JP5272153B2 - Preform suction head, preform transport apparatus and preform inspection apparatus using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a suction head for a preform capable of making the time required for holding the preform and releasing the holding shorter than before, with a relatively simple constitution. <P>SOLUTION: A piston part 22 is vertically movably fitted in a first storage chamber 26a of a suction head 20, and a projection part 23 inserted into the preform 100 is connected, and these piston part 22 and projection part 23 are pressed upward by a coil spring 24. A second pressure reduction chamber 37 smaller in the cross-sectional area than a first pressure reduction chamber 36 is arranged above the first pressure reduction chamber 36 under the piston part 22, and these pressure reduction chambers 36 and 37 are connected to a common suction passage 44 arranged on the axis CL of the suction head 20. When air is sucked from a suction port 20c via the suction passage 44, the piston part 22 and the projection part 23 lower against the coil spring 24 by driving force generated in response to a cross-sectional area difference between the first pressure reduction chamber 36 and the second pressure reduction chamber 37, and a cone part 23c of the projection part 23 projects from an under surface 21a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a preform suction head for sucking and holding a preform by sucking the mouth of a preform made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), a preform of a so-called PET bottle, by vacuum suction. The present invention relates to a preform conveying apparatus and a preform inspection apparatus.

  A PET container (pet bottle) is formed into a bottle shape by thermoforming a preformed product into what is called a preform. Generally, this preform has a bottomed cylindrical shape in which the bottom is spherical and the mouth is flat, and a collar is provided at the neck below the mouth. As an inspection device for inspecting this preform, it is equipped with a main rotor that revolves while sucking the head of the preform by vacuum suction with the suction head, and photographing the body of the spinning preform with a camera In the inspection apparatus for inspecting, a communication hole is provided in which a convex portion protruding downward is provided on the lower surface of the suction head, the convex portion is engaged with the mouth portion of the preform, and the lower end of the convex portion is opened. It is known that a preform is held by a suction head by performing suction from the above (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 3859323

  Since the convex portion of the main rotor suction head provided in the inspection apparatus of Patent Document 1 protrudes from the lower surface, the entire suction head is required to be inserted into or extracted from the preform. It is necessary to move up and down by the height of the part. In this case, since the suction head is moved up and down by, for example, an elevating cylinder, a cam, and a cam follower, the suction head cannot be lifted up and down instantaneously, and the preform is held on the suction head or released. Since the time required for the operation is limited, the processing capacity of the apparatus is limited by the ascending / descending time.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a preform suction head that can reduce the time required to hold and release the preform with a relatively simple configuration, and a preform conveying apparatus and a preform inspection apparatus using the same. The purpose is to provide.

  The suction head for preform of the present invention has a lower surface (21a) facing the mouth portion (103) of the preform (100) to be held at the lower end, and includes a peripheral wall (28) and an upper partition wall (27) inside. ) And a lower partition wall (29) and a head body (21a) having a storage chamber (26a), and a partition portion (22b) which is fitted to the peripheral wall of the storage chamber so as to be movable up and down to partition the storage chamber. A first movable body (22) provided with a mounting shaft (22e) to be inserted into a through hole (29a) in the center of the lower partition wall on the lower surface side, and inserted into the preform to be held A cone portion (23c) at the lower end, and the cone portion moves from the center hole (31c) provided at the center portion of the lower surface as the first movable body moves in the vertical direction from the lower surface. Protruding position protruding downward and the protruding position A second movable body (23) coupled to the mounting shaft so as to be movable between the standby position moved further upward and accommodated in the head main body so as to be movable up and down, and the cone portion. A spring member (24) for generating a force to move from the protruding position to the standby position, and between the partition portion and the lower partition wall in the accommodating chamber, 1 decompression chamber (36) is provided, one of the first movable body and the upper partition wall is provided with a guide shaft (22d) coaxial with the mounting shaft, and the other is provided with a recess (25a ) Are provided, and a second decompression chamber (37) is provided between the guide shaft and the recess, and the axis of the attachment shaft passes through the second decompression chamber from the top of the head body. To reach the cone portion and the cone portion A suction path (44) in which a suction port (20c) opens is provided on a lower surface, the suction path and the first decompression chamber are connected, and the suction port, the first decompression chamber, When the air is sucked from the second decompression chamber, the second decompression is performed such that a driving force that moves the first movable body downward against the force of the spring member acts on the first movable body. The area of the cross section orthogonal to the axis of the chamber is set to be smaller than the area of the cross section orthogonal to the axis of the first decompression chamber.

