JP3334755B2 - Capping machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a capping machine capable of mounting a roll-on cap and a pre-screw cap on a bottle mouth using a common spindle and cam.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Roll-on caps and pre-screw caps are widely used today as caps capable of reclosing a bottle mouth as required. The roll-on cap is generally formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with an aluminum plate, and the screw corresponding to the screw of the bottle mouth after being covered with the bottle mouth,
Rolled by pressing a roller from the outer periphery. On the other hand, in the pre-screw cap, a screw to be screwed with the screw of the bottle mouth is formed in advance on the inner peripheral surface.

When the roll-on cap is mounted on the bottle mouth, a headset provided with a roller for rolling a screw on the cap is pressed against the cap to rotate the headset about 1.7 times. On the other hand, when attaching the pre-screw cap to the bottle mouth, the headset holding the cap needs to be rotated about 2.5 times. If the headset is rotated 2.5 times when the roll-on cap is attached to the bottle mouth, a problem that the peripheral wall of the cap is cut easily occurs. On the other hand, when the pre-screw cap is mounted on the bottle mouth, it is difficult to obtain sufficient hermeticity if it is attempted to complete the rotation with 1.7 rotations. As described above, the required headset rotation speed is different between the case where the roll-on cap is attached to the bottle mouth and the case where the pre-screw cap is attached to the bottle mouth. I was using.

[0004] However, it is inconvenient to replace the capping machine every time the cap is changed.
There has been a demand for a capping machine that can attach any cap. In order to respond to this demand, the present inventor proposed a capping machine shown in FIG. 3 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2-103815. This capping machine employs a single cam system as shown on the right side in the drawing when a roll-on cap is mounted on a tower section 18 in which a cylindrical upper cam 2, a middle cam 3 and a ring gear 17 are mounted on a main shaft section 1. A spindle for roll-on cap (hereinafter abbreviated as RO spindle) 5 is attached, and when attaching a pre-screw cap, a spindle for a pre-screw cap (hereinafter abbreviated as PS spindle) 6 as shown on the left side in the figure is attached. Is used. The RO spindle 5 has a cam floor 7 for controlling a height position of the RO spindle 5 provided on the upper cam 2. A roll-on cap cam groove (hereinafter abbreviated as an RO cam groove) 8.
It is attached to the tower portion 18 in a state where it is fitted to. The PS spindle 6 has a cam floor 9.
Is fitted to a cam groove (hereinafter abbreviated as PS cam groove) 10 for a pre-screw cap for controlling the height position of the PS spindle 6 provided on the middle cam 3 and is attached to the tower portion 18. Installed. The RO spindle 5 and the PS spindle 6 are provided with driven gears 20 and 21, respectively. The driven gears 20 and 21 are engaged with the ring gear 17 of the tower 18. When the spindle 5 or 6 turns around the tower section 18, the rotation shaft members 23 and 24 of the spindles 5 and 6 are rotated by the action of the ring gear 17 and the driven gear 20 or 21. .

[0005] At the lower end of the RO spindle 5, an RO headset 13 for mounting a roll-on cap is mounted. The RO headset 13 is provided with a roller 15 for rolling a screw on the roll-on cap. ing. A PS headset 1 for attaching a pre-screw cap to the lower end of the PS spindle 6.
4 is attached.

Next, the RO cam groove 8 and the PS cam groove 10
The shape will be described with reference to FIGS.
The RO cam groove 8 is formed as follows. That is, the amount of rotation required to mount the roll-on cap (that is, about 1.7 rotations) is a capping section (hereinafter referred to as RO) required to rotate the RO headset 13.
The RO spindle 5 is formed to be lowered so that the RO headset 13 passes through a height position at which the RO headset 13 can be thread-rolled at a start point A1 of the capping section A). Here, the state in which the thread can be rolled means that the pressure block 25 of the RO headset 13 is pressed against the roll-on cap 26, whereby the roller unit 41 provided with the roller 15 moves upward with respect to the roller approach cam 11. As a result, the roller unit 41 moves inward, and the roller 15 is pressed against the roll-on cap 26 to enable the screw to be rolled. Further, the RO cam groove 8 is formed at the end point A2 of the RO capping section A,
The RO spindle 5 is formed so as to be elevated so that the RO headset 13 passes through a height position where screw rolling cannot be performed. Here, “the RO headset 13 cannot be thread-rolled” refers to a state in which the roller 15 of the RO headset 13 is separated from the peripheral surface of the roll-on cap and cannot be thread-rolled.

