JP3021613B2 - Automatic gripper type change device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention determines a predetermined positioning position in a container processing device, for example, a rotary filling device or a capper, according to the shape of various containers to be conveyed. The present invention relates to a gripper, and more particularly, to an automatic gripper type changing apparatus that can automatically change the type according to the shape of various containers.

2. Description of the Related Art As an automatic type changer for a gripper which is disposed at a container mounting position of a container processing apparatus and grips and centers a container, for example, an apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-40415 has been proposed. ing. In such a conventional apparatus, a container is provided on a container mounting table, and a plurality of recessed portions having different shapes are formed adjacent to each other at the outer edge of the container so as to be adapted to the side external shapes of the plurality of types of containers. Specific recesses that are adapted according to the holder and the container are selectively set,
The container is configured to engage with the concave portion to position the container, and the container that has been transported on the transport conveyor is delivered to the container holder, and is brought into contact with the concave portion that matches the outer shape of the container. Then, centering is performed on the container mounting table, and the center of the container is transferred to a processing step. The processed container is transferred from the container holder to the discharge-side starwheel, and further moved to the next step.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] Since the conventional automatic type changer for grippers is configured as described above, it is difficult to form various types of recesses due to the shape restriction of the container mounting table. However, it can be applied only to limited types of containers, and when the types of containers increase, it is necessary to manufacture a large number of dedicated parts for container holders corresponding to various types of containers, resulting in an increase in cost. Further, there is a problem that the container holder has to be replaced manually depending on the container to be applied, and the replacement operation requires a long time. The present invention has been made in order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, no replacement work is required for any type of containers having different external shapes, and there is no need to manufacture parts corresponding to various types of containers. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gripper automatic type changing apparatus which can automatically perform a switching operation in a short time corresponding to a container to be processed even with such a type of container.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the automatic gripper remodeling device according to the present invention, a container table on which various containers are placed on a transport path for container processing is provided with a resiliently movable back and forth with respect to the center of the transport path. Gripper means provided with a recessed portion which is repelled and supported and which holds the side surface of the container, and which is disposed on the transport path and presses and biases the gripper means by contact displacement with the gripper means to form various containers. A positioning means for retreating to a required position corresponding thereto, and a lock means for locking the gripper means retreated by the positioning means.

[Action] In the automatic gripper remodeling apparatus according to the present invention, the gripper means for holding the side surface of the container by the positioning means is automatically positioned at a required position and held in accordance with the shape of the container to be processed. Can be positioned, and the positioning of the gripper means can be easily released to return the gripper means to the return position.

[Examples] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to illustrated examples. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an entire configuration of a container processing apparatus in which an automatic type changer for grippers according to an embodiment of the present invention is incorporated.
The figure is a plan view showing the gripper means of the automatic type changer for grippers described above, FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a cross section of the gripper means of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a view showing the gripper means of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the retreat position at the time of contacting a side surface.

In FIG. 1, (1) is a supply conveyor for transporting containers in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, and (3) is a large number of container mounting tables (5) arranged annularly around the supply conveyor (1) and the rotary table (4). ) And the supply side star wheel,
(6) is a discharge starwheel provided substantially at the left and right target positions with respect to the supply starwheel (3), and (2) is a discharge conveyor linked to the discharge starwheel (6). 1), the supply-side star wheel (3), the rotary table (4), the discharge-side star wheel (6), and the discharge conveyor (2) in this order as a container transport path.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a support member (10) is fixed to the container mounting table (5), and a flat upper surface of the support member (10) is provided as gripper means. A plate-shaped gripper (11) is attached by a bolt (13) through an elongated hole (12) having a required length (l) in parallel with the rotation center direction of the rotary table (4). At the same time, a spring (14) is mounted between the bolt (13) and the inner peripheral end face (12a) of the container mounting side (outside of the rotary table (4), ie, right side in the drawing) of the slot (12). Has been
The gripper (11) is slidably and resiliently supported on the support member (10), and has a distance (l) on the container mounting table (5) with respect to the rotation center direction of the rotary table (4). It moves forward and backward within the range.

The gripper (11) has a V-shaped concave portion (15) formed on the container mounting side for holding the container by contacting the side surfaces of various containers having different outer diameters (body diameters), and the concave portion (15). Is set to 90 ° (see FIG. 4).
Then, on the side of the recess (15) on the upper surface of the gripper (11),
The gripper (11) comes into contact with a gripper positioning dog (30) serving as gripper positioning means disposed on a transport path, which will be described later, to urge the gripper (11) toward the center of the transport path, that is, the center of the rotary table (4). And a gripper roller (16) for retracting.

A one-way gear (17) is formed on the gripper (11) on the downstream side of the conveyance path in the same direction as the movement of the gripper (11) in accordance with the movement of the gripper (11). And this one-way gear (17)
When the gripper (11) is pressed and urged and retracted toward the center of the rotary table (4) to hold the container in the recessed portion (15), the container mounting table (5) for the container having a different outer diameter. A predetermined pitch is engraved for each container corresponding to the positioning position such as the centering described above.

Further, a lock lever (18) as a lock means that is removably engaged with the one-way gear (17) is pivotably mounted on the container mounting table (5) via a coil spring (19). On the swinging end of the lock lever (18), the engagement with the one-way gear (17) is released by making the height different from that of the gripper roller (16), and the gripper (11) is attached. An unlocking roller (20) for resilience and return is extended.