  According to the preform suction head of the present invention, the pressure in the first decompression chamber and the second decompression chamber is reduced by sucking air from the suction port, the first decompression chamber, and the second decompression chamber through the suction path. Each can be reduced. At this time, a downward intake force acts on the first movable body due to a decrease in pressure in the first decompression chamber, and an upward suction force acts on the first movable body due to a decrease in pressure in the second decompression chamber. However, the sectional area of the second decompression chamber is larger than the sectional area of the first decompression chamber so that the driving force for moving the first movable body downward against the force of the spring member acts on the first movable body. Since it is set small, the first movable body moves downward against the force of the spring member. Thereby, the cone part of the 2nd movable body connected with this 1st movable body can be moved from a standby position to a protrusion position. On the other hand, when the suction of air is stopped, the cone portion can be moved from the protruding position to the standby position by the spring member. That is, according to this suction head, the cone portion can be projected from the lower surface of the head body by sucking air from the suction port via the suction path. Moreover, the cone part can be moved upward from the protruding position by stopping the suction. Therefore, the cone portion can be inserted into or extracted from the preform without moving the entire suction head in the vertical direction by the cone portion. Therefore, the time required for holding the preform and releasing the holding can be shortened.

  In the suction head of the present invention, a guide shaft is provided on one of the first movable body and the upper partition, and a recess is provided on the other. By fitting them together, the first movable body and the upper partition are placed between each other. A second decompression chamber is formed. The suction path is provided so as to pass through the second decompression chamber. Therefore, the suction path can be provided linearly along the axis of the mounting shaft from the top of the head body. Accordingly, it is possible to simplify the layout of the suction path, thereby simplifying the configuration in the head body. Further, the width of the head main body can be narrowed by providing the suction path linearly along the axis of the mounting shaft. Therefore, the head body can be downsized.

  In an embodiment of the preform suction head of the present invention, the preform suction head is provided on either the second movable body or the head main body, and the inner surface of the center hole and the inner surface of the center hole when the cone portion moves to the protruding position. A seal member (43) sandwiched between the second movable body and the head main body may be further provided so as to close a gap between the second movable body and the second movable body. In this case, since the gap between the inner surface of the center hole and the second movable body can be sealed when the cone portion is moved to the protruding position, air can be prevented from being sucked into the head main body from this gap. In addition, when the cone portion is inserted into the preform and air is sucked from the preform, air flows into the preform from the gap between the inner surface of the center hole and the second movable body. Can be suppressed. Therefore, the suction force of the suction head can be increased.

  In an embodiment of the preform suction head of the present invention, an air release chamber (35) that communicates with the outside of the head body so as to surround the guide shaft between the partition portion and the upper partition in the storage chamber. ) May be provided so as to surround the guide shaft. In this case, when air is sucked from the first decompression chamber, a relatively large upward driving force corresponding to the pressure difference between the first decompression chamber and the atmosphere release chamber can be applied to the first movable body. Therefore, it is possible to reliably move the first movable body downward while suppressing the influence of the downward suction force generated with the decompression of the second decompression chamber.

  In one form of the preform suction head of the present invention, the cone portion may be stored in the head main body at the standby position. In this case, the cone portion can be inserted into or extracted from the preform without raising or lowering the entire suction head.

  In one form of the preform suction head of the present invention, the cone portion may be formed in a conical shape whose outer diameter gradually decreases toward the tip. By forming the cone portion in a conical shape in this way, the cone portion can be quickly inserted into the preform. Further, by forming the cone portion in a conical shape, the cone portion and the preform can be quickly made coaxial when inserted into the preform.

  The preform conveying apparatus of the present invention is a preform conveying apparatus (10) for conveying a preform along a predetermined conveying path. The preform suction head (20) and the suction head described above are transported to the predetermined conveying path. The above-described problems are solved by including moving means (13, 14) that move along the route.

  According to the preform conveying device of the present invention, since the suction head of the present invention described above is provided, the cone portion is inserted into the preform without moving at least the entire suction head in the vertical direction. Or can be extracted. Therefore, the time required for holding the preform and releasing the holding can be shortened. Accordingly, the processing speed can be improved by increasing the speed of the apparatus. Further, since the layout of the suction path of the suction head can be simplified, the configuration in the head body can be simplified.

  The preform inspection apparatus of the present invention images a preform being conveyed while conveying the preform along a predetermined conveyance path, and inspects the presence or absence of abnormality of the preform based on the obtained image In the inspection apparatus (1), the preform conveying apparatus (10) having the above-described preform adsorption head (20) and moving means (13, 14) for moving the adsorption head along the predetermined conveyance path. And the image pickup means (5) for picking up an image of the preform being conveyed by the preform conveyance device, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems.

  According to the preform inspection apparatus of the present invention, since the preform conveying apparatus having the suction head of the present invention described above is provided, the cone portion is moved without moving the entire suction head in the vertical direction by the amount of the cone portion. Can be inserted and removed from the preform. Therefore, the time required for holding the preform and releasing the holding can be shortened. In this case, the conveyance section that can be imaged by the imaging means can be made longer than before. In addition, the processing speed can be improved by speeding up the apparatus.

  In one form of the preform inspection apparatus of the present invention, the imaging means images the mouth of the preform sucked and held by the suction head, and the color of the outer surface of the cone portion of the suction head is light. The color may reflect the color. Since the preform is generally transparent, the reflected light from the mouth can be obtained by inserting the cone portion of such a color into the mouth of the preform. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately image the mouth of the preform by the imaging unit.

