JP5948989B2 - Container heat treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a container heat treatment apparatus for performing heat treatment such as heating and cooling on a container, and, for example, to a container heat treatment apparatus used for performing heat treatment on a container filled with contents and capped.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an apparatus that is filled with contents such as a liquid and performs heat treatment such as heating and cooling on a capped container has been widely used. In general, an injection nozzle or a watering nozzle is disposed above the transport path of the container, and heat treatment is performed by spraying or spraying water or the like from above the transported container. However, in a container capped with a cap such as a hinge cap, if water is sprayed from above due to the structure of the cap, water may enter the gap in the cap. There was a problem that it was not preferable in terms of process defects and hygiene.

  Therefore, a technique for preventing water from entering the cap has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). This Patent Document 1 includes a conveyor transport means, a water spray nozzle arranged at a predetermined interval along the conveyor transport means, and a water spray nozzle lifting / lowering means that moves the position of the water spray nozzle up and down to match the height of the bottle. The invention of a bottle cooler is described.

  Also known is a device for carrying out heat treatment by holding the upper part of a container by a conveyor and carrying it in a suspended state and immersing it in a liquid tank containing cooling water or heated water provided below the conveyance path. (See Patent Document 2 or Patent Document 3).

JP 2000-190920 A JP 54-145235 A JP 2011-46189 A

  In the invention described in Patent Document 1, when the shape or size of the container to be heat-treated is changed, it is necessary to change the position of the nozzle accordingly, and the neck of the container and the injection nozzle are not in contact with each other. There was a problem that it was necessary to control. In addition, in the invention described in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, it is necessary to provide a section that runs diagonally on the transport conveyor in order to insert and discharge the transported container into the lower liquid tank, There is a problem that the travel route becomes longer and the entire apparatus becomes larger correspondingly.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems. When the container is immersed in the liquid tank and subjected to heat treatment, it is not necessary to provide an oblique conveyance section, and the apparatus does not increase in size. An object of the present invention is to provide a container heat treatment apparatus.

In the present invention, a container holding means for holding a container is provided at a predetermined interval, and a conveying means for holding and conveying the container by the container holding means and a lower part of the conveying means, and a liquid is accommodated therein. In a container heat treatment apparatus for immersing a container held by the container holding means in a liquid in the immersion tank and heat treating the container or the contents of the container, the container holding means is connected to the transport means. Is installed so that it can be moved up and down at its installation position, and is provided with elevating means having holding members that can be moved up and down on the inlet side and the outlet side of the immersion tank, respectively, while traveling the conveying means. the container holding means which is conveyed to the inlet side of the bath was increased in a state where the holding member of the inlet-side lifting means is held, after moving upward dipping bath by driving the transport means, it is lowered The container holding means is immersed in the liquid in the immersion tank, and the container holding means transported to the outlet side of the immersion tank is lifted with the holding member of the outlet side lifting means held out and extracted from the liquid. The conveying means is moved and moved to the outside of the immersion tank, and then lowered.

  The container heat treatment apparatus of the present invention is provided with elevating means on the inlet side and the outlet side of the immersion tank, and elevating and lowering the holding means holding the container so that it is charged into and discharged from the immersion tank. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a long conveyance path in the step of inserting the container into the immersion tank and the step of discharging, and the apparatus can be made compact.

It is a side view which simplifies and shows the structure of a container heat processing apparatus. Example 1 FIG. 4A is a plan view showing a part of the container holding means, and FIG. FIG. 4A is a plan view showing a roller holding portion of the lifting means, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the roller holding portion. Fig. (A) is a plan view showing another example of the container holding means, and Fig. (B) is a side view. FIG. (A) is a plan view showing still another example of the container holding means, and FIG. FIG. 4A is a plan view showing another example of the roller holding portion of the lifting means, and FIG. FIG. 5A is a plan view showing still another example of the roller holding portion of the elevating means, and FIG.

  The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. As for the conveyance means 4 which conveys the container 2, many container holding means 8 are provided in the endless chain 6 by the fixed space | interval. The conveying means 4 includes a lower horizontal traveling section LT in which the container holding means 8 moves while holding the container 2, an upper horizontal traveling section HT in which the container holding means 8 moves in an empty state, A downward rotation traveling section RT that rotates downward while rotating downward, and an upward rotation traveling section (not shown) that rotates while rotating upward from below. This conveying means 4 runs intermittently, and moves and stops by one pitch (in this embodiment, the interval between the containers 2 shown in FIG. 1).

