JP5539675B2 - Relay device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a relay device that receives articles from a first device and supplies them to a second device.

  In beverage packaging equipment, after a container is filled with a beverage, the mouth of the container is sealed with a lid. Examples of the lid include a crown lid and a screw lid. In a sealing device that seals the mouth of a container with a lid (which may be referred to as a plugging machine, a tightening device, or the like), for example, the lid is conveyed by air conveyance, and the conveyance path is connected to a lid supply source. A relay device may be provided which receives and temporarily holds a corresponding amount of lid and supplies it to the sealing device.

JP 2002-179191 A

  The relay device as described above may include a shutter plate for blocking between the lid supply source and the sealing device. When the movement path of the cap is blocked by the shutter plate, the cap may be sandwiched and deformed by the shutter plate. When the deformed cap is supplied to the sealing device, a sealing failure may occur or the sealing device may be forced to stop. Such a problem may occur not only in the operation of the cap but also in the operation of various articles.

  The present invention has been made with the above problem recognition as an opportunity, and an object of the present invention is, for example, to reduce damage to articles due to a shutter plate provided in a relay device.

A relay device according to one aspect of the present invention is configured to receive an article from a first device and supply the article to a second device, and the relay device temporarily holds an article coming from the first device. An entrance shutter disposed at the entrance of the holding chamber, an injection unit disposed to blow off articles in the vicinity of the entrance, and a transport mechanism that sends the articles held in the holding chamber to the second device. The entrance shutter includes a shutter plate movable on an inclined surface passing through a first position and a second position higher than the first position, and a drive mechanism for driving the shutter plate, and the shutter plate Is driven by the drive mechanism in the direction from the first position toward the second position when the inlet is closed, and when the inlet is opened, the first from the second position is driven by the drive mechanism. It is driven in a direction toward the location, the jet unit, when closing the inlet, the article in the vicinity of the inlet as blow toward the first position from the second position, the vicinity and the second position It is arranged at a position higher than the second position .

  The relay device according to the second aspect of the present invention is configured to receive an article from the first device and supply the article to the second device, and the relay device temporarily holds the article coming from the first device. A chamber, an entrance shutter disposed at the entrance of the holding chamber, an injection unit disposed to blow off articles in the vicinity of the entrance, and a transport mechanism for sending the articles held in the holding chamber to the second device With.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, damage to the articles | goods by the shutter plate provided in the relay apparatus can be reduced, for example.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the relay apparatus of suitable embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the relay apparatus of suitable embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the relay apparatus of suitable embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the relay apparatus of suitable embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged view of a part of the relay device of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which illustrates the suitable shape of the entrance of a holding chamber.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A relay apparatus 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, for example, the relay device 100 receives the crown lid 1 as an article from the lid supply source as the first device and supplies the sealing device (plugging machine) as the second device through the supply path 70. It is configured as follows. The relay device 100 includes a holding chamber 10 that temporarily holds a crown lid (article) 1 coming from a lid supply source (first device), an inlet shutter 20 disposed at an inlet 12 of the holding chamber 10, and a holding chamber 10. And a transport mechanism 30 for feeding the crown lid (article) 1 held in the container to the sealing device (second device). The supply of the crown lid 1 from the lid supply source to the relay device 100 can be performed, for example, by air conveyance. The air conveyance can be performed , for example, by sucking the crown lid 1 from the lid supply source by the suction device 60 and / or sending the crown lid 1 by air from the lid supply source.

  The entrance shutter 20 includes a shutter plate 22 that can move on an inclined surface (typically a flat surface) that passes through the first position P1 and a second position P2 that is higher than the first position P1, and a drive mechanism that drives the shutter plate 22 (for example, Air cylinder) 24. The shutter plate 22 is driven in the direction from the first position P1 to the second position P2 by the drive mechanism 24 when the inlet 12 is closed, and when the inlet 12 is opened, the shutter mechanism 22 is driven from the second position P2 to the first position P1. It is driven in the direction toward According to such a configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 5, when the entrance 12 is closed by the shutter plate 22, the crown lid 1 is placed on the shutter plate 22 (particularly the tip portion) or dropped from above. Even if this happens, the crown lid 1 can move in the direction of the first position P1 according to the inclination of the shutter plate 22 as indicated by the arrow 3. Therefore, the crown lid 1 is prevented from being sandwiched by the shutter plate 22, that is, the crown lid 1 is prevented from being deformed.