  In addition, in the above description, in order to make an understanding of this invention easy, the reference sign of the accompanying drawing was attached in parenthesis, but this invention is not limited to the form of illustration by it.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the cone portion is movable between the protruding position protruding below the lower surface of the head main body and the standby position above the protruding position, the suction head The cone portion can be inserted into or extracted from the preform without moving the entire portion up and down in the vertical direction. Therefore, the time required for holding the preform and releasing the holding can be shortened. Further, since the layout of the suction path of the suction head can be simplified, the configuration in the head body can be simplified.

  FIG. 1 shows a preform inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The preform inspection apparatus 1 inspects the preform 100 shown as an example in FIG. The preform 100 is a well-known one known as a PET container so-called plastic bottle preform. As shown in FIG. 2, the preform 100 has a bottomed cylindrical shape and includes a body portion 102 having a spherical bottom portion 101. A mouth portion 103 is opened at the upper end of the body portion 102, and a collar 105 is provided on a neck portion 104 below the mouth portion 103.

  The preform inspection apparatus 1 performs various inspections on the preform 100 being transported while transporting the preform 100 along a predetermined transport path. As the inspection, for example, an appearance inspection for inspecting the appearance of the preform 100 for an abnormality is performed. In order to transport the preform 100 along a predetermined path, the preform inspection device 1 includes, in order from the upstream side in the transport direction, a screw transport device 2, an inlet star wheel transport device 3 as a supply device, a main rotor device 10, And an exit star wheel type transfer device 4. In addition, the preform inspection apparatus 1 includes a plurality of cameras 5 as imaging means for imaging the appearance of the preform 100 being conveyed, and the preform 100 conveyed by the main rotor apparatus 10. And an illuminating device 6 for illuminating from the inner peripheral side. Each camera 5 is provided so as to image different portions of the preform 100 through the mirror 5a. As the portions to be imaged by the plurality of cameras 5, the side surface of the trunk portion 102, the side surfaces of the mouth portion 103 and the neck portion 104 are set. The preform 100 discharged from the outlet star wheel type transfer device 4 is transferred to a downstream process by the carry-out conveyor 7.

  The entrance star wheel type transfer device 3 is a well-known device that takes the preform 100 and transfers it into a plurality of pockets 3b (see FIG. 4) provided at equal intervals on the outer periphery of the star wheel 3a. At this time, the preform 100 is supported by the star wheel 3a with the mouth portion 103 facing upward. The exit star wheel type transfer device 4 is a similar transfer device, and is a known device that takes the preform 100 and transfers it into a plurality of pockets (not shown) provided at equal intervals on the outer periphery of the star wheel 4a. The screw type conveying device 2 is a well-known device that aligns the distance between the preforms 100 with the pitch between the pockets of the downstream inlet star wheel type conveying device 3 by the screw 2a. Therefore, the detailed description about these conveying apparatuses 2, 3, and 4 is abbreviate | omitted. Further, the appearance inspection method by the preform inspection apparatus 1 may be a known inspection method for inspecting the presence or absence of an abnormality in the appearance of the preform 100 based on the images of the respective parts of the preform 100 imaged by the plurality of cameras 5. Detailed description will be omitted.

  3 and 4 are views showing the main rotor device 10. 3 shows a cross section of the main rotor device 10, and FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the main rotor device 10. The main rotor device 10 sucks and holds the preform 100 with the suction head 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and transports the preform 100 held by the suction head 20 along a predetermined transport path while rotating. is there. As shown in FIG. 3, the main rotor device 10 includes a gantry 11 that is fixed to the floor F, a rotary shaft 12 that is rotatably supported by the gantry 11, and a rotary shaft 12 that is provided coaxially with the rotary shaft 12. A first disk 13 that rotates integrally, a second disk 14 that is non-rotatably fixed to the gantry 10, and a plurality of suction heads 20 that are supported by the second disk 14 via support members 15 are provided. On the outer periphery of the first disk 13, there are provided through holes 13a penetrating in the vertical direction over the entire circumference at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the suction head 20 is rotatably inserted into the through hole 13a. The support member 15 rotatably supports the suction head 20. A roller 15 a is provided on the side surface of the support member 15, and the roller 15 a runs on a rail 14 a provided on the outer periphery of the second disk 14 over the entire circumference. The rail 14a is provided on the second disk 14 so that the traveling surface on which the roller 15a travels is at the same height from the floor F.

  The main rotor device 10 also includes a switching valve 16 for switching between holding the preform 100 by the suction head 20 and releasing the holding. The switching valve 16 is provided in the middle of an air suction path between a vacuum pump (not shown) serving as a suction source and the suction head 20, and serves as a suction head 20 in a section in which the main rotor device 10 should transport the preform 100. This is a known device that switches between connection and disconnection of the vacuum pump and the suction head 20 so that a suction force acts. Therefore, detailed description is omitted.

