JP4315520B2 - Square PET bottle alignment transport device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an aligning and conveying apparatus for rectangular PET bottles.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A bottle made of polyethylene terephthalate (hereinafter referred to as a PET bottle ) mainly containing beverages is extremely light when the content is not stored. A so-called air conveyance device is employed to smoothly convey extremely lightweight PET bottles in a content filling line or the like. This type of air conveyance device is configured to stand up the PET bottle while supporting a collar formed at the mouth of the PET bottle between guide rails extending in parallel with a predetermined interval in the conveyance direction. The PET bottle is transported by blowing air toward the mouth of the PET bottle in the transport direction.
[0003]
By the way, when PET bottles are transported by this type of air transport device, it is necessary to allow the mouth portion of the PET bottle to enter between the guide rails with high accuracy at the input portion of the air transport device.
[0004]
Therefore, conventionally, an aligning / conveying device for aligning and feeding the PET bottles to the charging unit of the air transporting device is provided. This type of aligning / conveying device includes a belt conveyor that continuously places and transports PET bottles toward the input portion of the air conveying device, and contacts the PET bottles on the belt conveyor from both sides so that the PET bottles are aligned. A pair of regulating plates to be maintained.
[0005]
However, when a so-called square PET bottle whose outer shape is formed in a substantially quadrangular prism shape is transported by the alignment transport device, there is a disadvantage that smooth transport cannot be performed. That is, when the planar PET bottle is viewed in plan, the size in the diagonal direction is larger than the distance between the opposing flat side surfaces. For this reason, when the pair of restricting plates are provided in a distance dimension that abuts against both flat side surfaces of the square PET bottle, when the square PET bottle is inadvertently rotated on the belt conveyor with the vertical direction as an axis, The corners of the square PET bottle come into contact with both regulation plates, and the square PET bottle cannot enter between the regulation plates, and the square PET bottle falls or clogs. Further, when the distance between the pair of restricting plates is matched with the size in the diagonal direction of the square PET bottle, the alignment state is not reliably restricted. For example, the axis of the mouth of the square PET bottle is displaced and the air transport device There is a disadvantage that the intrusion between the two rails is not smoothly performed.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In order to eliminate such inconveniences, the present invention has an object to provide a transport apparatus capable of accurately aligning and transporting square PET bottles whose contents are not stored.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve such an object, the present invention is configured to place a plurality of rectangular PET bottles whose contents are not stored and whose outer shape is substantially formed in a rectangular column shape in a standing state in a row at intervals. a first conveyor for continuously conveying Te, provided along one side of the first conveyor, to adsorb a flat surface on one side of the square PET bottles on the first conveyor, the first conveyor the angular-shaped PET bottles A second conveyor that conveys in synchronization with the second conveyor, and is provided along the other side of the first conveyor to face the upstream side of the second conveyor, and blows air onto the square PET bottles on the first conveyor the corner portion on the first conveyor rotates the square PET bottles facing the second conveyor the vertical direction as an axis, is brought into contact with the flat surface of one side of the angular-shaped PET bottle to the second conveyor With air blowing means Characterized in that it obtain.
[0008]
According to the present invention, air is blown from the side of the square PET bottle on the first conveyor by the air blowing means. Since the contents are undelivered prismatic PET bottles are very light, by blowing was air from said air jetting means, angular shaped PET bottles are moved in the direction of the second conveyor. Further, it is conceivable that the square PET bottle put into the first conveyor is inadvertently rotated around the vertical direction, and the corner of the square PET bottle faces the second conveyor. In such a state, the square PET bottles transported by the first conveyor are first blown with air toward the second conveyor by the air ejection means. Thereby, the square PET bottle rotates on the first conveyor, and then the flat surface on one side is pressed against the second conveyor.
[0009]
Furthermore, this 2nd conveyor adsorb | sucks the flat surface of the one side of the square PET bottle moved by the air of the said air ejection means. Second conveyor, since the rotation in synchronism with the first conveyor, square PET bottles which are moved by the air of the air jetting means is also coming into contact with the second conveyor, square PET bottles to rotate the flat surface of the Ichigawa while following the second conveyor is attracted to rotate the vertical direction of the bottle as the axis, ing the most stable adsorption state. Thereby, for example, even if the square PET bottle rotates inadvertently and its corner faces the second conveyor, the air blowing means is pressed against the second conveyor by the air and sucked by the second conveyor. One side surface of the square PET bottle can be surely adsorbed to the second conveyor.
