JP3914547B2 - Method and apparatus for detecting good or bad heat seal blockage of cups suspended on a retainer conveyor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for detecting whether or not a heat seal of a cup running on a retainer conveyor is blocked.

As this main thing, there exists Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2001-58617. In this publication, after closing the upper end opening surface with a seal lid, the side of the cup is pushed to increase the pressure inside the cup and the seal lid 14 is bulged, and the distance between the bulged surface and the squeezing surface is measured to determine a poor seal. It states that it was inspected.
JP 2001-58617 A

  However, pressing the side of the sealed cup to pressurize the inside of the cup may damage the cup, so the swelling of the seal lid 14 due to the pressurization is limited to a small one, and therefore the defect inspection due to the pressure difference has certainty. There is a problem of becoming small.

The present invention is such that a cup is hung by placing an outwardly folded opening edge on a retaining surface of a suspension hole of a retainer conveyor, and after filling the cup with food, a sealing lid is placed on the opening edge of the cup. This is a good / bad detection method when the heat seal is closed, and the seal lid is pressed by a pusher while the seal cover is inflated in a circular shape with the center raised by the heat expansion accompanying the heat seal blockage. Then, by moving the lower plate under the cup or moving on the inclined plate of the cup, the heat seal blockage of the cup is lifted and separated from the hanging surface of the hanging hole , and then the detection with the sensor is performed. The problem is solved by pressing the seal lid with a plate and measuring the swelling height of the seal lid to detect whether the seal is good or bad.

  The present invention provides a seal lid by a pusher so as to promote air leakage in the event of a heat seal failure during expansion of the air in the cup due to a temperature rise when the heat seal is closed and the resulting circular expansion of the seal lid. After pressing, the height of the cup is regulated for inspection, and the swelling height of the seal lid is measured by pressing the inspection plate with sensor to detect whether the heat seal is occluded or not. Therefore, there is an effect that the inspection can be easily performed without requiring a complicated process / device such as pressing the side surface of the cup to increase the pressure.

  The large thermal expansion of the air in the cup can be used for inspection with high accuracy, and there is an effect that the cup may not be damaged.

  By supporting the bottom surface of the cup, it is possible to prevent deformation when the inspection plate is pushed and to improve inspection accuracy.

  In the present invention, when the food is filled while being suspended by a retainer conveyor and covered with a seal lid, and the heat seal is closed by high heat at this time, the seal lid is raised at the center due to an increase in the temperature inside the cup. And swell in a circular shape. While this bulge continues, it pushes the pusher from above to promote air leakage at the time of seal failure and regulates the height of the cup by moving the lower base or climbing the cup, and with a sensor The height of the bulge was measured by pushing the inspection plate to detect good or bad heat seal.

  A plurality of unit retainers 3 having juxtaposed suspension holes 2 of the cup 1 are connected to form a retainer conveyor 4 that runs intermittently. The cup 1 is suspended and traveled by placing an outwardly-folded opening edge 1a on a hooking surface 2a provided at a top end of the suspension hole 2.

  The cup 1 having been filled with one to several kinds of ingredients a, b, c, d is then closed by applying a seal lid 5 on the opening edge 1a and heat-sealing by the heat seal closing means 6. Due to the high heat at this time, the seal lid 5 swells in a circular shape with the center raised due to the expansion of the air in the cup 1, so the pusher 7 is pushed downward from above while the bulge continues, Air leakage is promoted in the case where there is a defect in the heat seal blockage including the material defect of the seal lid 5 so that the result appears in a short time. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 (b), the push bodies 7 are provided in two rows in consideration of the short working time for intermittent running, so that the results appear more quickly and reliably.

  Next, in the case of the cup 1 whose bottom surface may swell with paper, thin plastic, or the like as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lower base 8 is moved up against the bottom surface 1b, and is made of foamed polystyrene as shown in FIG. In the case of the cup 11 which is not deformed, it is moved up by running on the inclined plate 9, and the heat seal closing part is floated and separated on the retaining surface 2a of the retainer conveyor so that the height positions of all the cups 1 and 11 are unified. In the regulated state, the height of the swollen height is measured by pushing the seal lid 5 swollen by the downward movement of the inspection plate 10 with the sensor 10a.

  The measured value and a numerical value including an error / allowable range inputted in advance are collated, and the cup in which air leakage has occurred, that is, the bulge height is insufficient, is determined as a seal failure and discharged. At this time, since the cup 1 which is easy to swell on the bottom surface 1b is also prevented from being swelled and deformed by the pressing of the lower base 8, the swell height of the seal lid 5 can be accurately measured. In addition, since the height position of the cup is uniformly regulated by the lower base 8 or the inclined plate 9, there is no height error due to bending or distortion of the unit retainer 3.

  As described above, the present invention can be used for determining whether the heat seal is good or bad in any filling and packaging line including the step of heat-sealing the seal lid.

(A) is a side view showing the entire continuous filling and packaging line, (b) is a partially enlarged plan view of a retainer conveyor. (A) (b) is a partial enlarged front view showing a pushing process by a pusher (A) and (b) are partial enlarged front views showing the steps of height measurement inspection using an inspection plate with a sensor. Partial view showing the swelling of the bottom of a cup made of paper or thin plastic Partial side view showing another embodiment during height measurement inspection

Explanation of symbols

Reference numerals 1 and 11 are cups, 1a is an opening edge, 1b is a bottom surface, 2 is a hanging hole, 2a is a retaining surface, 3 is a unit retainer, 4 is a retainer conveyor, 5 is a sealing lid, 6 is a cover, heat seal closing means, 7 is a pusher, and 8 is a lower base. Is an inclined plate 10 is a bulging height inspection plate 10a is a sensor

Claims (2)

The cup is suspended by placing the opening edge folded outward on the retaining surface of the suspension hole of the retainer conveyor, and after filling the cup with food, the seal lid is placed on the opening edge of the cup and heat sealed. A method for detecting good and bad when closing, wherein the seal lid is pressed by a pusher while the seal lid is inflated in a circular shape with the center being elevated due to thermal expansion accompanying the heat seal closure, The cup heat seal blockage is lifted and separated from the hanging surface of the hanging hole by moving the lower plate under the cup or moving on the inclined plate of the cup, and then sealed with the detection plate with sensor. Detecting good / bad seals on cups that are hung on a retainer conveyor by pressing the lid and measuring the bulge height of the seal lid to detect good / bad seals. Method. A retainer conveyor for running the cup suspended by juxtaposing a cup having an opening edge at the top and a cup with a hanging surface on which the opening edge of the cup is placed, and food to the cup means for feeding filled, means for heat sealing closed by abutting covered with a seal cover the opening edge of the cup, and押体means for pressing the heat seal lid, heat sealed closed portion moves upward the cup It consists of a lower base or inclined plate means that floats on the hanging surface of the hanging hole and a detection plate means with a sensor that detects the goodness or badness of the sealing condition by measuring the bulge height of the heat seal lid. A device for detecting good or bad heat seal blockage of cups suspended on a retainer conveyor.

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