  The suction head 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the suction head 20 in the axial direction. As shown in this figure, the suction head 20 includes a head body 21, a piston portion 22 as a first movable body, a protruding portion 23 as a second movable body, and a plurality of coil springs 24 as spring members. I have. The head main body 21, the piston part 22, and the protruding part 23 are arranged coaxially. As is clear from this figure, the lower surface 21 a of the head body 21 becomes the lower surface 20 b of the suction head 20 facing the mouth portion 103 of the preform 100. The head body 21 has a rotating shaft 25 supported by a support member 15 (see FIG. 3) so as to be rotatable around an axis CL, and a case 26 attached to a lower end of the rotating shaft 25 so as to rotate integrally with the rotating shaft 25. And. As shown in FIG. 3, the rotation shaft 25 is provided with a pulley 20 a that rotates integrally with the rotation shaft 25. The pulley 20a meshes with the belt 8 provided in a part of the rotation path of the first disk 13, and is driven to rotate as the belt 8 travels. Therefore, the head main body 21 is rotationally driven by this.

  Returning to FIG. 5, the case 26 includes a base 27, a cylindrical case body 28, a lid portion 29, a guide tube portion 30, a flange portion 31, and a cover portion 32. As shown in this figure, the outer diameters of the base 27, the case main body 28, and the lid portion 29 are substantially the same. The base 27 is attached to the rotating shaft 25 so as to rotate coaxially and integrally. The base 27 has a cylindrical mounting portion 27a into which the rotating shaft 25 is inserted, a disk-shaped disk portion 27b that protrudes radially outward from the mounting portion 27a, and a cylindrical shape that protrudes below the disk portion 27b. Piston receiving portion 27c. The piston receiving portion 27c is provided with a communication hole 27d that allows communication between the inside and the outside. The case body 28 is attached to the lower surface of the base 27, and the lid portion 29 is superimposed on the lower surface of the case body 28. A through hole 29 a into which the piston part 22 is inserted is provided at the center of the lid part 29. The lid portion 29 is provided with a fitting portion 29b that fits inside the case body 28 so that the lid portion 29 is coaxially attached to the case body 28. The base 27, the case main body 28, and the lid portion 29 are arranged coaxially with each other and are integrally joined by a bolt 33.

  The guide cylinder portion 30 is provided coaxially on the lower surface of the lid portion 29 and is integrally joined to the lid portion 29 by a bolt 34. On the outer periphery of the guide tube portion 30, a projection portion 30 a that protrudes radially outward is provided. The flange portion 31 includes a large-diameter portion 31a and a small-diameter portion 31b that projects downward from the large-diameter portion 31a. In addition, a center hole 31c is provided at the center of the flange portion 31 so as to penetrate the top and bottom and insert the protruding portion 23 therein. The cover portion 32 is provided with a hole 32a at the center of the lower surface thereof. The flange portion 31 is fitted into the cover portion 32 from the inside so that the small diameter portion 31b fits into the hole 32a. The case 26 is provided with a spring hole 26 c that passes through the lid portion 29 and reaches the case main body 28. A coil spring 50 is inserted into the spring hole 26c in a state compressed in the vertical direction. A pressing member 51 having an upper end in contact with the coil spring 50 and a lower end in contact with the flange portion 31 is provided below the coil spring 50. Therefore, the flange portion 31 can be pressed against the cover portion 32 by the restoring force of the coil spring 50. The height of the small diameter portion 31b is set so that the lower surface of the flange portion 31 and the lower surface of the cover portion 32 are substantially flush with each other when the flange portion 31 is fitted into the cover portion 32. A claw portion 32 b that engages with the protruding portion 30 a of the guide tube portion 30 is provided on the upper portion of the cover portion 32. The cover portion 32 is coaxially and integrally attached to the guide tube portion 30 by accommodating the flange portion 31 therein and engaging the claw portion 32b with the projection portion 30a.

  Inside the case main body 28, a first storage chamber 26a in which the piston portion 22 is stored is provided. The upper end of the first storage chamber 26 a is covered with a base 27, and the lower end is covered with a lid portion 29. Thus, the base 27 functions as an upper partition, the case body 28 functions as a peripheral wall, and the lid 29 functions as a lower partition. In addition, a second storage chamber 26 b in which the protruding portion 23 is stored is provided inside the guide tube portion 30. The upper end of the second storage chamber 26 b is covered with a lid portion 29, and the lower end is covered with a flange portion 31.

  The piston portion 22 is accommodated in the first accommodating chamber 26a so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The piston part 22 includes a cylindrical shaft part 22a and a disk-shaped partition part 22b extending radially outward from the shaft part 22a. The partition portion 22b is provided coaxially with the shaft portion 22a. The partition portion 22b is provided with a cylindrical sliding portion 22c that extends upward from the outer periphery thereof. The piston 22 is movably accommodated in the first accommodating chamber 26a by fitting the sliding portion 22c to the inner surface of the case body 28 so as to be movable up and down. Thereby, in the 1st storage chamber 26a, the air release chamber 35 is formed between the partition part 22b and the base 27, and the 1st decompression chamber 36 is formed between the partition part 22b and the cover part 29, respectively. The disk portion 27 b of the base 27 is provided with a communication hole 27 e that allows the atmosphere release chamber 35 and the outside of the head body 21 to communicate with each other. In addition, the case body 28 is provided with a notch 28a so that a part of the lower end of the case body 28 does not contact the base 27 and a gap is formed therebetween. Therefore, the atmosphere release chamber 35 and the outside of the head main body 21 can be communicated with each other also by the gap formed by the notch 28a.

