JP3614473B2 - Cap mounting device and plastic container - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to a cap mounting apparatus suitably used for mounting a pre-screw cap such as a plastic cap on a plastic container, and a plastic container suitable for the cap mounting apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Recently, plastic containers made of a plastic material such as biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET) are widely used because they are strong and light. When a pre-screw cap with a pre-formed screw, such as a plastic cap, is attached to such a plastic container, a predetermined tightening torque (clamping torque) is obtained with the spinning screw set of the capping machine. Need to be screwed on.
At the end of the screwing process of the cap by the spinning headset, the cap is screwed with a considerably large force, and the container itself may be rotated by this rotational force. When such rotation of the container itself occurs, a predetermined tightening torque cannot be obtained, and the contents may leak out.
[0003]
In order to prevent such an inconvenience, it is only necessary to fix the container so as not to rotate in some way while the cap is screwed. Conventionally, a cap mounting device described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-30712 has been proposed as a device that can prevent the rotation of the container during cap screwing. As shown in FIG. 7, this conventional apparatus holds a plastic container 1 in which a screw part 1a is formed at a mouth part and a flange part 1b is formed at a neck part in a suspended state by supporting the flange part 1b. A suspension mechanism 5a, and a cap screwing mechanism 8 for screwing the pre-screw cap 4 to the mouth of the plastic container 1 held by the suspension mechanism 5a. The rotation stopper blade portion 6 is provided that is locked to the lower surface of the flange portion 1b and prevents the plastic container from rotating in the cap screwing direction. This cap mounting device prevents the rotation of the container by bringing the blade edge of the rotation-stopping blade part 6 into contact with the lower surface of the flange part 1b of the container 1 and biting the blade.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional cap mounting apparatus has a problem that the blade edge of the locking blade of the rotation-stopping blade portion 6 becomes dull due to long-term use, and the rotation of the container cannot be prevented. Further, when the blade edge becomes dull, it rotates while scraping the lower surface of the flange portion of the container 1, so that a thin piece or powder of the container material is generated, and there is a problem that it takes time to clean and remove them.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a cap mounting device and a plastic container that can reliably prevent the rotation of the container when the pre-screw cap is mounted on the plastic container.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The cap mounting device of the present invention includes a suspension mechanism that holds a plastic container having a threaded portion at a mouth portion and a flange portion at a neck portion in a suspended state by supporting the flange portion, and the suspension mechanism. A cap mounting device comprising a cap screwing mechanism for screwing a pre-screw cap into a mouth portion of a plastic container held by a mechanism, wherein a step comprising one or both of a concave portion and a convex portion on the lower surface of the flange portion of the plastic container. The suspension mechanism is provided with a locking portion that engages a step portion provided on the lower surface of the flange portion of the plastic container and supports the flange portion .
[0007]
In this cap mounting device, the step formed on the lower surface of the flange portion of the container has a vertical surface as the surface that contacts the locking portion of the suspension mechanism when the container rotates in the cap closing direction, and the opposite surface is tapered. Good as a surface.
Moreover, it is good also as the several recessed part distribute | arranged along the circumferential direction the step part formed in the flange part lower surface of a container.
Furthermore, you may comprise the latching | locking part provided in the suspension mechanism from what was selected from the straight blade-shaped latching claw, the conical latching claw, and the hemispherical latching claw.
[0008]
A plastic container according to the present invention includes a suspension mechanism for holding a plastic container having a threaded portion at a mouth portion and a flange portion at a neck portion in a suspended state by supporting the flange portion. A cap screwing mechanism for screwing a pre-screw cap into the mouth of the plastic container held by the mechanism, and the suspension mechanism engages with a step provided on the lower surface of the flange portion of the plastic container. A plastic container into which the pre-screw cap is screwed by a cap mounting device provided with a locking portion for supporting the flange portion, wherein the step portion provided on the lower surface of the flange portion is formed of a concave portion and a convex portion. It consists of one or both .
The stepped portion may be configured such that when the container rotates in the cap closing direction, the surface that contacts the locking portion of the suspension mechanism is a vertical surface, and the opposite surface is a tapered surface.
