filling method, comprising a sub-step of: 3. The liquid filling method according to claim 2, wherein the containers are stacked vertically, and as a sorting step, the neck of the container is sandwiched, and the container is detached from the stack, so that the container is separated from the stack. It is characterized by including a step of moving the container selected from the top, and further, as a positioning step, the container, which is held and selected by being pinched, is rotated downward around its neck and moved to the filling position. A liquid filling method comprising a rotating and moving step of moving. 4. The liquid filling method according to claim 3, wherein the selected containers are suspended substantially vertically with their necks oriented vertically in the filling position. Liquid filling method. 5. The liquid filling method according to claim 4, wherein the pivoting operation of the selected container to a filling position brings a pressure sensitive portion of the rim into contact with a bumper means, and the hinged lid portion. Wherein the pressure-sensitive portion is radially pressurized so as to open the first. 6. The liquid filling method according to claim 5, wherein an opening force is obtained by continuously contacting wedge means with the back surface of the lid. 7. The liquid filling method according to claim 6, wherein the dispensing nozzle is mechanically positioned on the container at the filling position and is fitted to the openable opening / closing portion so as to be capable of filling. A liquid filling method, wherein the selected bulk liquid is introduced into a sorted container. 8. The liquid filling method according to claim 7, wherein the liquid introducing step is such that, after the measured bulk liquid is introduced into the selected container, a dispensing nozzle is detached from the opening / closing portion opened. A liquid filling method comprising an operation of raising the liquid so as to cause the liquid to rise. 9. A liquid filling method according to claim 8, wherein said wedge means opposes in the direction of continuous contact as described above, and intersects the upper surface of the lid of said opening / closing section. A liquid filling method, comprising a closing step of operating the container and sealing the selected container. 10. A mouth having a substantially circular cross section and providing access to the interior of the container, a generally annular rim surrounding and securing the mouth of the container, and a hinge positionable on the mouth for closing the container. Magazine means for use with a plurality of containers having an opening and closing portion having a lid, receiving the plurality of containers loaded in alignment, opening means for opening the opening and closing portions of the selected containers, and opening means A container positioning means for rearranging one container selected from among the loaded containers in a predetermined filling position with the rim portion oriented in a predetermined direction; and Liquid introducing means for introducing the bulk liquid into the sorted containers through the mouth, closing means for closing the opening / closing part, and sealing the sorted containers and the mouth, Ri container filling dispensing device consists of means for transporting the sorted containers into the mouth. 11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the container positioning means completely retracts the container from the magazine means at the filling position and positions the container in a suspended state. And means for holding the container in close proximity to the container. 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the rim of each of the opening and closing portions facilitates the initial opening of the hinged lid when maximum radial pressure is applied. A device having a pressure sensitive portion, and a joining portion provided at a position close to the filling position, and applying the pressing force by contacting the pressure sensitive portion during the rearrangement. . 13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said opening means includes wedge means for contacting said lid back surface and moving said hinged lid to an open position. 14. A neck having a substantially circular opening on the container and an opening / closing portion located at the neck, a rim surrounding the neck so that the opening / closing portion is inserted, and an opening selectively. For filling and dispensing each container configured to have a lid connected to a rim by hinge means for sealing the container, comprising: cabinet means forming a housing; First trolley means movable in first and second longitudinal directions, and a plurality of the loaded containers positioned in the housing, with a container neck protruding substantially in the first vertical direction. Magazine means configured to receive the first trolley means, and one container selected from the magazine means when the first trolley means moves in the first vertical direction. The container is sandwiched by its neck to remove the container, and the sandwiched container is
Holding means configured to rotate the neck to a filling position that substantially intersects the first and second longitudinal directions; and a holding means attached to the first trolley means, the longitudinal direction being relative to the first trolley means. When moving in the second vertical direction, the lid is fitted to the back surface of the lid, and as a result, the lid is forced to the open position, and is not interfered with the opening of the container at that position. And a dispensing nozzle in the housing, wherein when the lid is in the open position, the nozzle can be located in the opening, so that the measured flow in the sorted containers Filling means configured to be able to fill the active substance, and after such filling, the nozzle can be retracted so as not to come into contact with the opening / closing section, and provided on the first trolley means, Synchronized with the action Moving in the first and second vertical directions with respect to the first trolley means, when the dispensing nozzle moves in the first vertical direction after retreating as described above, fitted with the upper surface of the lid, A closing portion configured to seal the opening, and a container provided in the housing and filled with the sorted containers.
Container filling comprising release means configured to release the container from the holding means after sealing, and transport means configured to transport the filled and sealed container from a release point to a user receiving point. Dispensing device. 15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when the maximum radial pressure is applied to the pressure-sensitive part, the hinge means can easily open the lid first. The lid is first opened as described above by being brought into contact with the pressure sensitive part of the opening / closing part when the selected container is rotated to the filling position, which is attached to the first trolley means. And an apparatus additionally comprising joining means configured to stress said radial pressure. 16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said magazine means includes a plurality of magazine means in said housing so as to form opposing first and second side directions, And the first trolley means configured to be driven and moved in the second longitudinal direction as described above is attached to the second trolley means, and the second trolley means itself is attached to the housing and is opposed to the second trolley means. The first and second lateral directions are respectively movable and a selected one of the plurality of magazine means is selected.
A device which is selectively positionable to a position close to the container, whereby the holding means can hold the sorted containers. 17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said cabinet means includes door means, said door means being provided with said transport means and a user take-out section, and moving with said door means to provide service to said housing. A device configured to facilitate access. 18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said plurality of magazine means are tiltable toward said door means to facilitate filling of said plurality of loaded containers. The configured device. 19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said plurality of magazine means are arranged to receive said containers in a stacked state. 20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said plurality of magazine means are each tiltable in said second longitudinal direction from a rest position when contacted with said first trolley means. An apparatus configured to move one container selected for holding by the holding unit from a loaded state in each of the magazine units. 21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said filling means is configured to relatively move said nozzle and to fit said opening in order to fill a selected container. Equipment including. 22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said moving means is provided on said third trolley means, and said third trolley means is driven and moved in said first and second longitudinal directions, respectively. Equipment. 23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said third trolley means is supported by said first trolley means. 24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said opening means includes wedge means for mating with the back of the lid as described above. 25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said closing means includes roller means for mating with the lid top as described above. 26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said wedge means and roller means are each structurally connected to said third trolley means for performing synchronized movement in said first and second longitudinal directions. A device configured to do so. 27. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the filling nozzle is located at a distance from the apparatus body and is adapted to flow the substance from a bulk storage tank containing a flowable substance.