  The shaft portion 22a includes a guide shaft 22d provided above the partition portion 22b and an attachment shaft 22e provided below the partition portion 22b. The rotary shaft 25 is provided with a recess 25a that opens on the lower surface thereof. The guide shaft 22d is inserted into the recess 25a. Thereby, the 2nd decompression chamber 37 is formed between the upper end part of the guide shaft 22d, and the ceiling surface 25b of the recessed part 25a. A sleeve 38 is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the guide shaft 22d and the inner peripheral surface of the recess 25a. The sleeve 38 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the recess 25a by using a fitting means such as press fitting. A minute gap exists between the sleeve 38 and the guide shaft 22d so that the guide shaft 22d can slide along the sleeve 38 smoothly. Although air leaks into the second decompression chamber 37 through the gap, the amount of the leak is limited to such an extent that the decompression of the second decompression chamber 37 is not hindered. The guide shaft 22d is provided with a buffer ring 39 that is interposed between the partition portion 22b and the piston receiving portion 27c and prevents the piston portion 22 from colliding with the base 27.

  The attachment shaft 22e is inserted into the through hole 29a of the lid portion 29 so that the lower end of the attachment shaft 22e projects into the second storage chamber 26b. A sleeve 40 is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the mounting shaft 22e and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 29a. The sleeve 40 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 29a by using a fitting means such as press fitting. There is a minute gap between the sleeve 40 and the mounting shaft 22e so that the mounting shaft 22e can slide smoothly along the sleeve 40. Although air leaks into the first decompression chamber 36 through the gap, the amount of the leak is limited to the extent that the decompression of the first decompression chamber 36 is not hindered.

  The protrusion 23 is accommodated in the second storage chamber 26b so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The protrusion 23 is connected coaxially to the mounting shaft 22 e of the piston portion 22. The protruding portion 23 includes a cylindrical body portion 23a and a disc-shaped collar portion 23b that protrudes radially outward from the body portion 23a. And the protrusion part 23 is accommodated in the 2nd storage chamber 26b so that the collar part 23b is fitted to the inner surface of the guide cylinder part 30 so that a vertical movement is possible. The trunk portion 23 a is inserted into the center hole 31 c of the flange portion 31. The outer diameter of the body portion 23a is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the center hole 31c so that the body portion 23a can move up and down in the center hole 31c. A cone portion 23 c to be inserted into the mouth portion 103 of the preform 100 is provided at the lower end of the body portion 23 a. The cone portion 23c is formed in a conical shape whose outer diameter gradually decreases toward the tip. The outer surface of the cone part 23c is painted in a color that reflects light, for example, white. Therefore, by inserting the cone portion 23 c into the mouth portion 103 of the preform 100, the reflected light from the mouth portion 103 can be obtained. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately perform imaging of the mouth portion 103 of the preform 100 by the camera 5.

  The body portion 23a is provided with a recess 23d that opens on the upper surface side. The concave portion 23d includes a large diameter portion 23e and a small diameter portion 23f. The large-diameter portion 23e is provided so that its inner diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 29c of the lid portion 29 that forms the through hole 29a. The small diameter portion 23f is provided so that the inner diameter thereof is the same value as the outer diameter of the mounting shaft 22e. The mounting shaft 22e of the piston portion 22 is fitted into the small diameter portion 23f. A suction hole 41 that penetrates to the lower surface of the body portion 23a and opens at the center of the cone portion 23c is provided. The suction hole 41 functions as the suction port 20 c of the suction head 20. A groove 42 that is recessed inward in the radial direction is provided on an upper portion of the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 23a from which the flange portion 23b protrudes. An O-ring 43 as a seal member is attached to the groove 42.

  A plurality of coil springs 24 are housed in the second housing chamber 26b. The upper end portions of these coil springs 24 are fitted into spring receiving holes 23g provided in the flange portions 23b of the protruding portions 23. Each coil spring 24 is held in the second storage chamber 26b while being compressed in the vertical direction by the flange portion 31. Therefore, a force that pushes upward acts on the protruding portion 23 and the piston portion 22 by the restoring force of each coil spring 24 against the compression. At this time, the piston part 22 and the projecting part 23 move upward until the partition part 22 b of the piston part 22 hits the piston receiving part 27 c of the base 27 via the buffer ring 39. The piston portion 22 and the protruding portion 23 move to this position, whereby the cone portion 23c of the protruding portion 23 is stored in the head main body 21. Hereinafter, the position where the cone portion 23c of the protruding portion 23 is stored in the head main body 21 may be referred to as a standby position of the protruding portion 23. At the bottom of each spring receiving hole 23g, there is provided a communication hole 23h that vertically penetrates the collar portion 23b. A communication hole (not shown) that connects the second storage chamber 26 b and the outside of the head body 21 is formed between the cover portion 32 and the guide tube portion 30.