The step portion formed on the lower surface of the flange portion of the plastic container may be a plurality of concave portions arranged along the circumferential direction.
[0009]
[Action]
The cap mounting apparatus of the present invention is provided with a suspension mechanism provided with a locking portion made of one or both of a concave portion and a convex portion that engages with a step portion provided on the lower surface of the flange portion of the plastic container. The container sent to the suspension mechanism is placed on the lower surface of the flange portion on the upper surface of the suspension mechanism, and the latching portion of the suspension mechanism is engaged with the step provided on the lower surface of the flange portion. It is possible to completely prevent the container from rotating in the cap closing direction.
[0010]
Further, the step formed on the lower surface of the flange portion of the container is configured such that the surface that comes into contact with the engaging portion of the suspension mechanism when the container rotates in the cap closing direction is a vertical surface, and the opposite surface is a tapered surface. Thereby, the latching | locking part of a suspension mechanism can enter into a step part easily, and can be engaged reliably.
[0011]
Further, the step portion formed on the lower surface of the flange portion of the container is a plurality of concave portions arranged along the circumferential direction, and the locking portion provided in the suspension mechanism is a straight blade-like locking claw, conical shape By selecting the locking claw or hemispherical locking claw, the engagement and disengagement between the stepped portion and the locking portion becomes easy and smooth, and the cap mounting operation at high speed is possible. It becomes possible.
[0012]
【Example】
1 and 2 show an embodiment of a cap mounting device of the present invention. This cap mounting device holds a plastic container 20 (hereinafter referred to as a plastic bottle) in a suspended state by supporting a flange portion 20b thereof. And a center star 11 for rotating and conveying.
[0013]
The center star 11 includes a rotating support column 13, a turntable 14 attached to the support column, an upper star wheel 15 fixed above the turntable 14 of the support column 13, and a lower star wheel 16. . The upper star wheel 15 and the lower star wheel 16 are fixed via a support member 18 fixed to the column 13. Pockets 12 are provided on the periphery of the upper and lower star wheels 15 and 16 at regular intervals.
[0014]
The upper star wheel 15 is a suspension mechanism in which the flange portion 20b of the plastic bottle 20 is inserted into each pocket 12, and the lower surface of the flange portion 20b is supported to rotate and convey the plastic bottle 20 in a suspended state. . The lower star wheel 16 puts the body portion of the plastic bottle 20 in the pocket 12, rotates in synchronization with the upper star wheel 15, and holds and transports the plastic bottle 20.
[0015]
At the periphery of each pocket 12 of the upper star wheel 15, two locking portions 17 each having a locking claw 17 a are provided in each pocket 12 so as to be separated from each other. The locking portion 17 is configured by attaching a disk-shaped main body portion 17b, on which a locking claw 17a is projected, to the peripheral edge portion of the pocket 12 by a screw 17c. The shape of the locking claw 17a may be any shape as long as it can be engaged with the step portion 21 provided on the lower surface of the flange portion 20b of the plastic bottle 20, and various shapes of protrusions and protrusions can be used. Is a wedge-shaped ridge.
[0016]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a guide 19 is provided outside the upper star wheel 15 along the periphery of the upper star wheel 15. The guide 19 is inserted into the pocket 12 of the upper star wheel 15 and supports the lower surface of the flange portion 20b of the plastic bottle 20 held in a suspended state from the other side to prevent the plastic bottle 20 accommodated in the pocket 12 from coming out. It is like that.
[0017]
3 and 4 show a plastic bottle 20 according to the present invention. The plastic bottle 20 has a plurality of portions formed on the lower surface of the flange portion 20b by reducing the thickness of the hatched portion in FIG. A stepped portion 21 having a concave shape is provided. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, these stepped portions 21 are arranged so that when the flange portion 20 b of the plastic bottle 20 is accommodated in the pocket 12 of the upper star wheel 15, the locking claw 17 a of the locking portion 17 is in any step. When the plastic bottle 20 enters the portion 21 and is rotated in the cap 4 closing direction, the locking claw 17a is easily engaged with the boundary surface of the stepped portion 21. It is desirable that the boundary surface on the side on which the locking claw 17a abuts when rotated in the cap 4 closing direction is a vertical surface, and the opposite boundary surface is a tapered surface.
