JP3690758B2 - Filling port positioning method and filling port positioning device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a filling port positioning method and a filling port positioning device for guiding the position of a filling port of a container filled with liquid to a predetermined position in an automatic liquid filling apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
One way of thinking when classifying containers that store liquids is that the shape before and after filling does not change, such as glass bottles and plastic bottles, and the shape before and after filling liquids is filled. There is a case where it is separated from a flexible container which is formed using a material having high flexibility such as a plastic bag which varies greatly with the amount and which can be deformed. However, in the former case, even when storing pre-filled or used containers, the same volume as the container at the time of filling is required, so handling such as storage of empty containers or collection of used containers is troublesome. It is. In the latter case, when the liquid is not filled, the size of the container can be reduced, so that only the container can be stored easily. The more unstable and the larger the size, the more difficult it is to store during filling or handling during transportation.
[0003]
Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), a flexible resin container 17 that can be folded is used on the inside, while being in close contact with the outer surface of the resin container when filled with liquid. A container 15 having a double structure using a foldable corrugated cardboard box 16 on the outside is considered. When the container 15 is filled with a liquid, the cardboard box 16 can suppress the deformation of the resin container 17, so that the wall of the resin container 17 can be made thin. Thus, the container 15 can be conveniently handled.
[0004]
Usually, before filling, the resin container 17 is folded inward in a diagonal direction as shown in FIG. 3, and the filling port 17a is depressed. The container 15 is configured to assemble the cardboard box 16 and insert the resin container 17 immediately before the liquid is filled, and the resin container 17 is formed by filling the liquid. Accordingly, the cardboard box 16 is folded before filling, and as shown in the figure, the bulk of the container can be kept small until just before use by stacking the resin containers 17 and 17, so that the container can be stored. Sometimes it takes up very little space. Further, even after use, the cardboard box 16 and the resin container 17 are separated from each other, so that handling at the time of collection becomes easy.
[0005]
The filling of the liquid into the container 15 is performed by, for example, an automatic liquid filling apparatus having a configuration shown in FIG. In this automatic liquid filling device, container forming, liquid filling, weighing, and labeling are performed before the corrugated cardboard is loaded on the pallet as a container by the pallet loading device 6 through the corrugated cardboard canal device 1 and the corrugated cardboard conveying path 12. Can be done.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above automatic liquid filling apparatus, the filling port 17a of the folded resin container 17 is in the position shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 3, and the resin container 17 is inserted into the cardboard box 16, so the automatic liquid filling apparatus In order to facilitate the filling operation into the resin container 17 in the liquid filling process, it is necessary to cause the filling port 17a to a position indicated by a solid line and to hold the filling port 17a at a predetermined position where the filling nozzle can be inserted. is there. Hereinafter, the above operation is expressed as filling port positioning, and an apparatus for performing the above operation is referred to as a filling port positioning device 7.
[0007]
Then, in order to position the filling port 17a, for example, as shown in FIG. 15, a filling port positioning device 40 provided with a rubber hollow body 41 that expands and contracts by air supply / exhaust at the tip side is used. Yes. By inserting air into the rubber hollow body 41 after inserting the rubber hollow body 41 into the filling port 17a, the rubber hollow body 41 expands as shown by the dotted line, and the rubber hollow body 41 is formed on the inner diameter side of the filling port 17a. The surface of the liquid is abutted and the filling port 17a is held by frictional force. Thereafter, the filling port 17a can be raised by pulling up the filling port positioning device 40.
[0008]
However, as described above, the container 15 has a double structure of the cardboard box 16 and the resin container 17, and the size of the cardboard box 16 is set to the size of the resin container 17 when the liquid is filled. Yes. Since the resin container 17 is formed by filling the liquid, rattling occurs between the resin container 17 and the cardboard box 16 before filling, and the filling port 17a on the upper surface of the cardboard box 16 is formed. The position of will vary greatly. If the filling port positioning device 40 can be inserted, the positioning can be performed. However, when the backlash increases, the tip of the rubber hollow body 41 is inserted into the filling port 17a as shown in FIG. Instead, it may come into contact with the end of the filling port 17a and push the filling port 17a downward.