  A suction path 44 is provided in the suction head 20 to suck air from the suction port 20c. The suction path 44 includes a first passage 45 that penetrates the inside of the rotary shaft 25 along its axis CL, and a second passage 46 that penetrates the inside of the piston portion 22 along the axis CL. A second decompression chamber 37 is located between the first passage 45 and the second passage 46. Thereby, the second decompression chamber 37 is also used as a part of the suction path 44. The second passage 46 is connected to the suction hole 41 of the protruding portion 23. Therefore, this suction hole 41 is also used as a part of the suction path 44. Accordingly, the suction path 44 extends along the axis line CL of the mounting shaft 22e so as to reach the suction port 20c from the upper surface side of the head body 21 via the second decompression chamber 37. A plurality of connection paths 47 that penetrates in the direction orthogonal to the axis line CL are provided on the mounting shaft 22 e of the piston portion 22. The second passage 46 and the first decompression chamber 36 are connected via the connection passage 47. Therefore, the suction port 20c, the first decompression chamber 36, and the second decompression chamber 37 are connected to a common suction path 44. As shown in FIG. 3, the joint 17 connected to the upper end of the first passage 45 is attached to the upper end of the suction head 20, and the suction path 44 is connected to the switching valve 16 via the piping tube 18 connected to the joint 17. Connected with. Therefore, by connecting a vacuum pump (not shown) and the suction path 44 via the switching valve 16, air is sucked from each of the suction port 20 c, the first decompression chamber 36, and the second decompression chamber 37. Thereby, the internal pressure of the 1st decompression chamber 36 and the 2nd decompression chamber 37 falls.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when air is sucked from the suction path 44, an upward suction force F <b> 1 acts on the piston portion 22 as the pressure in the second decompression chamber 37 decreases. On the other hand, a downward suction force F <b> 2 acts on the piston portion 22 as the pressure in the first decompression chamber 36 decreases. Since the decompression chambers 36 and 37 are connected to a common suction path 44, the pressures of the decompression chambers 36 and 37 are equal to each other. Therefore, the magnitude relationship between the suction forces acting on the piston portion 22 depends on the magnitude relationship between the area of the cross section perpendicular to the axis CL of the first decompression chamber 36 and the area of the cross section perpendicular to the axis CL of the second decompression chamber 37. Determined. In addition, the force of the coil spring 24 acts on the piston portion 22 via the protrusion 23. Further, an air release chamber 35 communicating with the outside of the head main body 21 is provided above the partition portion 22 b of the piston portion 22. Therefore, a push-down force F4 due to atmospheric pressure acts on the piston portion 22. Therefore, if the sectional area of the second decompression chamber 37 is limited to be smaller than the sectional area of the first decompression chamber 36 so that the resultant force (F2 + F4) of the downward force is larger than the resultant force (F1 + F3) of the upward force, the pressure is reduced. Accordingly, a downward driving force acts on the piston portion 22. By setting the cross-sectional area in this way, the piston portion 22 can be lowered with the suction of air from the suction path 44.

  FIG. 6 shows the suction head 20 in a state in which a suction force is applied to the suction path 44 and the piston portion 22 is lowered. As shown in FIG. 6, by moving the piston portion 22 downward, the cone portion 23 c of the protruding portion 23 can be protruded downward from the lower surface 21 a of the head main body 21. Therefore, the cone portion 23c is inserted into the mouth portion 103 of the preform 100, and the air in the preform 100 can be sucked from the suction port 20c provided at the tip of the cone portion 23c through the suction path 44. . Thereby, the pressure in the preform 100 can be reduced, and the suction head 20 can suck and hold the preform 100. At this time, the projecting portion 23 moves downward until the O-ring 43 is sandwiched between the projecting portion 23 and the flange portion 31 and is crushed as the piston portion 22 descends. The O-ring 43 is thus sandwiched between the projecting portion 23 and the flange portion 31 and crushed, thereby closing the gap between the inner surface of the center hole 31c and the body portion 23a of the projecting portion 23. Hereinafter, the position where the protruding portion 23 moves downward until the O-ring 43 is sandwiched and crushed and the cone portion 23c protrudes below the lower surface 21a of the head body 21 is referred to as a protruding position of the protruding portion 23. There is.

  In the main rotor device 10, the second disk 14 is such that the lower surface 20 b of the suction head 20 does not contact the mouth portion 103 of the preform 100 supported by the inlet star wheel type transfer device 3, and the protruding portion 23 is set to the protruding position. The support member 15 is supported so that the suction head 20 moves at a predetermined height when the cone portion 23c is inserted into the preform 100 supported by the inlet star wheel type transfer device 3 when moved. Then, when the first disk 13 rotates integrally with the rotary shaft 12, the carry-in position P 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 4) for receiving the preform 100 from the inlet star wheel type conveying device 3 and the outlet star wheel type conveying device 4. Then, the suction head 20 is moved along a predetermined transport path including the unloading position P2 (see FIG. 1) where the preform 100 is sent out. Therefore, the first disk 13 and the second disk 14 correspond to the moving means of the present invention.

