JP3057666B2 - Container holder - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container holder, usually called a hook, for fitting and holding a container for positioning of the container in various container processing steps such as filling and stoppering. Things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when various processes such as filling and stoppering are performed on a deformed container having, for example, an elliptical cross-sectional shape, a container is placed in the above-described container holder in order to obtain the convenience of container orientation and centering. Is inserted on the processing line.

However, since this container holder is generally provided with a support hole adapted to a specific container shape in a resin body, it is difficult to use the container holder for different types of containers, and the cross section of the container is crossed on the plane of the body. Even if a plurality of container support holes are formed in this way, it has been a fact that at most two types of containers can be shared.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional container holder, when handling various kinds of containers, a large number of container holders have to be manufactured, and the trouble of putting into a storage place or a line is troublesome. Etc. also had many problems.

The present invention has been made to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages, and has as its object to provide a container holder which can be used for various kinds of containers.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A container holder according to the present invention is provided with a holder body for accommodating a container, and is provided in the holder body so as to be movable forward and backward, and is moved to a predetermined position to hold the container. Means, and a number of pins provided on the bottom surface of the holder main body and capable of protruding and retracting on the bottom surface, and the pins of a portion corresponding to the shape of the bottom of the container to be accommodated are immersed in the bottom surface of the holder main body, and the remaining This pin supports the bottom of the container.

[0007]

In the container holder according to the present invention, the container is held by the container holding means and the large number of pins provided on the bottom surface of the holder body, so that the container of any shape can be stably held.

[0008]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
1 to 3 are a plan view, a side view, and a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1 of a container holder according to an embodiment of the present invention. The container holder comprises a case 2 (holder body) having a bottomed rectangular tube shape, and a pair of V-shaped fingers 4 which are disposed in the case 2 so as to face each other and move forward and backward to approach and separate from each other.
(Container holding member).

The rectangular cylindrical case 2 has a substantially octagonal shape in which four corners of a square are cut into an arc shape, and a supporting member 6 is fixed to each of two vertically facing side walls 2a in FIG. The support member 6 supports two upper and lower rods 8, 10 in parallel with the side wall 2a. The upper rod 8 is a guide rod fixed to the support member 6, and the lower rod 10 is a screw screw rotatably supported by the support member 6.

A nut 12 is screwed into the screw 10, and the nut 12 advances and retreats along the guide rod 8 by the rotation of the screw 10. Nuts 12 screwed into screw screws 10 on both sides, respectively
Are fixed to a finger mounting body 14 having recesses formed on surfaces facing each other, and the V-shaped fingers 4 are mounted in these recesses.

The V-shaped finger 4 is moved toward and away from the center of the rectangular tubular case 2 by the moving means 7 described below. The upper part of the support member 6 is the two rods 8, 10
And a rotation shaft 16 (operation shaft) perpendicular to the extension 6a is supported. A bevel gear 18 is attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft 16 and meshes with a bevel gear 20 fixed to an end of the screw 10. Therefore,
By rotating both rotation shafts 16, the two V-shaped fingers 4 can be moved forward and backward to approach and separate from each other.

A leaf spring 22 is fixed to the upper surface of the support member 6. The leaf spring 22 has a distal end curved upward, and a circular hole 22 a having a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rotary shaft 16 is formed in the curved portion. The upper end of the rotating shaft 16 penetrates the inside of the circular hole 22a of the leaf spring 22, and the leaf spring 2
2, the inner surface of the circular hole 22a engages the side surface of the rotating shaft 16 to prevent the rotating shaft 16 from rotating. When the tip of the leaf spring 22 is pushed down, the rotating shaft 16 It can rotate freely.

A roller 24 is attached to the bottom of the finger mount 14 opposite to the nut 12. The roller 24 rolls on the bottom surface of the case 2 when the V-shaped finger 4 moves forward and backward, so that the V-shaped finger 4 is prevented from tilting.

