JP4386858B2 - Depressurized container dryer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vacuum container drying apparatus suitable for continuously drying containers such as bottles.

Conventionally, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a container that has been automatically washed with washing water and dried under reduced pressure. In this method, after the container is washed with washing water jetted from the jet nozzle in the lower washing chamber, the container is moved up to the upper drying chamber and dried under reduced pressure.
JP 2001-66761 A

  However, the above configuration has a problem that a decompression chamber having a certain capacity is required, and it takes time to make the decompression state, and the efficiency is poor. Further, since washing and drying are repeated alternately, there is a problem that it is difficult to continuously dry the containers being transported.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and to provide a reduced-pressure container drying apparatus that can efficiently dry a container by reduced pressure and vacuum and is suitable for a container transfer line.

The invention according to claim 1 has a container support member for supporting a container to be dried from below and an opening portion along a circular circulation drying path of a swivel table supported rotatably around a swivel axis. A vacuum chamber to which a decompression device is connected, and at least one of the support table and the vacuum chamber are brought close to each other, the container to be dried is covered with the vacuum chamber, and the opening is closely attached to the support table to seal the container to be dried. A plurality of sets of bottle holding and drying units provided with a separating device are provided,
From the inlet to the outlet of the circulation drying path, a bottle mounting section, a bottle drying section, and a bottle detachment section are provided,
A pressure switch for detecting the pressure in the vacuum chamber, a table turning angle detector for detecting a turning angle of the turning table, and a drying control device having a timer for measuring a drying time;
The drying control device closes the container to be dried by bringing the vacuum chamber and the support table into close contact with each other in the bottle mounting section, and the pressure reducing device based on the detection signal of the table turning angle detector in the bottle drying section. The vacuum chamber is depressurized by the pressure switch, the depressurized state of the vacuum chamber is detected by the pressure switch, the timer is started, and the depressurized state in the vacuum chamber is maintained for a predetermined time. It returns to atmospheric pressure, and is configured to discharge the container to be dried by separating the vacuum chamber and the support table in the bottle separation section.

The invention according to claim 2 has a container support member for supporting the container to be dried from below and an open portion along a circular circulation drying path of the swivel table supported rotatably about the swivel axis. A seal head to which a decompression device is connected, and mounting / sealing the inside of the container to be dried by bringing at least one of the support table and the seal head close to each other and bringing the seal head into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the opening of the container to be dried. A plurality of sets of bottle holding and drying units provided with a separating device are provided,
From the inlet to the outlet of the circulation drying path, a bottle mounting section, a bottle drying section, and a bottle detachment section are provided,
A pressure switch for detecting the pressure in the decompression port, a table turning angle detector for detecting a turning angle of the turning table, and a drying control device having a timer for measuring a drying time;
The drying control device closes the container to be dried by closely contacting the seal head with the opening of the container to be dried in the bottle mounting section, and based on the detection signal of the table turning angle detector in the bottle drying section. The decompression device decompresses the inside of the container to be dried through the seal head, and starts the timer by detecting the decompressed state in the seal head by the pressure switch based on the detection signal of the table turning angle detector. After maintaining the pressure-reduced state in the seal head for a predetermined time, the inside of the seal head is returned to atmospheric pressure, and the container to be dried is discharged by separating the seal head and the support table in the bottle separation section. It is configured.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the circulation drying path is provided with a heating device that promotes drying of the container to be dried.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the vacuum chamber is covered with the vacuum chamber through the open portion on the support table through the open portion so as to cover and seal the entire container to be dried, so that the vacuum chamber is decompressed and vacuumed in a short time. As a result, the container to be dried can be efficiently dried. In addition, since a plurality of sets of container holding / drying units are arranged in the circulation drying path of the swivel table, it is possible to sequentially depressurize and dry the containers to be dried that are moving along the circulation drying path, and the containers are conveyed through the container conveyance line. The container can be continuously dried.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the periphery of the opening of the container to be dried is brought into contact with the periphery of the opening of the seal head so as to cover and seal the opening. By opening the inside of the container in a reduced pressure state, the opening and the inner surface of the container to be dried can be efficiently dried. In addition, a plurality of sets of container holding / drying units can be arranged in the circulation drying path of the swivel table, and the containers to be dried moving along the circulation drying path can be successively depressurized and dried, and conveyed through the container conveyance line. The container can be dried continuously.