  Next, a procedure for sucking and holding the preform 100 by the suction head 20 of the main rotor device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, the inlet star wheel type conveyance device 3 supports the preform 100 with the mouth portion 103 facing upward. When the preform 100 is not sucked and held by the suction head 20, the suction force is not acting on the suction path 44, so the protruding portion 23 has moved to the standby position. Since the suction head 20 moves along the predetermined conveyance path while being maintained at the predetermined height described above, a suction force is applied to the suction path 44 by the switching valve 16 at the timing when it reaches the loading position P1. By doing so, the cone portion 23 c of the protruding portion 23 can be protruded from the head body 21, and the cone portion 23 c can be inserted into the preform 100. At this time, since air is sucked from the suction port 20 c, the pressure in the preform 100 is lowered, whereby the preform 100 can be attracted to the suction head 20. Therefore, the mouth 103 of the preform 100 can be vacuum-sucked by the suction head 20. That is, the preform 100 can be sucked and held by the suction head 20 without moving the suction head 20 in the vertical direction, and the preform 100 can be received from the inlet star wheel type transfer device 3. When the protruding portion 23 moves to the protruding position, the O-ring 43 closes the gap between the inner surface of the center hole 31c and the trunk portion 23a of the protruding portion 23, so that the arrow A in FIG. The flow of air flowing from the second storage chamber 26b into the preform 100 through this gap can be stopped. Thereby, the holding force of the preform 100 by the suction head 20 can be strengthened.

  On the other hand, when the suction head 20 that sucks and holds the preform 100 moves to the carry-out position P2, the switching valve 16 disconnects the connection between the vacuum pump and the suction path 44, so that the suction force acts on the suction path 44. It can be stopped. As a result, the pressure in the preform 100 approaches atmospheric pressure, and the holding of the preform 100 by the suction head 20 is released. Further, almost simultaneously with this, the pressure in the first decompression chamber 36 becomes atmospheric pressure, so that the projection 23 is moved to the standby position by the coil spring 24. As described above, since the cone portion 23c is stored in the head main body 21 at the standby position, it is possible to eliminate what protrudes from the lower surface 21a of the head main body 21. Therefore, the preform 100 can be sent out to the exit star wheel type conveyance device 4 without moving the suction head 20 in the vertical direction. By conveying the preform 100 in this way, the main rotor device 10 corresponds to the preform conveying device of the present invention.

  As described above, according to the suction head 20 of the present embodiment, the protrusion 23 can be moved between the standby position and the protrusion position by the suction force applied to the suction path 44, and therefore the suction head 20. The cone part 23c can be inserted into the preform 100 without moving the whole up and down, and the preform 100 can be sucked and held, or the holding can be released. Further, since it is not necessary to move the suction head 20 in the vertical direction, the piping tube 18 is hardly deformed. Therefore, deterioration of this piping tube 18 can be suppressed. Since the protrusion 23 is driven by using a suction force applied to the suction head 20 to suck and hold the preform 100, a new driving source such as a motor or an actuator is used to drive the protrusion 23. There is no need to provide. Therefore, cost can be reduced.

  In the suction head 20 of the present embodiment, the decompression chambers 36 and 37 are formed above and below the piston portion 22, respectively, and the sectional area of the decompression chambers 36 and 37 is differentiated, whereby a driving force is applied to the piston portion 22. Is acting. When the second decompression chamber 37 is eliminated and the upper surface side of the piston portion 22 is opened to the atmosphere, it is necessary to provide a suction path that leads to the first decompression chamber 36 so as to bypass that portion. In this case, the layout of the suction path is complicated and the width of the head body 21 is increased. On the other hand, in the suction head 20 of the present embodiment, the suction path 44 is provided linearly along the axis CL of the mounting shaft 22e, thereby simplifying the layout of the suction path, thereby reducing the inside of the head body 21. The configuration can be simplified. Further, by providing the suction path 44 linearly along the axis CL in this way, the width of the head body 21 can be narrowed and the head body 21 can be downsized.

  In the main rotor device 10, the suction head 20 is moved at a substantially constant predetermined height, so that the preform 100 hardly moves in the vertical direction when the main rotor device 10 is conveyed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress imposing unnecessary restrictions on the inspection of the preform 100, such as limiting the conveyance section in which the inspection of the preform 100 can be performed. Further, since the mechanism for moving the suction head 20 up and down is not required by moving the suction head 20 at a constant height in this way, the moving speed of the suction head 20 can be increased. For example, in a mechanism that raises and lowers the suction head 20 by moving the suction head 20 along a cam surface to which unevenness is smoothly connected, the suction head 20 moves along the cam surface. Limited to speed. On the other hand, in the main rotor device 10 of the present invention, there is no limitation on the moving speed of the suction head 20. Therefore, the moving speed of the suction head 20 can be increased, and the preform 100 can be transported at a higher speed than before.