  An immersion bath 10 is disposed below the lower horizontal traveling section LT of the transport means 4. Above the inlet side (right side in FIG. 1) of the immersion tank 10, an inlet side lifting means 12 is arranged, and a container holding means 8 (see FIG. 1) holding the container 2 in front of the inlet of the immersion tank 10. 1 (see the container holding means indicated by reference numeral 8A) is moved up, moved one pitch to the inside of the immersion tank 10 at the raised position, and the container holding means 8 is lowered at the inlet of the immersion tank 10 (FIG. 1). The container 2 that is being held is inserted into the liquid 14. In addition, on the outlet side of the immersion tank 10, outlet-side lifting means (not shown, but having the same configuration as the inlet-side lifting means 12) is disposed, and is immersed in the liquid on the outlet side of the immersion tank 10. The container holding means 8 that holds the immersed container 2 is raised, moved forward by one pitch, the container 2 moves to the outside of the immersion tank 10, and then descends to immerse the container 2 on a discharge conveyor (not shown). It is discharged outside the tank 10.

  The conveying means 4 includes a pair of endless chains 6 arranged on both sides, and rod guides 16 having a U-shaped cross section are attached to the endless chains 6 on both sides at equal intervals. The rod guide 16 is attached to the endless chain 6 sideways with the U-shaped opening side facing backward or forward in the transport direction. Elevating rods 18 are inserted into both side walls of each of the U-shaped rod guides 16 so that they can move in a direction perpendicular to the endless chain 6. A container holding means 8 for holding the container 2 is provided at one end of each lifting rod 18 (an end located outside the conveying means 4). Each container holding means 8 includes a long bridge 20 (extends from the front of the paper surface in FIG. 1), and each of the bridges 20 has a plurality of grippers 22 (see FIG. 2 (a)) is provided. The two lifting rods 18 are connected to both ends of the bridge 20. A roller member 24 is attached to the other end of the lifting rod 18 (the end facing the inner side of the conveying means 4). The lifting rod 18 and the container holding means 8 are lifted and lowered.

  In the lower travel section LT of the transport means 4, the container holding means 8 is in a state in which the bridge 20 provided with the gripper 22 is lowered by its own weight and the upper roller member 24 side is supported on the rod guide 16. Yes. In the upper travel section HT and the rotational travel section RT of the transport means 4, in order to maintain the same state as the lower travel section LT (a state where the bridge 20 is separated from the endless chain 6), the inner travel side of the endless chain 6 A guide member 26 is arranged along the roller member 24, and the roller member 24 at the tip of the elevating rod 18 is guided by the guide member 26 and moves.

  Next, the configuration of the container holding means 8 will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, bridges having substantially the same length as or slightly longer than the interval between the endless chains 6 arranged on both sides are provided at equal intervals, and a plurality of grippers 22 are attached to these bridges 20. The containers 2 are simultaneously held and transported. The bridge 20 has a bottom surface 20a and wall surfaces 20b, 20c rising at right angles on both sides thereof, and a plurality of grippers 22 are provided at equal intervals on the bottom surface 20a. Each of these grippers 22 has a pair of grip members 32 and 34 facing each other. The pair of grip members 32, 34 are formed with grip surfaces 32 b, 34 b formed on opposite surfaces on the tip end portions 32 a, 34 a side, with the base portions 32 c, 34 c side facing in the opposite direction. The base sides 32c and 34c of the grip members 32 and 34 (the center side of the bridge 20) are rotatably supported on the bottom surface 20a of the bridge 20 by fulcrum shafts 32d and 34d. An opening 20aa through which the head side of the container 2 (the cap 2b and the neck 2a below it) can be inserted into the bottom surface 20a of the bridge 20 where the grip surfaces 32b, 34b of the grip members 32, 34 face each other. Is formed.

  Near the both side walls 20b, 20c of the bottom surface 20a of the bridge 20, one long operation rod 28, 30 is arranged so as to be able to move forward and backward. A plurality of engagement pins 28a and 30a (the number of containers 2 held by one container holding means 8) are vertically attached to both the operating rods 28 and 30. On the other hand, notches 32e and 34e are formed near the base portion 32a on the outer side of the grip members 32 and 34 (the side walls 20b and 20c side of the bridge 20), and the operation rods 28 and 30 are engaged in the notches 32e and 34e. The mating pins 28a and 30a are engaged. Both grip members 32 and 34 are configured to be able to turn the tip portions 32a and 34a around the fulcrum shafts 32d and 34d, and are always biased in a direction in which the tip portions 32a and 34a approach each other by a spring (not shown). Has been. In this embodiment, the grip surfaces 32b and 34b are cut out at approximately 90 degrees to form a V shape. When the grip surfaces 32b and 34b of the grip members 32 and 34 on both sides are combined, the grip surfaces 32b and 34b are held in a substantially square shape. Part is formed. However, it goes without saying that the shapes of the grip surfaces 32b and 34b are not limited to those shown in the drawing.

  Since both grip members 32 and 34 of the gripper 22 are rotatably supported by the fulcrum shafts 32d and 34d on the base portions 32c and 34c side, and the tip end portions 32a and 34a side are urged in a direction in which they are always approached by a spring. 2, the two operating rods 28 and 30 are relatively moved from the state where the container 2 shown in FIG. 2A is gripped (the left operating rod 28 in FIG. 2A is moved downward and the right operating rod 28 is operated). When the rod 30 is moved upward in the drawing), the engaging pins 28a, 30a provided on the operation rods 28, 30 move the base portions 32c, 34c side of the grip members 32, 34, and both grip members 32 are moved. The gripper surfaces 32b and 34b of 34 are rotated away from each other. When the operating rods 28 and 30 are returned to the positions shown in FIG. 2A, the grip members 32 and 34 are brought into a state of gripping the container 2 by closing the distal end portions 32a and 34a with springs.