  The relay device 100 can further include a receiving chamber 40 disposed above the holding chamber 10. The receiving chamber 40 preferably has a receiving port 42 above the first position P1 when viewed from the second position P2. As a result, the crown lid 1 can easily fall to the first position P1 side rather than the second position P2 side, and pinching of the crown lid 1 by the shutter plate 22 can be further reduced. In the receiving chamber 40, the crown lid 1 is received from the first device (lid supply source) through the receiving port 42. The receiving chamber 40 preferably has a guide member 44 for guiding the crown lid 1 coming from the lid supply source (first device) through the receiving port 42 to the first position P1 side. The pinching of the crown lid 1 by the plate 22 can be further reduced.

  The relay device 100 preferably further includes an injection unit 70 arranged to blow off the crown lid 1 in the vicinity of the inlet 12. The injection unit 70 can be disposed, for example, so as to blow off the crown lid 1 in the vicinity of the inlet 12 from the second position P2 toward the first position P1. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the crown lid 1 is placed on the shutter plate 22 (particularly the tip portion) when the inlet 12 is closed by the shutter plate 22 by injecting air or the like from the injection unit 70. Or the crown lid 1 can be blown off in the direction of the first position P1, as indicated by the arrow 3.

  As illustrated in FIG. 6, the width W of the inlet 12 in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction (C or D) of the shutter plate 22 is narrower toward the direction C in which the shutter plate 22 closes the inlet 12. preferable. The inlet 12 can have a circular shape, for example. According to such a configuration, since the width W immediately before the outer edge of the inlet 12 and the shutter plate 22 are completely closed is smaller than the maximum width of the inlet 12, the possibility that the crown lid 1 is sandwiched by the shutter plate 22 is greatly reduced. To do.

  The relay device 100 may further include an exit shutter 50 at the exit 14 of the holding chamber 10. The exit shutter 50 includes a shutter plate 52 and a drive mechanism (for example, an air cylinder) 54 that drives the shutter plate 52. The conveyance mechanism 30 may include a blower that conveys the crown lid 1 falling through the outlet 14 toward the sealing device (second device) by air. 1 and 2 schematically show a state where the crown lid 1 moves from the lid supply source (first device). When the crown lid 1 moves from the lid supply source (first device), the outlet 14 is closed by the outlet shutter 50 and the inlet 12 is opened prior to the movement. FIG. 3 schematically shows a state where the crown lid 1 held in the holding chamber 10 is sent to the sealing device (second device) by the transport mechanism 30. When the crown lid 1 held in the holding chamber 10 is sent to the sealing device (second device) by the transport mechanism 30, the outlet 14 is opened and the inlet 12 is closed by the inlet shutter 20.

In the above embodiment, a crown lid is cited as an example of an article to be operated or conveyed, but the article may be any other object (for example, a machine part).

1 Crown cover (article)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Holding chamber 12 Inlet 14 Outlet 18 Inclined surface P1 1st position P2 2nd position 20 Inlet shutter 50 Outlet shutter 22, 52 Shutter member 24, 54 Drive mechanism 30 Conveying mechanism 40 Receiving chamber 42 Receiving port 60 Suction device 70 Supply path

Claims (5)

A relay device for receiving an article from a first device and supplying the second device to the second device;
A holding chamber for temporarily holding an article coming from the first device;
An entrance shutter disposed at the entrance of the holding chamber;
An injection unit arranged to blow away articles in the vicinity of the entrance;
A transport mechanism for sending the article held in the holding chamber to the second device,
The entrance shutter is
A shutter plate movable on an inclined surface passing through a first position and a second position higher than the first position;
A drive mechanism for driving the shutter plate,
The shutter plate is driven in the direction from the first position toward the second position by the drive mechanism when the entrance is closed, and from the second position to the first position by the drive mechanism when the entrance is opened. It is driven toward the,
The injection unit is positioned near the second position and higher than the second position so as to blow away articles in the vicinity of the inlet from the second position toward the first position when the inlet is closed. Located in the
A relay device characterized by that. A receiving chamber disposed above the holding chamber ;
A guide member for guiding articles in the receiving chamber ;
The receiving chamber has a receiving port above the first position when viewed from the second position, receives an article from the first device through the receiving port , and the guide member passes through the receiving port. Inclined and arranged above the second position side so as to guide the articles entering the receiving chamber to the first position side,
The relay apparatus according to claim 1. The width of the entrance in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the shutter plate is narrower toward the direction in which the shutter plate closes the entrance.
The relay apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein Further comprising an exit shutter at the exit of the holding chamber,
The transport mechanism includes a blower that air-transports articles falling through the outlet toward the second device,
Prior to receiving an article from the first device, the outlet is closed by the outlet shutter, and the inlet is opened;
When the article held in the holding chamber is sent to the second device by the transport mechanism, prior to that, the outlet is opened, and the inlet is closed by the inlet shutter.
Relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that. The article is a crown lid,
Relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that.

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