On the other hand, the PS cam groove 10 is provided with a capping section (hereinafter referred to as a PS capping section) required to rotate the PS headset 14 by an amount of rotation required to mount the pre-screw cap (ie, about 2.5 rotations). At the start point B1 of B, as shown in FIG.
When the headset 14 passes through a height position where the screwing of the pre-screw cap 28 to the mouth of the container can be started, the PS
So that the spindle 6 moves downward and
PS headset 1 at end point B2 of S capping section B
The PS spindle 6 is controlled so that the PS spindle 4 moves up through a height position where the PS spindle 4 moves away from the pre-screw cap 28.

[0008]

In such a conventional capping machine, when handling the roll-on cap 26, the RO spindle 5 is attached to the RO cam groove 8, and when handling the pre-screw cap 28, the PS spindle 6 is used. Must be mounted in the PS cam groove 10, so that a spindle replacement operation is required every time a cap to be handled is changed, which is troublesome. In addition, two types of cam grooves must be provided in the machine body, resulting in a problem of increased cost.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a capping machine that can use the same spindle when handling a roll-on cap and when handling a pre-screw cap.

[0010]

Means for Solving the Problems The present inventor has made intensive studies and as a result of utilizing the fact that the upper position of the mounted pre-screw cap is higher than the upper position of the roll-on cap to be mounted. I arrived at achieving my goal. In other words, the capping machine according to the present invention includes a capping machine required to rotate the headset in a control line for the roll-on cap, and further rotate the headset necessary for mounting the pre-screw cap so as to sandwich the capping section of the roll-on cap. Set the start point and end point of the section, lower the spindle so that the headset passes the height position where the headset can start screwing into the container opening of the pre-screw cap at the start point of the capping section of the pre-screw cap. A capping machine characterized in that a spindle is raised so that a headset passes a height position away from a pre-screw cap at an end point of a capping section of a screw cap.

[0011]

Since the capping machine is constructed as described above, when the spindle advances along the control line, first, at the starting point of the capping section for the pre-screw cap, the pre-screw cap is moved to the container opening. Since the spindle descends so that the headset passes the height position where the screwing can be started, when the pre-screw cap is handled, the screwing of the pre-screw cap to the bottle mouth can be started. However, in the case of the roll-on cap, since the position where the headset can be thread-rolled is lower than in the case of the pre-screw cap, the mounting of the roll-on cap to the bottle mouth is not started at this time. Then, when the spindle further advances along the control line and passes the start point of the capping section of the roll-on cap, the spindle passes through the height position where the headset can be thread-rolled and descends. If so, the installation of the roll-on cap into the bottle mouth is started from this point. In the case where the pre-screw cap is mounted, the screwing of the pre-screw cap to the bottle mouth is continued even at this time. As is well known, an excessive amount of lowering of the spindle during this time is absorbed by a top pressure spring provided on the spindle.

Thereafter, when the spindle further advances, the spindle passes through the end point of the capping section of the roll-on cap. Then, the head set rises through the height position where the thread cannot be rolled, and when the roll-on cap is handled, the mounting of the roll-on cap is completed here. On the other hand, in the screwing of the pre-screw cap, the height position of the spindle when the pre-screw cap and the headset are separated is higher than in the case of the roll-on cap. Until the end point of.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a capping machine according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same components as those of the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will be simplified. (Embodiment 1) In the capping machine of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, only the upper cam 2 is provided in the tower section 18, and the middle cam 3 provided in the conventional capping machine is abolished. ing. The upper cam 2 is provided with a common cam groove for a roll-on cap and a pre-screw cap (hereinafter, simply referred to as a common cam groove) 30. The cam floor 40 of the common spindle 31 is fitted in the common cam groove 30. When handling the roll-on cap, as shown on the right side in FIG. 1, the RO headset 13 is attached below the common spindle 31, and when handling the pre-screw cap, as shown on the left side in FIG. Attach PS headset 14.