[0018]
Next, the cap mounting operation by this cap mounting apparatus will be described. The plastic bottle 20 is sequentially fed into the intake star by a conveying means such as a screw conveyor (not shown), and a synthetic resin pre-screw cap 4 is attached to the mouth of the plastic bottle 20 and then the center star 11 is inserted from each pocket of the intake star. Are transferred to each pocket. As the pre-screw cap 4, a synthetic resin cap or the like having a function of clearly showing the opening by disconnecting a tamper-evidence ring portion provided at the lower part of the cap main body cylinder portion when opening the cap is used.
[0019]
The plastic bottle 20 sent to the center star 11 is sequentially accommodated in the pockets 12 of the upper and lower star wheels 15 and 16, and the lower surface of the flange portion 20 b is placed on the peripheral portion of the pocket 12 of the upper star wheel 15. The locking portion 17 disposed on the peripheral edge portion of the pocket 12 enters the step portion 21 on the lower surface of the flange portion 17b.
[0020]
When the plastic bottle 20 rotated and conveyed by the center star 11 reaches a predetermined position, the cap screwing device 8 descends, grasps the cap 4 that is put on the plastic bottle 20 mouth, and rotates it in the cap closing direction while applying the top load. Then, the cap 4 is wound with a predetermined torque.
[0021]
The plastic bottle 20 tends to be turned in the cap closing direction by this tightening, but the plastic claw 20 is rotated by engaging the engaging claw 17a of the engaging part 17 with the stepped part 21 on the lower surface of the flange part 20b. Completely prevented. Since the plastic bottle 20 can be tightened without the plastic bottle 20 rotating in the cap closing direction in this way, it is possible to mount the cap well without causing problems such as insufficient torque of the cap or oblique covering.
[0022]
Further, when the cap is mounted, the cap screwing device 8 holds the cap 4 and is screwed into the mouth of the plastic bottle 20 which is rotated and conveyed by the star wheel 11 without covering the mouth of the plastic bottle 20 with the intake star. You may adopt the method of doing.
[0023]
The cap mounting apparatus of this embodiment is provided with a locking portion 17 that engages with a stepped portion 21 formed of a plurality of concave portions provided on the lower surface of the flange portion 1b of the plastic bottle 20 at the periphery of each pocket 12 of the upper star wheel 15. When the flange portion 20b of the plastic bottle 20 is put into the pocket 12 of the upper star wheel 15 and the lower surface of the flange portion 20b is held in a suspended state, a step portion 21 on the lower surface of the flange portion 20b is provided at the periphery of the pocket 12 of the upper star wheel 15. Since the plastic bottle 20 can be completely prevented from rotating by being latched to the latching portion 17, the pre-screw cap 4 can be securely attached to the mouth of the plastic bottle 20.
Further, even when the device is used for a long time, the locking portion 17 is not worn, and the rotation preventing effect does not deteriorate with time, and the life of the device can be extended.
[0024]
Further, a stepped portion 21 comprising a plurality of concave portions is provided along the circumferential direction on the lower surface of the flange portion 20b, and a straight blade-like locking claw 17a is provided on the suspension mechanism, that is, the locking portion 17 of the upper star wheel 15. With this configuration, the insertion of the locking claw 17a into the stepped portion 21, the engagement of the locking claw 17a, and the removal of the locking claw 17a from the stepped portion 21 can be easily and smoothly performed, and the cap at high speed Mounting operation is possible.
[0025]
In the above embodiment, the bottom surface of the flange portion 20b of the plastic bottle 20 is provided with a plurality of concave portions in an island shape along the circumferential direction, and this is illustrated as a step portion 21. The shape of the step portion 21 is as follows. Without being limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, for example, a plurality of triangular or quadrangular shapes, polygonal shapes having more than one, circular shapes, elliptical shapes, narrow groove-shaped protrusions or concave portions around the flange portion 20b. They may be arranged along the direction or provided with continuous irregularities such as a turret on the flange portion 20b.