[0010]
And the square PET bottle in which the flat surface on one side is adsorbed to the second conveyor is prevented from falling down by the second conveyor and is kept in an aligned state, and smoothly smoothed by the second conveyor and the first conveyor. Be transported.
[0011]
As described above, each of the square PET bottles that are continuously conveyed can be surely aligned along the second conveyor by the interaction between the air ejection means and the second conveyor. In addition, each square PET bottle can be smoothly transported while maintaining the standing state.
[0012]
Further, in the present invention, an input portion of another transport device that supports and transports the collar portion formed at the mouth portion of the square PET bottle is provided facing the downstream side of the first conveyor and the second conveyor. The second conveyor is characterized in that the suction force of the square PET bottle is smaller than that of the other part at least at the position where the input part of the other transport device faces.
[0013]
On the downstream side of the aligning / conveying apparatus of the present invention, an input section of the other conveying apparatus (for example, an air conveying apparatus in a filling line) is provided facing the downstream side of the first conveyor and the second conveyor. According to the present invention, since the attraction force at the position where the input part of at least the other conveying device of the second conveyor faces is smaller than the other part, the square PET bottle conveyed to the position is It can be easily separated from the two conveyors. Thereby, when delivering the square PET bottle on the first conveyor to the input part of the other transport device, the suction by the second conveyor can be easily released while maintaining the standing state of the square PET bottle, The square PET bottle can be smoothly supplied to other apparatuses.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view showing an aligning and conveying apparatus of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a schematic configuration of a first conveyor and a second conveyor, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional explanatory view taken along line III-III in FIG. .
[0015]
Aligning conveying apparatus 1 of this embodiment is provided in the filling line (not shown) to fill the corners shaped PET bottle w to the contents of the (drinks). An air conveyance device 2 is provided in the conveyance path of the filling line, and the alignment conveyance device 1 of the present embodiment is provided continuously to the upstream side of the air conveyance device 2.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 1, the air conveying device 2 has an airflow formed in a duct-shaped main body 3 whose lower side is opened toward the conveying direction. A pair of rails 4 extending in parallel along the transport direction are provided. Between the rails 4, a collar portion y formed on the mouth portion x of the square PET bottle w is supported. Thereby, the square PET bottle w is conveyed by the airflow inside the main body 3 while being suspended from both rails 4.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 1, the aligning and conveying apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a first conveyor 5 that places and conveys a square PET bottle w, and a second conveyor provided along one side of the first conveyor 5. A conveyor 6 and air blowing means 7 for blowing air toward the square PET bottle w toward the second conveyor 6 are provided.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 1, the first conveyor 5 includes a belt 8 that extends toward the upstream side of the air transfer device 2 and rotates endlessly on which a square PET bottle w is placed. ing. As shown in FIG. 2, the belt 8 is stretched over a drive pulley 9 and a driven pulley 10 and is rotated by driving of a drive motor 11 connected to the drive pulley 9.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 1, the second conveyor 6 includes a belt 12 that extends along the first conveyor 5 and rotates endlessly in synchronization with the first conveyor 5. The belt 12 is stretched between a driving pulley 13 and a driven pulley 14, and is rotated by driving of a driving motor 15 connected to the driving pulley 13.