[0009]
Therefore, conventionally, in the above case, since the position of the filling port 17a is manually adjusted to the position of the filling port positioning device 40, complete automation cannot be performed, and the efficiency of the liquid filling operation can be improved. It was a factor to decrease.
[0010]
Of course, it is possible to detect the position of the filling port 17a using a sensor and move the filling port positioning device 40 side or the cardboard box 16 side to position the filling port 17a. As a result, the configuration becomes complicated and it takes time for detection, which may lead to an increase in cost and a decrease in work efficiency.
[0011]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a filling port positioning device capable of automating picking of a filling port of a resin container in an automatic liquid filling device with a simple configuration. Is to provide.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problem, the filling port positioning method according to the present invention is a flexible resin in which, during storage, the filling port is depressed, folded and filled into the predetermined shape by filling the contents. When the container is automatically filled with the contents, the guide portion is inserted into the filling port and air is sent into the resin container.
[0013]
With the above configuration, as a result of the resin container being in a folded state, even if the insertion depth of the guide portion required for positioning the filling port is small on the inner side of the filling port, the resin container can be The container swells, the insertion depth is ensured, and the filling port moves to the predetermined position direction side by the bulging reaction, so that the filling port can be easily positioned.
[0014]
In order to solve the above problems, the filling port positioning device according to the present invention is a flexible resin container in which, during storage, the filling port is depressed, folded, and molded into a predetermined shape by filling the contents. In the filling port positioning device that positions the filling port by inserting the guide portion into the filling port, a tapered guide portion is formed at the tip, and an air jet port is provided at the guide portion. It is a feature.
[0015]
With the above configuration, while the filling port is guided by the taper formed in the guide portion, the resin container is expanded by blowing air from the air outlet, and the guide portion of the filling portion of the resin container in the folded state is The insertion depth can be ensured, and the filling port can be reliably positioned with the guide portion in a predetermined insertion state.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiment
An embodiment of an automatic liquid filling apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
[0017]
The automatic liquid filling apparatus automatically fills the container 15 shown in FIG. 2 with a predetermined amount of liquid. The container 15 covers the outside and retains the shape of the container 15, and the corrugated cardboard. It is comprised from the flexible resin container 17 which has the outer shape which adheres to the inner wall of the box 16 substantially.
[0018]
The cross section of the resin container 17 is normally shaped as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, but at the same time the side surface 17b and the bottom surface 17c are folded inward, the filling port 17a is in a depressed state, Since it becomes the shape shown with the dashed-dotted line of FIG. 3, as shown in the same figure, it becomes possible to overlap the resin containers 17, and the volume at the time of storage can be made small. The container 15 is not filled with the liquid in the container 15 that has been assembled in advance, but as the container 15 is transported through the automatic liquid filling apparatus while the cardboard is being transported, the container assembly, liquid filling, weighing, packaging, As shown in FIG. 4, the labeling is performed, and the configuration is from a corrugated cardboard can device 1, a stock conveyor 2, a liquid filling device 3, a corrugated cardboard sealing device 4, a label sticking device 5, and a pallet stacking device 6. It is configured.
[0019]
In the liquid filling device 3, a filling port positioning device 7, a rough filling device 8, a precision filling device 9 including a weighing device 11, and an autocapper 10 are provided.
[0020]
Based on the above configuration, the operation of the automatic liquid filling apparatus will be described below.
[0021]
First, when the folded cardboard box 16 is supplied to the cardboard can making machine 1, the cardboard box 16 is assembled and transported. A plurality of folded resin containers 17 are stacked on the stock conveyor 2 as described above. By inserting the resin containers 17 into the cardboard box 16 one by one, the form as the container 15 is formed. Make it. Of course, at this point, the resin container 17 remains in a folded state.