According to invention of Claim 3, a to-be-dried container can be effectively dried with a heating apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Embodiment 1]
As shown in FIG. 3, the decompression type drying apparatus is configured such that a bottle conveyor 5 is installed on a container conveying apparatus line that continuously conveys a bottle B that is a container to be dried, and is disposed at an intermediate position of the bottle conveyor 5. is there. A swivel table device 1 provided with a plurality of bottle holding and drying units 20 along a circular circulation drying path R, and an inlet star wheel 2 disposed in the carry-in unit 5a of the bottle conveyor 5 at the entrance of the swivel table device 1 And a timing screw 3 and an outlet star wheel 4 arranged at the outlet part 5b of the bottle conveyor 5 at the outlet of the turning table device 1.

  In the turning table device 1, as shown in FIG. 2, a turning table 14 is rotatably supported around a turning axis O on a support base 12 installed on a base plate 11 via a turning bearing 13. A table turning device 15 that turns the turning table 14 is driven to rotate by a ring gear 15a attached to a lower flange 14a of the turning table 14 and a reduction gear box 15c by a turning motor 15b and meshes with the ring gear 15a. The bottle holding and drying unit 20 is swiveled and moved in accordance with the conveyance speed of the bottle conveyor 5.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the bottle holding and drying unit 20 includes a support table 21 that supports the bottle B from below, a vacuum chamber 22 that is a decompression cover member, and the support table 21 that moves up and down to place the bottle B in a vacuum chamber. A bottle holding device (container holding device) having an attaching / detaching device (cover attaching / detaching device) 23 to be loosely fitted to 22 and a pair of left and right openable / closable clamp claws 24 for holding the bottle B in an upright posture on the support table 21. Are installed as a set.

  The attachment / detachment device 23 includes an elevating cylinder 26 erected and supported by a lower part of the turning table 14 via a support member 25, and an elevating rod connected to the piston rod of the elevating cylinder 26 and penetrating the turning table 14. 27, and the support table 21 is supported on the upper end of the lifting rod 27.

  An upper frame 32 is supported on the swivel table 14 via a support material 31, and vacuum chambers 22 are vertically suspended from the upper frame 32. The vacuum chamber 22 has a cylindrical container shape in which a decompression chamber 22a is formed and an open portion 22b that can be loosely fitted to the bottle B and the bottle holding device 24 from above is formed on the lower surface. The decompression chamber 22a detects an internal pressure. A pressure switch 33 is provided. Further, an elastic sealing material 34 that seals the gap with the support table 21 is provided around the entire periphery of the opening 22b.

  A vacuum header 37 connected to a vacuum pump unit 35, which is a decompression device, via a vacuum pipe 36 is provided at the center of the upper frame 32, and a vacuum valve 41 is interposed from the vacuum header 37. Pipes 38 are each connected to the vacuum chamber 22. Reference numeral 42 denotes an intake valve.

  The turning table 21 is provided with a drying control device 50 for operating the vacuum valve 41 and the intake valve 42 based on a detection signal of a rotary encoder (table turning angle detector) 50a incorporated in the turning motor 15b. The control valve 50c is operated by the drying control device 50 so that the elevating cylinder 26 is expanded and contracted. The drying control device 50 is provided with a timer 50b for measuring the drying time.

  Further, an arc-shaped heating device 43 including a bottle drying section 52 is provided on the outer periphery of the circulation drying path R of the swivel table 21. For example, when the far-infrared type or the infrared type is selected for the heating device 43, a polyethylene resin or glass, which is a far infrared ray or infrared ray transmitting material, is used as the material of the vacuum chamber 22.

The operation in the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG.
The bottle B carried in while adjusting the conveyance pitch by the timing screw 3 in the carry-in part 5a of the bottle conveyor 5 is placed on the support table 21 of the bottle holding / drying part 20 at the inlet of the swivel table device 1 via the inlet star wheel 2. The clamp claw 24a of the bottle holding device 24 is closed and the bottle B is held in an upright posture (STEP 1). While the bottle holding / drying unit 20 that has received the bottle B rotates in the bottle mounting section 51, the elevating cylinder 26 is advanced and the support table 21 is raised via the elevating rod 27 (STEP 2). The bottle B is loosely fitted into the vacuum chamber 22 from the open portion 22b, and the seal material 34 of the open portion is brought into contact with the upper surface of the support table 21 so that the bottle B is stored in the vacuum chamber 22 in a sealed state. Is done.