Further, a number of pins 23 are implanted in the bottom surface 2b of the rectangular cylindrical case 2. Each of these pins 2
3 is a position where the upper end protrudes above the bottom surface 2b of the case 2;
It can be moved up and down between a position immersed in the bottom surface 2b. Each pin 23 is held so as not to move freely from a position moved up and down. For example, in the case of the pin 25 shown in FIG.
Two upper and lower annular grooves are formed in c, an O-ring 27 is mounted in these grooves, and an annular concave portion 25 a is formed on the outer surface of the pin 25. In this configuration, the pin 25 is stably held at two upper and lower portions where the O-ring 27 fits in the annular concave portion 25a. FIG. 5 and FIG.
The O-rings 33 and 35 are fitted around the outer circumferences of the
9 and 31 are stopped and held at any position in the hole 2c on the bottom surface. In FIG. 7, two wide upper and lower annular grooves 2d are formed in a hole 2c on the bottom surface, a pin 37 is a split pin, and a spherical portion 37a fitted to the annular groove 2d is provided on the outer periphery thereof. ing. Also in this case, the pin 37 is stably held at the positions of the two upper and lower annular grooves 2d. FIG. 8 shows the structure of the other three types of pins. The left two types hold the pins 43 and 45 by magnets 39 and 41, and the right type holds the pins 49 by the O-ring 47. Has become.

The pin 23 on the bottom surface 2b of the case 2 inserts a container model into the case 2, and only the pin corresponding to the bottom of the container model is pushed into the bottom surface 2b. For positioning, a concave portion 2e is provided at the center of the case bottom surface 2b.

Next, a description will be given of a method of changing the type, that is, switching when the container holder is used for containers of different sizes and shapes. The remodeling is performed on a separate remodeling route connected to a part of a normal container processing line including a filling machine, a capping machine, and the like. FIG. 4 shows an example of such a case. Usually, the container is inserted into the container holder by the unscrambler 26, and is sequentially processed by the filling machine 28, the stoppering machine 30, and the like, and then the container is taken out by the caser 32. The container holder that has been emptied and boxed and emptied is sent to the unscrambler 26 again. Also, at the time of remodeling, the container holder is sent to the remodeling route 34 which is out of the normal line. First,
At the origin return station 36 on the type change route 34 for positioning the V-shaped finger 4, the servo driver 38 (see FIG. 3) is fitted to both the rotating shafts 16 and rotated, and the V-shaped finger 4 is moved to the origin (V-shaped finger is The position is returned as a reference position for adjustment, in this embodiment, the position where the V-shaped finger 4 is most retracted. The origin return is confirmed by detecting the end of the V-shaped finger 4 by a proximity sensor 40 (see FIG. 1; however, other sensors such as a contact type may be used) provided in the station 36. Next, in the automatic remodeling station 42, the servo driver is rotated by a preset number of rotations for each container, and the two V-shaped fingers 4 are advanced to a position where the container can be fitted with a slight margin. Let it.

A large number of pins 23 provided on the case bottom surface 2b are first inserted from the bottom of each through hole 2c by inserting a push bar corresponding to each position.
Is projected on the bottom surface 2b. Subsequently, the container model is inserted, and the unnecessary pins 23 are pushed down while leaving only the necessary pins 23.

The distance between the two V-shaped fingers 4 can be freely set by moving the two V-shaped fingers 4 forward and backward to approach / separate from each other, so that one container holder can be used for various types of containers. .

In addition, although there is a possibility that a square container or the like may be rotated only by the V-shaped finger 4, the bottom of the container is supported by the pin 23 protruding along the shape of the container. The container can also be stably held.

Note that the number and arrangement of the pins 23 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 1, but those shown in FIG. 10 and the like can be appropriately set. Also, the structure of the pin is shown in FIG.
8 is not limited to the one shown in FIG. 8, but may be any one that can reliably stop at a position protruding above the bottom surface 2b of the case 2 and a position immersing in the bottom surface 2b.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, one container holder can be used for many kinds of containers, and containers of any shapes can be stably and surely held. Can be. In addition, it is possible to perform a type change for a shared use by a simple operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a container holder according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the container holder.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a pin.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of a pin.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of a pin.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of a pin.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of a pin.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a container processing line using the container holder.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of pin arrangement.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Holder body 4 Container holding means 23 Pin

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A holder body for accommodating a container, container holding means provided in the holder body so as to be able to move forward and backward, and being moved to a predetermined position to hold the container, and a bottom surface provided on a bottom surface of the holder body With many pins that can appear on the top,
A container holder, wherein a pin of a portion corresponding to the shape of the bottom of a container to be accommodated is immersed in the bottom surface of the holder main body, and the bottom of the container is supported by the remaining pins.