[0022]
When the container 15 is conveyed onto the liquid filling device 3 and the cardboard box 16 in the container 15 is disposed at a predetermined position, the filling port positioning device 7 is inserted into the filling port 17a, and the filling port 17a is inserted. And is fixed by a filling port holding device (not shown). Next, in the rough filling device 8, a rough filling nozzle is inserted into the filling port 17a to perform rough filling. Further, in the precision filling device 9, a precision filling nozzle is inserted into the filling port 17 a and filling is performed while the weighing device 11 measures the weight of the container 15. When the predetermined amount of filling is completed, the lid of the resin container 17 is closed by the autocapper 10, and the filling of the liquid is finished.
[0023]
The reason why the liquid filling is divided into two stages is that the controllable minimum liquid amount differs depending on the weight to be filled. A coarse filling nozzle having a large diameter is used to quickly fill a large amount of liquid, and a precise filling is performed using a small precision filling nozzle that can be controlled to be less than an error in the amount of liquid to be filled in the container 15.
[0024]
Subsequently, in the corrugated cardboard can 4, the upper lid of the cardboard box 16 is closed and fixed with tape. And in the label sticking apparatus 5, the label which shows the objective, a destination, etc. is stuck, and the loading on a pallet is performed by the pallet loading apparatus 6 finally.
[0025]
Details of the operation of the filling port positioning device 7 in this automatic filling device will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5 to 11.
[0026]
As shown in FIG. 1, the filling port positioning device 7 includes a picking unit 20 that causes the filling port 17 a (FIG. 3) and a guide unit 30 that centers the filling port 17 a with respect to the filling port positioning device 7. Yes. As shown in FIG. 5A, the picking portion 20 includes a body main body 21 and a rubber hollow body 22, and the rubber hollow body 22 has an air supply / exhaust port 21 a penetrating the body main body 21. On the other hand, a compressed air pipe 23 is connected to the air supply / exhaust port 21b while switching between holding and non-holding on the inner diameter side of the filling port 17a by controlling the amount of air fed into the rubber hollow body 22. Yes. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, an air hole 21c for sending compressed air to the side of the guide part 30 described later is provided in the body main body 21, and the guide part 30 is provided in the body main body 21. A female screw portion 21d for attachment is formed in the center. A compressed air pipe 24 is also connected to the air hole 21c.
[0027]
On the other hand, the guide portion 30 has a conical shape with an apex angle of 30 °, the tip of which is formed in a hemispherical shape so as not to damage the filling port 17a (FIG. 3). If this apex angle is too large, it will not serve as a guide and will press the filling port 17a downward. If the apex angle is too small, the downward movement amount of the guide portion 30 will be folded. Since it is sometimes limited by the side surface 17b of the resin container 17 located below the filling port 17a, the amount of movement of the filling port 17a in the horizontal plane direction becomes small. Therefore, since it varies depending on the surface state of the guide portion 30, the operating speed of the picking portion 20, the material of the resin container 17, the cross-sectional shape of the filling port 17 a, etc., it may be set appropriately according to the implementation conditions, Has been experimentally found to be 45 ° or less and around 30 ° is good.
[0028]
On the mounting surface 30a side to the picking portion 20, a female screw portion 30b is formed at the center, and a circular groove 30c centering on the female screw portion 30b and an air jet outlet 30d communicating with the circular groove 30c are conical. Open in the middle of the shape. The picking portion 20 and the guide portion 30 are connected to each other by female screw portions 21d and 30b and a female screw 25. At this time, the air hole 21c and the air outlet 30d are electrically connected via the circular groove 30c. However, when the hole is directly connected, the mounting surface 30a and the female screw portions 21d and 30b, This is because the position of the holes formed in the body main body 21 of the guide portion 30 and the picking portion 20 may be shifted due to the wear of the female screw 25 and the air flow may be blocked.
[0029]
The operation at the time of filling port positioning will be described in detail based on the configuration of the filling port positioning device 7 and FIGS.