[0020]
The second conveyor 6 includes a first suction unit 16 on the upstream side and a second suction unit 17 on the downstream side. As shown in FIG. 2, the first suction unit 16 includes a plurality of suction ports 18 on the side facing the square PET bottle w, and is connected to an air suction unit (not shown) via a tube 19. A plurality of holes 19 are formed in the belt 12 for exposing the suction ports 18 of the first suction means 16. As a result, the second conveyor 6 can suck the square PET bottle w by the suction port 18 while rotating the belt 12. As shown in FIG. 1, one flat surface of the square PET bottle w sucked by the first suction means 16 is sucked by the second conveyor 6.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 2, the second suction means 17 includes a plurality of suction ports 20 exposed from the holes 19 of the belt 12 and a tube connected to an air suction means (not shown), like the first suction means 16. 21. The suction force of the second suction means 17 is set smaller than the suction force of the first suction means 16. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the square PET bottle w transported to the input position of the air transport device 2 by the first conveyor 5 and the second conveyor 6 can be separated relatively easily by the second suction means 17. It is attracted to the second conveyor 6 by the attracting force. Thereby, the delivery of the square PET bottle w by the support of the collar part y of the square PET bottle w on the rail 4 is performed smoothly. In addition, it is preferable that the adsorption | suction force of the square PET bottle w by the said 1st adsorption | suction means 16 is comparatively strong, and this maintains the state which the square PET bottle w adsorb | sucked to the belt 12 of the 2nd conveyor 6, and is square. Transports PET bottle w.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 1, the air ejection means 7 is provided on the upstream side of the second conveyor 6, that is, facing the first suction means 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the air ejection means 7 is formed with a plurality of air ejection ports 22 for blowing air onto the side surfaces of the square PET bottles w placed on the belt 8 of the first conveyor 5. And is connected to an air supply means (not shown) through the tube 23.
[0023]
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a guide plate 24 extends from the downstream side of the second conveyor 6 to the charging portion of the air transfer device 2 so as to face the second conveyor 6. The guide plate 24 abuts on the side surface of the aligned square PET bottles w, and the inadvertent movement of the square PET bottles w that are attracted to the second conveyor 6 by the second suction means 17 having a relatively weak suction force. (Movement in the direction other than the conveyance direction) is regulated. In addition, since the 2nd conveyor 6 can fully maintain the adsorption | suction state of the square PET bottle w, even if this guide plate 24 is not provided, the alignment state of the square PET bottle w is maintained.
[0024]
Next, the operation of the aligned conveying apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the square PET bottle w is put in a state of being placed on the upstream side of the first conveyor 5. At this time, it is conceivable that the square PET bottle w is inadvertently rotated around the vertical direction thereof, and the corner of the square PET bottle w faces the second conveyor 6. In such a state, the square PET bottle w conveyed by the first conveyor 5 is first blown with air toward the second conveyor 6 by the air ejection means 7. As a result, the square PET bottle w rotates on the first conveyor 5, and then the flat surface on one side is pressed against the second conveyor 6. At this time, the second conveyor 6 sucks the flat surface of the square PET bottle w onto the belt 12 of the second conveyor 6 by the first suction means 16, so that the square PET bottle w is surely aligned. .
[0025]
The square PET bottles w that are conveyed while being aligned by the first conveyer 5 and the second conveyer 6 are slightly adsorbed on the second conveyer 6 by the second adsorbing means 17 of the second conveyer 6. At the same time, the mouth portion x enters between the rails 4 of the air conveying means 2. At this time, since the square PET bottles w are surely aligned, the mouth portion x enters between the rails 4 with high accuracy.
[0026]
Then, the square PET bottle w transferred to the rail 4 of the air conveying means 2 is smoothly separated from the second conveyor 6 and conveyed along the filling line by the air conveying means 2 downstream thereof.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view showing an aligning and conveying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first conveyor and a second conveyor.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
w ... square PET bottles, 1 ... alignment conveyor apparatus, 5 ... first conveyor, 6 ... second conveyor 7 ... air jetting means.

Claims (2)

A first conveyor that contains a plurality of rectangular PET bottles in which the contents are not stored and the outer shape is formed in a substantially quadrangular prism shape, and is placed in a standing state in a row at a distance from each other;
Provided along one side of the first conveyor, second conveyor adsorbs a flat surface on one side of the square PET bottles on the first conveyor to convey synchronously angular shaped PET bottles to the first conveyor When,
A corner portion is provided on the other side of the first conveyor so as to face the upstream side of the second conveyor, and air is blown onto the square PET bottles on the first conveyor. the square PET bottles facing the second conveyor by rotating the vertical direction as an axis, characterized in that it comprises an air jetting means for abutting the flat surface of one side of the angular-shaped PET bottle to the second conveyor Square PET bottle alignment transport device. A feeding unit of another transporting device that supports and transports the collar formed at the mouth of the square PET bottle is provided facing the downstream side of the first conveyor and the second conveyor,
2. The square PET bottle aligning and transporting according to claim 1, wherein the second conveyor has a smaller square PET bottle adsorbing force than the other part at least at a position where the input part of the other transport device faces. apparatus.

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