Generally, since the roll-on cap is simply formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, when the roll-on cap is covered with the bottle mouth, the roll-in cap immediately enters the deepest state, and capping is started from this state. On the other hand, since the screw formed on the inner surface of the pre-screw cap hits the screw of the bottle mouth and cannot enter,
Capping is started from a state that the bottle mouth is slightly covered.
Therefore, comparing the position of the cap top surface at the start of capping, the pre-screw cap 28 is higher as shown by H in FIG.

Using this fact, in this embodiment,
As shown in FIG. 2, the common cam groove 30 was formed so as to descend in two steps and rise in two steps. In the common cam groove 30, the start point A1 and the end point A2 of the RO capping section A are provided on the lower inclined portions 33, 34 below the landing portions 38, 32. The starting point A1 and the ending point A2 of the RO capping section A are separated from each other in the horizontal direction by the amount of rotation required to mount the roll-on cap, the distance required to rotate the headset. At the start point A1 of the RO capping section A, the common spindle 31 passes down the height position where the RO headset 13 is ready for thread rolling, and at the end point A2 of the RO capping section A, the RO headset 13 is turned off. The common spindle 31 passes through the height position where the thread cannot be rolled and rises.

The landing portions 38, 32 of the common cam groove 30
The start points B1 and the end points B2 of the PS capping section B are arranged on the upper inclined portions 35 and 36 located above. The start point B1 and the end point B2 sandwich the RO capping section A. The start point B1 and the end point B2 are determined by the rotation amount PS required when the pre-screw cap is mounted.
The distance required to rotate the headset 14 is apart. At the start point B1 of this PS capping section B, P
The common spindle 31 passes through a height position where the S headset 14 can start screwing the pre-screw cap to the container opening. At the end point B2 of the PS capping section B, the common spindle 31 passes at a height position where the PS headset 14 is separated from the pre-screw cap.

This capping machine uses a common cam groove 30.
Is configured as described above, the shared spindle 3
When 1 moves forward along the common cam groove 30, first, PS
At the starting point A1 of the capping section B, the PS headset 14 passes through the height position where the screwing of the pre-screw cap 28 to the container opening can be started and descends.
8 can be started to be screwed. However, since the position where the RO headset 13 can be thread-rolled is below the position where the PS headset 14 can start screwing the pre-screw cap 28, the mounting of the roll-on cap 26 to the bottle mouth is not started at this time. . Next, when the common spindle 31 further advances along the common cam groove 30 and passes through the start point A1 of the RO capping section A, R
Since the common spindle 31 descends so that the O headset 13 passes the height position where the thread rolling can be performed,
When the roll-on cap 26 is handled, the mounting of the roll-on cap 26 on the bottle mouth is started from this point. When the pre-screw cap 28 is handled, the screwing of the pre-screw cap 28 to the bottle mouth is continued even at this time. The excess amount of lowering of the common spindle 31 during this time is absorbed by a top pressure spring 42 provided on the common spindle 31 as is well known.

Thereafter, when the common spindle 31 further advances, the common spindle 31 passes through the end point of the RO capping section A. Then, the roller 1 of the RO headset 13
5 is moved away from the roll-on cap 26 and passes through a height position at which thread rolling cannot be performed.
Rises, and when the roll-on cap 26 is handled, the mounting of the roll-on cap 26 ends here. On the other hand, the screwing of the pre-screw cap 28 is performed by the pre-screw cap 28 and the PS headset 1.
Since the height position of the shared spindle 31 when the 4 is separated is higher than that of the roll-on cap 26, the process is performed until the shared spindle 31 further moves up and passes the end point A2 of the PS capping section B.