[0030]
First, the container 15 is set at a predetermined position, the arrow Y ₂ direction filling port positioning device 7 shown in FIG. 6 starts to operate downwards. As shown in the figure, when the center of the filling port 17a is deviated from the center of the guide portion 30, as the filling port positioning device 7 is lowered, the middle part of the guide portion 30 becomes the edge of the filling port 17a. It abuts somewhere in the part (FIG. 7).
[0031]
When the filling port positioning device 7 is operated downward from this state, the filling port positioning device 7 side moves only in the direction of the arrow Y ₁ -Y _2, so that the filling port 17 a side is horizontal along the slope of the guide portion 30. will be moved in a direction (in FIG. 7 the direction of arrow X _1), so that the centering of the filling port 17a is performed. Further, when moving the filling port positioning device 7 in the arrow Y ₂ direction, the distal end of the guide portion 30 comes into contact with the side surface 17b of the resin container 17 in the folded state (FIG. 8).
[0032]
Finally, the rubber hollow body 22, it is necessary to bring the holding capable position of the filling port 17a, by moving the filling port positioning device 7 in the arrow Y ₂ direction is unchanged, the guide portion 30 Since the side surface 17b in contact with the tip is lowered, the filling port 17a is also lowered so as to be dragged.
[0033]
Therefore, the distal end of the guide portion 30, when the come substantially to a position abutting on the side surface 17b, at the same time as the movement in the arrow Y ₂ direction filling port positioning device 7 is provided in the abdomen in the guide portion 30 the air by then blowing air from the ejection port 30b, while the resin container 17 begins bulging sides 17b of the resin container 17 is moved in the arrow Y ₂ direction, the fill port 17a side is moved in the arrow Y ₁ direction Conversely, filling The mouth 17a rises to a position covering the hollow rubber body 22 (FIG. 9).
[0034]
The timing for starting the ejection of air may be performed using the position of the filling port positioning device 7 or a timer, and the ejection time is determined by the capacity of the resin container 17 or the flexibility of the resin container 17. As long as the filling port positioning device 7 is completely inserted into the filling port 17a, it suffices if the air enters so that the tip of the guide portion 30 does not contact the side portion 17b. What is necessary is just to set the injection time of air according to the said various conditions so that it may be in this state.
[0035]
And if the rubber hollow body 22 is expanded, centering of the filling port 17a with respect to the filling port positioning device 7 is completed (FIG. 10). Moreover, the expansion of the rubber hollow body 22, the filling port 17a is held, by moving the filling port positioning device 7 in the arrow Y ₁ direction, along with the movement, the filling port 17a is caused which has been depressed (FIG. 11). After that, a filling port holding device (not shown) grasps the flange 17d, holds the filling port 17a in a predetermined position, evacuates the air inside the rubber hollow body 22, and removes the filling port positioning device 7, thereby removing the filling port 17a. When positioning is completed and rough filling or precision filling is performed, it is possible to insert the filling nozzle 17a without moving each filling nozzle, which may cause liquid leakage due to a filling nozzle insertion error. The liquid can be reliably filled into the container 15 without any problem.
[0036]
In the automatic liquid filling apparatus shown in the present embodiment, the position is corrected by the guide portion 30 of the filling port positioning device 7 even when the filling port 17a is largely displaced by using the filling port positioning device 7 described above. Since the filling port 17a can be surely raised, the liquid filling operation can be completely automated, and the efficiency of the filling operation can be improved.
[ Reference form ]
A reference embodiment of the automatic liquid filling apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 12 to 14. For convenience of explanation, the description of the configuration shown in the embodiment is omitted.
[0037]
In this embodiment , since the difference from the embodiment is the filling port positioning device 7, this configuration and operation will be described below with reference to FIGS.
[0038]
As shown in FIG. 12, the filling port positioning device 7 is configured to cause the filling port 17a by locking a flange portion 17d provided outside the filling port 17a (FIG. 3). Are provided with a taper-shaped guide portion 32 and a filling port guide 31 comprising a centering portion 33 having an outer shape slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the filling port 17a. Portions 34 and 34 are provided, and the locking portions 34 and 34 can be switched between holding and non-holding of the flange portion 17d by opening and closing in the directions of arrows X _{1 to} X ₂ by hydraulic pressure. The guide portion 32 is also formed with an air outlet 32a for ejecting the compressed air shown in the embodiment .