  When the bottle holding / drying unit 20 enters the bottle drying section 52, the vacuum valve 41 is opened by the drying control device 50 based on the signal of the rotary encoder 50a, and the decompression chamber 22a of the vacuum chamber 22 is decompressed (STEP 3). When the decompression (vacuum) state in the vacuum chamber 22 is confirmed by the pressure switch 33 (STEP 4), the drying control device 50 starts the timer 50b (STEP 5) and decompresses (vacuum) for a predetermined time in the bottle drying section 52. ) State is maintained, and all the inner and outer surfaces except the bottom surface of the bottle B are dried. Here, drying is promoted by the heating device 43.

  When the bottle holding / drying unit 20 reaches the latter half of the bottle drying section 52, the vacuum valve 41 is closed by a timer (STEP 6), the intake valve 42 is opened, and the decompression chamber 22a of the vacuum chamber 22 is returned to the atmospheric pressure state. (STEP7).

  Further, when the bottle holding / drying unit 20 enters the bottle detachment section 53, the drying control device 50 contracts the elevating cylinder 26 via the control valve 50 c, and the support table 21 is lowered to remove the bottle B from the decompression chamber 22 a of the vacuum chamber 22. Is withdrawn. Then, the support table 21 is lowered and returned to the original delivery position (STEP 8). Next, after the intake valve 42 is closed by the drying control device 50 (STEP 9), and the clamp claw 24a is opened to open the bottle B, the bottle B on the support table 21 is discharged from the outlet table 1 at the outlet of the turning table device 1. It is discharged to the carry-out part 5b of the bottle conveyor 5 through the wheel 4 (STEP 10).

  According to the above embodiment, the support table 21 is lifted by the mounting / removal device 23, the bottle B arranged on the support table 21 is loosely fitted in the vacuum chamber 22, and the support table 21 and the vacuum chamber are sealed by the sealing material 34. 22, the bottle B is sealed via the sealing material 34, and the vacuum pump unit 35 can reduce the pressure reducing chamber 22 b of the vacuum chamber 22 in a short time to make a substantially vacuum state. It can be dried efficiently. Further, drying can be further promoted by the far-infrared type drying device 43.

In addition, since the bottle holding / drying unit 20 including the support table 21, the vacuum chamber 22, and the attaching / detaching device 23 is arranged at regular intervals in the circulation drying path R of the swivel table 14, the bottle conveyor 1 is conveyed. The bottles B can be taken out sequentially and the drying operation can be performed efficiently and continuously.
[Embodiment 2]
In the first embodiment, the vacuum chamber 22 that covers the entire bottle B is used as the decompression cover member. However, in the second embodiment, the seal head 61 that covers the opening P of the bottle B is employed. 5 and FIG. The same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The seal head 61 suspended from the upper frame 32 includes a head body 62 having a decompression chamber 62a that opens to the lower surface, a decompression port 62b that communicates with the decompression chamber 62a, and a mounting bracket 65 on the lower surface of the head body 62. A lip seal 63 having a cylindrical elasticity that is fitted to the opening P of the bottle B and is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shoulder S to seal the opening P. A pressurizing coil spring 64 for assisting the pressing force is provided.

  In the above configuration, when the seal head 61 is attached to the bottle B, the attachment / detachment device 23 is driven to raise the support table 21, and the opening P of the bottle B is moved from the lip seal 63 into the decompression chamber 62a of the head body 62. The opening edge of the lip seal 63 is pressed against the shoulder S of the bottle B to seal the decompression chamber 62a. Then, by opening the vacuum valve 41, the periphery of the opening P of the bottle B and the inner surface of the bottle can be dried under reduced pressure.

  According to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved. In addition, since only the opening P of the bottle B is covered by the seal head 61, the lifting / lowering stroke of the mounting / detaching device 23 can be greatly shortened, and the seal head 61 can be compared with the vacuum chamber 22 of the first embodiment. Can be reduced in size, and the whole can be made compact.

In the second embodiment, the bottle B is placed on the support table 21. However, if the bottle B can be firmly held by the bottle holding device 24, the support table 21 is not necessary.
In the first and second embodiments, the mounting / removal device 23 is configured to move the support table 21 up and down, but the vacuum chamber 22 or the seal head 61 may be moved up and down.