In the capping machine of this embodiment, as described above, the start point A1 and end point A2 of the RO capping section A and the start point B1 and end point B of the PS capping section B
Since the common cam groove 30 is formed to connect the two,
Both when the roll-on cap 26 is mounted and when the pre-screw cap 28 is mounted, the common spindle 31 is used.
Can be used. Therefore, according to this capping machine, even if the cap to be handled is changed, the spindle replacement operation becomes unnecessary. In addition, since the cam groove can be shared, it is not necessary to provide the cam groove separately, so that machining is easy and the cost is reduced. . In the above-described embodiment, the common cam groove 30 is formed so as to descend and ascend in two stages. However, the present invention is not limited to this shape. This common cam groove 30 is P
Start point B1 and end point B2 of S capping section B and RO
As long as it passes through the start point A1 and the end point A2 of the capping section A, it can be formed into various shapes.

[0020]

As described above, according to the capping machine of the present invention, the starting point and the ending point of the capping section required for rotating the headset required for mounting the roll-on cap, and the capping of the roll-on cap. Since the control line is formed so as to pass through the start point and end point of the capping section required to rotate the headset, which is necessary to rotate the headset, which is disposed so as to sandwich the section, the roll-on A common spindle can be used for both cap installation and pre-screw cap installation. Therefore, according to this capping machine, even if the cap to be handled is changed, the spindle replacement operation becomes unnecessary. In addition, since the control lines can be shared, the number of control lines provided in the apparatus main body can be reduced, and in this respect, the manufacturing cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a capping machine according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an expanded plan view showing a shared cam groove provided in the capping machine of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a conventional capping machine.

FIG. 4 is an exploded front view showing a cam groove for a pre-screw cap and a cam groove for a roll-on cap provided in a conventional capping machine.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing the movement of a roll-on cap spindle and a headset in a conventional capping machine.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing movements of a spindle for a pre-screw cap and a headset in a conventional capping machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... spindle, 2 ... upper cam, 3 ... middle cam, 4 ... lower cam, 5 ... RO (for roll-on cap) spindle 5, 6 ... PS (for pre-screw cap) spindle, 7 ... Main cam floor, 8 RO cam groove, 9 Main cam floor, 10 PS cam groove, 13 RO headset, 14 PS headset, 15 Roller
17 ring gear, 18 tower part, 20, 21 driven gear, 23, 24 rotating shaft member, 25 pressure block, 26 roll-on cap, A RO capping section, A1 ... Start point, A2 ... End point, B ...
PS capping section, B1 start point, 28 pre-screw cap, B2 end point, 30 common cam groove (control line), 31 common spindle, 32 landing, 33, 34 downward inclination Part, 35, 36 ... upper inclined part, 40 ... cam floor, 41 ... roller unit, 3
8. The landing area.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A head set for attaching a cap to a container mouth is attached to a lower portion of a spindle, and the spindle is moved vertically along a control line so as to be lifted and lowered, and a roll-on cap is provided. The amount of rotation required to mount the headset, lower the spindle so that the headset passes through the height position where the headset can be threaded at the start of the capping section required to rotate the headset, In a capping machine having the control line formed therein, the control line is further formed such that the control line is further capped with the roll-on cap so as to raise the spindle so that the headset passes through a height position where the headset cannot be thread-rolled at the end point. Required to attach the pre-screw cap so as to sandwich the section Set the starting point and the end point of the capping section required to rotate the displacement headset, and set the height position where the headset can start screwing into the container opening of the pre-screw cap at the start point of the capping section of this pre-screw cap. A capping machine characterized by lowering a spindle so as to pass the headset and elevating the spindle so as to pass a height position at which the headset is separated from the prescrew cap at an end point of a capping section of the prescrew cap.