[0039]
The operation of the filling port positioning device will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14 as follows.
[0040]
First, the container 15 is arranged at a predetermined position with respect to the filling port positioning device 7 (FIG. 13A). Then, the filling port 17a, the filling port positioning device 7 is gradually moved in the arrow Y ₂ direction relative to the filling port positioning device 7, when not a the center of the filling port 17a, FIG. 13 (b ), The edge of the filling port 17a comes into contact with the middle part of the guide part 32. Furthermore, when the filling opening positioner 7 will move in the arrow Y ₂ direction, the guide portion 32 abuts the side surface portion 17b of the resin container 17 (FIG. 14 (a)).
[0041]
Then, it is necessary to lower the filling port positioning device 7 to a position where the locking portions 34, 34 can lock the flange portion 17d. As described above, the resin container in a state where the tip of the guide portion 32 is folded. 17 side surface 17b. Therefore, by ejecting air from the air ejection port 32a, it swells the resin container 17, with the movement of the arrow Y ₁ direction of the filling port 17a, the centering portion 33 is inserted into the filling port 17a, fill port while completing the positioning of the fill port 17a relative to the positioning device 7, by the side surfaces 17b is moved in the arrow Y ₂ direction, the arrow Y ₂ direction guide portion 32 to a position where the locking portion 34 and the flange portion 17d is engaged Can be moved to. And if the latching | locking part 34 * 34 is operated, the filling port 17a will be hold | maintained and the raising of the filling port 17a will be attained (FIG.14 (b)).
[0042]
In the above, unlike the filling port positioning device shown in the above-described embodiment , the filling port guide 31 and the locking portion 34 are independent. In this case, the filling port 17a is positioned only by the filling port guide 31. In order to perform positioning, it is necessary to provide a centering portion 33 that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the filling port 17a, and in order to ensure positioning by the guide portion 32, the taper angle of the guide portion 32 is around 30 °. Considering the good thing, in order to ensure a sufficient insertion depth in the filling port 17a, it is necessary to feed the air from the air jet port 32a of the guide portion 32 to slightly inflate the resin container 17.
[0043]
In any of the filling port positioning devices shown in the above-described embodiments and reference embodiments , the flexible resin container 17 in the folded state is inflated by sending air into the resin container 17 to inflate it. Since the insertion depth for sufficiently positioning the portion 30 or the guide portion 32 can be secured, the filling port 17a can be reliably held and caused.
[0044]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the filling port positioning method according to the present invention is automatically applied to a flexible resin container that is collapsed and folded into a predetermined shape by filling the contents during storage. When filling the contents, the guide portion is inserted into the filling port and air is sent into the resin container.
[0045]
Therefore, the folded resin container swells, so that the insertion depth of the guide portion is ensured, and at the same time, the filling port moves in the direction of the predetermined position along with the bulging reaction, so the filling port positioning operation is easy. The effect is to be able to be done.
[0046]
In addition, the filling port positioning device according to the present invention is a guide into the filling port of a flexible resin container that is depressed and folded into a predetermined shape by filling the contents during storage. In the filling port positioning device that positions the filling port by inserting the portion, a tapered guide portion is formed at the tip, and an air jet is provided in the guide portion.
[0047]
Therefore, even if the guide insertion depth of the filling port of the resin container in the folded state is shallow, the resin container is expanded by blowing air from the air outlet provided in the guide portion, and the guide portion is placed in the filling port. The depth for complete insertion is ensured, and the filling port is guided by the tapered shape, so that the filling port can be positioned reliably.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a filling port positioning device according to the present invention, where FIG. 1 (a) is a side view and FIG. 1 (b) is a bottom view.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show a resin container in which a filling port positioning device is used in the present invention. FIG. 2A is a top view and FIG. 2B is a side view.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the resin container shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an automatic liquid filling apparatus to which the present invention can be applied.