  Furthermore, in the said Embodiment 1, 2, although the to-be-dried container was made from glass or a resin bottle B, it is not restricted to the bottle B. In Embodiment 2, it is sufficient that the container itself has a strength that can withstand decompression, and it is suitable for a container having a relatively small opening. Further, the first embodiment is suitable for a small container having a small size capable of making the vacuum chamber 22 relatively small.

  Furthermore, although the circulation drying path R is made circular using the swivel table 14, as shown in FIG. 7, the bottle is held along the oval circulation drying path R ′ having long sides along the bottle conveyors 5a and 5b. The drying unit 20 can also be circulated.

1 is a side cross-sectional view of a container holding / drying unit according to a first embodiment of a container drying apparatus according to the present invention. It is a whole longitudinal cross-sectional view of the turning table apparatus. It is a whole schematic plan view of the container drying apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the operation procedure of the container drying apparatus. Embodiment 2 of the container drying apparatus which concerns on this invention is shown, and it is side surface sectional drawing of a container holding | maintenance drying part. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the seal head of the container holding | maintenance drying part. It is a schematic plan view which shows embodiment of the other circulation drying path | route.

Explanation of symbols

B Bottle P Opening portion N Neck portion S Shoulder portion O Revolving axis R Circulating drying path 1 Revolving table device 5 Bottle conveyor 14 Revolving table 15 Table revolving device 20 Bottle holding and drying unit 21 Revolving table 22 Vacuum chamber 23 Mounting / detaching device 24 Clamp claw 26 Elevating cylinder 33 Pressure switch 34 Sealing material 35 Vacuum pump unit 41 Vacuum valve 42 Intake valve 43 Heating device 50 Drying control device 63 Lip seal

Claims (3)

A vacuum chamber in which a container supporting member for supporting a container to be dried from below is connected along a circular circulation drying path of a swivel table that is rotatably supported around a swivel axis, and has an open portion and to which a decompression device is connected. And a mounting / detaching device that closes at least one of the support table and the vacuum chamber, covers the container to be dried by the vacuum chamber, closes the opening to the support table, and seals the container to be dried. A bottle holding and drying unit
From the inlet to the outlet of the circulation drying path, a bottle mounting section, a bottle drying section, and a bottle detachment section are provided,
A pressure switch for detecting the pressure in the vacuum chamber, a table turning angle detector for detecting a turning angle of the turning table, and a drying control device having a timer for measuring a drying time;
The drying control device closes the container to be dried by bringing the vacuum chamber and the support table into close contact with each other in the bottle mounting section, and the pressure reducing device based on the detection signal of the table turning angle detector in the bottle drying section. The vacuum chamber is depressurized by the pressure switch, the depressurized state of the vacuum chamber is detected by the pressure switch, the timer is started, and the depressurized state in the vacuum chamber is maintained for a predetermined time. A vacuum container drying apparatus configured to return to atmospheric pressure and discharge the container to be dried by separating the vacuum chamber and the support table in the bottle separation section. A container support member that supports a container to be dried from below along a circular circulation drying path of a swivel table that is rotatably supported around a swivel axis, and a seal head that has an open portion and is connected to a decompression device. And a plurality of sets including a mounting / removal device that closes the inside of the container to be dried by bringing at least one of the support table and the sealing head into close contact with each other and bringing the seal head into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the opening of the container to be dried A bottle holding and drying unit
From the inlet to the outlet of the circulation drying path, a bottle mounting section, a bottle drying section, and a bottle detachment section are provided,
A pressure switch for detecting the pressure in the decompression port, a table turning angle detector for detecting a turning angle of the turning table, and a drying control device having a timer for measuring a drying time;
The drying control device closes the container to be dried by closely contacting the seal head with the opening of the container to be dried in the bottle mounting section, and based on the detection signal of the table turning angle detector in the bottle drying section. The decompression device decompresses the inside of the container to be dried through the seal head, and starts the timer by detecting the decompressed state in the seal head by the pressure switch based on the detection signal of the table turning angle detector. After maintaining the pressure-reduced state in the seal head for a predetermined time, the inside of the seal head is returned to atmospheric pressure, and the container to be dried is discharged by separating the seal head and the support table in the bottle separation section. Constructed vacuum container drying device. Circulating the drying path, vacuum type container drying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein is provided a heating device to facilitate the drying of the drying vessel.

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