Further, instead of the straight-blade locking claw 17a, a conical locking claw or a hemispherical locking claw may be used.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the cap mounting device according to the present invention is provided with a suspension mechanism that suspends and holds the flange portion of the container, and a step portion formed by one or both of a concave portion and a convex portion provided on the lower surface of the flange portion of the container. When the engaging part is provided and the flange part of the container is held by the suspension mechanism, the step on the lower surface of the flange part is engaged with the engagement part of the suspension mechanism, and the rotation of the container is completely prevented. Therefore, the pre-screw cap can be reliably attached to the mouth of the container.
[0027]
Further, even if this apparatus is used for a long period of time, the locking portion does not wear, the rotation preventing effect does not deteriorate with time, and the life of the apparatus can be extended.
[0028]
Further, the step formed on the lower surface of the flange portion of the container is configured such that the surface that comes into contact with the engaging portion of the suspension mechanism when the container rotates in the cap closing direction is a vertical surface, and the opposite surface is a tapered surface. Thereby, the latching | locking part of a suspension mechanism can enter into a step part easily, and can be engaged reliably. Further, the step portion formed on the lower surface of the flange portion of the container is a plurality of concave portions arranged along the circumferential direction, and the locking portion provided in the suspension mechanism is a straight blade-like locking claw, conical shape By selecting the locking claw or hemispherical locking claw, the engagement and disengagement between the stepped portion and the locking portion is easy and smooth, and the cap mounting operation can be performed at high speed. It becomes possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cap mounting apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of an essential part of the same cap mounting apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a front view of an essential part of a plastic bottle preferably used in the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a view taken along line AA in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a main part front view showing a state where the plastic bottle is locked in the cap mounting device of this embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the main part of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a front view showing a conventional cap mounting apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
11 …… Center star, 12 …… Pocket, 13 …… Pole, 14 …… Turntable, 15 …… Upper star wheel, 16 …… Lower star wheel, 17 …… Locking portion, 18 …… Supporting member, 19 …… Guide, 20 …… Plastic bottle (plastic container), 20b …… Flange part, 21 …… Step part.

Claims (7)

A suspension mechanism for holding a plastic container in which a screw portion is formed in a mouth portion and a flange portion is formed in a neck portion in a suspended state by supporting the flange portion;
In a cap mounting device comprising a cap screwing mechanism for screwing a pre-screw cap into the mouth of a plastic container held by this suspension mechanism,
A step portion comprising one or both of a concave portion and a convex portion is provided on the lower surface of the flange portion of the plastic container,
A cap mounting device , wherein the suspension mechanism is provided with a locking portion that engages with a step portion provided on the lower surface of the flange portion of the plastic container and supports the flange portion . The step formed on the bottom surface of the flange portion of the container has a vertical surface that contacts the locking portion of the suspension mechanism when the container rotates in the cap closing direction, and the opposite surface is a tapered surface. The cap mounting apparatus according to claim 1. The cap mounting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step formed on the lower surface of the flange portion of the container is a plurality of concave portions arranged along the circumferential direction. 4. The locking portion provided in the suspension mechanism is selected from a straight blade locking claw, a conical locking claw, and a hemispherical locking claw. Any cap mounting device. A suspension mechanism for holding a plastic container having a threaded portion at the mouth and a flange portion at the neck portion in a suspended state by supporting the flange portion, and a plastic container held by the suspension mechanism. A cap screwing mechanism for screwing a pre-screw cap into the mouth, and the suspension mechanism engages with a step portion provided on the lower surface of the flange portion of the plastic container and supports the flange portion. A plastic container to which the pre-screw cap is screwed by a cap mounting device provided with a portion;
The step provided in the lower surface of the said flange part consists of one or both of a recessed part and a convex part, The plastic container characterized by the above-mentioned . 6. The step portion according to claim 5, wherein a surface that comes into contact with the engaging portion of the suspension mechanism when the container rotates in the cap closing direction is a vertical surface, and a surface opposite to the surface is a tapered surface . Plastic container. The plastic container according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the step formed on the lower surface of the flange of the container is a plurality of recesses arranged along the circumferential direction.

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