FIG. 5 shows a cross section of the filling port positioning device shown in FIG. 1 (b). FIG. 5 (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1 (b), and FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the operation of the filling port positioning device and showing a state in which a resin container is arranged under the filling port positioning device.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation of the filling port positioning device subsequent to FIG. 6 and showing a state in which the filling port positioning device is lowered and the guide portion is in contact with the filling port.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the operation of the filling port positioning device following FIG. 7, and further showing the state where the filling port positioning device is lowered and the tip of the guide part is in contact with the side surface of the folded resin container. It is.
FIG. 9 shows the operation of the filling port positioning device following FIG. 8, and is a schematic view showing the positional relationship between the filling port positioning device and the resin container after the air is ejected from the air ejection port of the guide portion.
10 shows the operation of the filling port positioning device subsequent to FIG. 9, and is a schematic view showing a state where the filling port is picked by a rubber hollow body. FIG.
11 shows the operation of the filling port positioning device subsequent to FIG. 10, and is a schematic view showing a state in which the filling port is raised. FIG.
FIGS. 12A and 12B show another configuration example of the filling port positioning device according to the present invention, in which FIG. 12A is a side view, and FIG. 12B is a locking portion in FIG. It is only DD arrow sectional drawing.
FIG. 13 shows the operation of the filling port positioning device in another configuration example of the filling port positioning device according to the present invention. FIG. 13 (a) shows a state in which the resin container is arranged at the position of the picking portion. FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the picking portion is in contact with the filling port.
14 shows the operation of the filling port positioning device subsequent to FIG. 13 in another configuration example of the filling port positioning device according to the present invention. FIG. 14 (a) shows a resin container in which the tip of the guide portion is folded. It is the schematic which shows the state contact | abutted to the side surface of this, and the same figure (b) is the schematic which shows the state by which the ejection of air was performed and the picking of the filling port was performed.
FIG. 15 is a side view of a filling port positioning device conventionally used in an automatic liquid filling device.
FIG. 16 is a schematic view showing an operating state of the filling port positioning device.
[Explanation of symbols]
7 Filling port positioning device 15 Container 16 Corrugated cardboard box 17 Resin container 17a Filling port 30 Guide part 30d Air outlet

Claims (2)

At the time of storage, the filling port is depressed and folded, and when positioning the filling port of the flexible resin container that is molded into a predetermined shape by filling the contents,
The tip has a hemispherical conical shape and is provided with an air outlet, which can be inserted into the filling port of the flexible resin container, and inflates the container by sending air from the air outlet. A guide section capable of
Provided on the rear end side of the guide portion, and includes a body main body and a rubber hollow body provided annularly on the outer periphery of the body main body, and a picking portion capable of holding a filling port by expansion of the rubber hollow body. Using the filling port positioning device
Insert the guide part inside the filling port, inflate air from the air outlet, inflate the container, place the rubber hollow body of the picking part at the position of the filling port, expand the rubber hollow body and hold the filling port, A filling port positioning method characterized by causing a depressed filling port. During storage, with the fill port is then depressed, folded, a filling port positioning device for positioning the charge Hamakuchi of flexible resin container is molded into a predetermined shape by filling contents,
The tip has a hemispherical conical shape and is provided with an air outlet, which can be inserted into the filling port of the flexible resin container, and inflates the container by sending air from the air outlet. A guide section capable of
Provided on the rear end side of the guide portion, and includes a body main body and a rubber hollow body provided annularly on the outer periphery of the body main body, and a picking portion capable of holding a filling port by expansion of the rubber hollow body. ,
The guide part is inserted into the filling port, the container is inflated by the air sent from the air outlet, the rubber hollow body of the picking part is placed at the position of the filling port, the filling port is held by the expansion of the rubber hollow body, and collapsed A filling port positioning device characterized by causing a filling port to be formed.

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