The lock lever (18) meshes with a surface of the one-way gear (17) facing the one-way gear (17) in accordance with each pitch of the one-way gear (17).
When the coil spring (19) is pressed and urged by the coil spring (19) and meshes with the one-way gear (17), a one-way tooth portion (21) is formed which regulates the resilient displacement of the gripper (11) in the return direction. ing.

In the transfer path of the container mounting table (5) rotating on the rotary table (4), the lock lever (18) comes into contact with the lock release roller (20) and resiliently swings outward from the gripper (11). The lock lever release dog (22) for movement is connected to the air cylinder (23), and when the lock of the gripper (11) by the lock lever (18) is released, the air cylinder (23) is reciprocated. Activate the lock lever release dock (22) to release the lock roller (20) on the transport path.
At the position of the movement locus.

In addition, the servo motor (31) enters the path of movement of the gripper roller (16) on the transport path of the container mounting table (5), contacts the gripper roller (16), and contacts the gripper roller (16). A gripper positioning dock (30) as positioning means for guiding the 16) to a predetermined position is provided. This gripper positioning dog (30) is driven by a servo motor (31) to control the gripper positioning dog (3).
0) is projected and displaced to a predetermined position corresponding to a preset outer diameter of the processing container, and the gripper positioning dog (30) arranged at this displaced position is brought into contact with the gripper roller (16) moving on the transport path. This allows the spring (14) to be mounted in accordance with the outer diameter of the container on which the gripper (11) is placed.
Is positioned backward in the direction of the center of the transport path against the repulsive urging force.

Simultaneously with this positioning, the one-way tooth (21) of the lock lever (18) meshes with the one-way gear (17) of the gripper (11), and the gripper (11) is locked at the positioning position, and the supply-side starwheel When the processing container is received in the recess (15) from (3), the container is automatically positioned (centered) on the container mounting table (5).

 Next, the operation will be described.

When the container A is supplied to the container processing apparatus and is processed, the air cylinder (23) is driven in advance to move the lock lever release dog (22) to a position where it comes into contact with the lock release roller (20). The lock lever release dog (22) is used to release the lock release roller (2) of the lock lever (18) that moves on the transport path.
0), the lock lever (18) swings outward from the gripper (11) to unlock the gripper (11), and returns the gripper (11) to the return position. At this time, when the lock release roller (20) passes through the lock lever release dog (22), the lock lever (18) is resiliently returned to the gripper (11) by the coil spring (19) again.

Next, the servo motor (31) is drive-controlled to move the gripper positioning dog (30) to a position for positioning the gripper (11) at a predetermined retreat position based on the outer diameter of the container A to be processed. This gripper positioning dog (30)
Comes into contact with the gripper roller (16) of the gripper (11) moving on the transport path, the gripper roller (16) is guided by the gripper positioning dog (30), and the spring (14) resiliently biases the gripper (11). Is moved backward toward the center of the transport path and positioned.

At the same time, the one-way teeth (21) of the lock lever (18) mesh with the one-way gear (17) of the gripper (11) to lock and lock the gripper (11) at the above-mentioned positioning position. ) Is prevented from returning in the return direction. When the container mounting table (5) moves along the transport path in a state where the gripper (11) is locked, and receives the container A from the supply-side star wheel (3) to the container mounting table (5), the container A becomes Positioning is performed and processed by being held in the recessed portion (15) of the gripper (11).

When processing another type of container B having an outer diameter different from that of the container A, the air cylinder (23) is driven to unlock the lock lever (18), and the outer diameter of the other type of container B is reduced. The servo motor (31) may be driven and controlled to move the gripper positioning dog (30) to a position for positioning the gripper (11) at a predetermined retreat position based on the dimensions.

The servo motor (31) and the air cylinder (23) are connected to a control device having a central processing unit (not shown), and the gripper positioning dog is set in accordance with the outer diameters of various containers set in the control device in advance. Input the displacement position data of (30). When processing other types of containers,
Once the lock lever (18) is released by driving the air cylinder (23), the gripper (11) is returned to the return position, the servomotor (31) is driven and controlled based on the data of the container to be processed, and the gripper is positioned. The gripper (11) can be automatically positioned by moving the dog (30) to a predetermined positioning position and bringing the gripper roller (16) moving along the transport path into contact with the gripper positioning dog (30).

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, any type of container having a different outer diameter can be handled, and automatically in a short time in accordance with the container to be processed. Since the switching operation can be performed, there is an effect that the operation time can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an entire configuration of a container processing apparatus in which an automatic gripper re-sorting apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is incorporated, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing gripper means of the automatic gripper re-sorting apparatus. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the gripper means of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a retracted position when the gripper means of FIG. (5): container mounting table, (11): gripper (gripper means), (14): spring, (15): recess, (16) gripper roller, (17): one-way gear, (18): lock lever (Lock means), (20): Unlock roller, (2
1): One-way tooth, (22): Lock lever release dog, (2
3): Air cylinder, (30): Gripper positioning dog (positioning means), (31): Servo motor, A, B: Container.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A gripper provided with a concave portion which is resiliently supported by a container table on which a variety of containers are placed on a transport path of container processing so as to advance and retreat with respect to the center of the transport path, and which holds a side surface of the container. Means, a positioning means disposed on the transport path, for urging the gripper means by contact displacement with the gripper means, and retreating the gripper means to a required position corresponding to the shape of the various containers; And a lock means for locking said gripper means.