  The present invention is not limited to the form described above, and may be implemented in various forms. For example, the standby position of the protrusion is not limited to a position where the lower end of the protrusion and the lower surface of the head main body are at the same height. A position where the lower end of the protrusion is higher than the lower surface of the head body may be set as the standby position. Further, a position where the lower end of the protruding portion is lower than the lower surface of the head main body may be set as the standby position so as not to interfere with the delivery of the preform.

  The preform transport apparatus to which the suction head of the present invention is applied is not limited to a rotor transport apparatus that moves the suction head in the circumferential direction. The suction head of the present invention may be applied to various transport devices that transport the preform sucked and held by the suction head by moving the suction head along a predetermined transport path. Further, the suction head of the present invention may be applied to a transport device having a mechanism for moving the suction head up and down. In this case, the preform can be moved to a height that can be easily captured by the camera.

The figure which shows the preform inspection apparatus which concerns on one form of this invention. The figure which shows an example of a preform. The figure which shows the cross section of a main rotor apparatus. The perspective view of a main rotor apparatus. The figure which shows the axial direction cross section of the suction head which concerns on one form of this invention. The figure which shows the adsorption | suction head of the state which the attraction | suction force is acting on the suction path.

Explanation of symbols

1 Preform inspection device 5 Camera (imaging means)
10 Main rotor device (Preform transfer device)
13 First disc (moving means)
14 Second disc (moving means)
20 Suction head 20c Suction port 21 Head body 21a Lower surface 22 Piston part (first movable body)
22b Partition 22d Guide shaft 22e Mounting shaft 23 Projection (second movable body)
23c Cone part 24 Coil spring (spring member)
25a Concave portion 26a First storage chamber 27 Base (upper partition wall)
28 Case body (surrounding wall)
29 Lid (lower partition)
29a Through-hole 35 Atmospheric release chamber 36 First decompression chamber 37 Second decompression chamber 31c Center hole 43 O-ring (seal member)
44 Suction path 100 Preform 103 Mouth

Claims (8)

A head main body having a lower surface facing the mouth of the preform to be held at the lower end, and inside, a housing body surrounded by a peripheral wall, an upper partition wall, and a lower partition wall;
A first movable part that has a partition portion that is fitted to the peripheral wall of the storage chamber so as to freely move up and down to partition the storage chamber, and is provided with a mounting shaft that is inserted into a through hole at the center of the lower partition wall on the lower surface side. Body,
A cone portion inserted into the preform to be held is provided at the lower end, and the cone portion is moved from the center hole provided in the center portion of the lower surface as the first movable body moves in the vertical direction. It is connected to the mounting shaft so as to be movable between a protruding position protruding below the lower surface and a standby position moving above the protruding position, and is accommodated in the head body so as to be movable up and down. A second movable body;
A spring member that generates a force to move the cone portion from the protruding position to the standby position,
A first decompression chamber is provided between the partition portion in the storage chamber and the lower partition so as to surround the mounting shaft,
Either one of the first movable body or the upper partition wall is provided with a guide shaft coaxial with the mounting shaft, and the other is provided with a recess in which the guide shaft fits.
A second decompression chamber is provided between the guide shaft and the recess,
On the axis of the mounting shaft, there is provided a suction path that reaches the cone part from the upper part of the head body via the second decompression chamber, and a suction port opens on the lower surface of the cone part,
The suction path and the first decompression chamber are connected;
Drive that moves the first movable body downward against the force of the spring member when air is sucked from the suction port, the first decompression chamber, and the second decompression chamber through the suction passage The area of the cross section perpendicular to the axis of the second decompression chamber is set smaller than the area of the cross section perpendicular to the axis of the first decompression chamber so that a force acts on the first movable body. A suction head for preforms.   Provided in either the second movable body or the head main body, and so that the gap between the inner surface of the center hole and the second movable body is closed when the cone portion moves to the protruding position. The preform adsorption head according to claim 1, further comprising a seal member sandwiched between a second movable body and the head main body.   Between the partition portion in the storage chamber and the upper partition wall, an air release chamber that surrounds the guide shaft and is provided to surround the guide shaft is provided so as to surround the guide shaft. The preform suction head according to claim 1, wherein the suction head is a preform suction head.   The preform suction head according to claim 1, wherein the cone portion is stored in the head main body at the standby position.   The preform suction head according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cone portion is formed in a conical shape in which an outer diameter gradually decreases toward the tip. In a preform transport apparatus that transports a preform along a predetermined transport path,
Preform conveyance comprising: the preform adsorption head according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and a moving unit that moves the adsorption head along the predetermined conveyance path. apparatus. In the preform inspection apparatus that images the preform being conveyed while conveying the preform along a predetermined conveyance path, and inspects the presence or absence of abnormality of the preform based on the obtained image,
A preform transport apparatus comprising: the preform suction head according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and a moving unit that moves the suction head along the predetermined transport path;
An preform inspection apparatus comprising: an imaging unit configured to image a preform conveyed by the preform conveyance apparatus. The imaging means images the mouth of the preform sucked and held by the suction head,
The preform inspection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a color of an outer surface of the cone portion of the suction head is a color that reflects light.

Images