  On the slightly upstream side (right side in FIG. 1) of the entrance of the immersion tank 10, there is provided a delivery means 36 for receiving the container 2 conveyed by a supply conveyor (not shown) and delivering it to the container holding means 8. The delivery means 36 is moved up and down by a lifting mechanism (not shown), and is positioned at the same height as the conveying surface of the supply conveyor when lowered, and when raised, the neck 2a of the container 2 placed thereon is moved to the container. The holding means 8 is positioned at a height that can be held by the gripper 22. Therefore, when the size of the container 2 is changed, the rising position of the delivery means 36 is also changed.

  A dipping tank 10 in which a liquid 14 for heat-treating the container 2 such as high-temperature water or cooling water is stored below the lower travel section LT of the transport unit 4. The immersion tank 10 is composed of a bottom surface 10a, side walls (not shown) on both sides in the transport direction, a wall surface 10b on the inlet side, and a wall surface (not shown) on the outlet side, and the upper surface is open. When the container 2 held by the container holding means 8 is immersed in the liquid 14 in the immersion tank 10, the cap 2 b of the container 2 held by the gripper 22 is not immersed in the liquid 14. The height of the container 2 and the height of the liquid level are set.

  The inlet side lifting means 12 for raising and lowering the two container holding means 8 (refer to the container holding means indicated by reference numerals 8A and 8B in FIG. 1) sandwiching the wall surface 10b above the wall surface 10b on the inlet side of the immersion tank 10. Is provided. The inlet-side lifting means 12 is configured to support and lift the roller member 24 attached to the end of the lifting rod 18 and is disposed in pairs above the endless chains 6 and 6 on both sides. ing. The inlet-side lifting / lowering means 12 has an air cylinder 38 that is fixed in the vertical direction with the piston rod 38a facing downward. A roller holder 40 is attached to the tip of the piston rod 38a of the air cylinder 38. As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), this roller holding portion 40 is a roller member of two container holding means 8 in the transport direction (left and right direction in FIG. 1, up and down direction in FIG. It has the length which can hold 24 simultaneously. When the roller holding portion 40 is lowered by the operation of the air cylinder 38 of the inlet side lifting / lowering means 12, the roller holding portion 40 is positioned at a height at which the roller member 24 of the container holding means 8 can be held by the roller holding portion 40. When this is done, the bottom 2c of the container 2 held by the container holding means 8 is located above the inlet side wall surface 10b of the immersion tank 10, and the container 2 can move from the outside to the inside of the immersion tank 10. ing.

  The roller holding portion 40 of the inlet side elevating means 12 has two sets of opening / closing holding members (an upstream first opening / closing holding member 44 and a downstream first opening holding member 44) in a cover 42 connected to the lower end of the piston rod 38a. 2 open / close holding member 46) is provided. Each open / close holding member 44, 46 has two left and right L-shaped plates 44A, 44B, 46A, 46B that are rotatably supported by two parallel horizontal shafts 48, 50 facing the transport direction. ing. The plates 44A, 44B, 46A, 46B are supported by the horizontal shafts 48, 50 so that one side is substantially horizontal and the other side is substantially vertical. Holding portions 44Aa, 44Ba, 46Aa, and 46Ba are formed by bending the lower ends of these plates 44A, 44B, 46A, and 46B inwardly (in a direction facing each other). In this embodiment, two sets of opening / closing holding members 44 and 46 are continuously provided in the transport direction.

  Each open / close holding member 44, 46 has a vertical air cylinder 52 fixed above the central portion (the joint of the horizontal portions of both L-shaped plates 44A, 44B, 46A, 46B). A pressing member 54 that moves forward and backward is attached to the piston rod of the air cylinder 52. When the pressing member 54 is lowered by the operation of the air cylinder 52, the horizontal portions of the L-shaped plates 44A, 44B, 46A, 46B are pushed downward as shown by phantom lines in FIG. The bent holding portions 44Aa, 44Ba, 46Aa, and 46Ba are configured to open outward. These L-shaped plates 44A, 44B, 46A, 46B are moved to their original positions (solid lines in the figure) by torsion springs 56, 58 mounted around the horizontal shafts 48, 50 when the pressing member 54 is raised by the air cylinder 52. It returns to the position indicated by.

  The entrance side lifting / lowering means 12 has two sets of the opening / closing holding members 44 and 46 along the conveying direction, and can be opened and closed independently. The open / close holding members 44 and 46 are lowered while the lower portions of the L-shaped plates 44A, 44B, 46A and 46B on both sides are opened, and the bent holding portions 44Aa, 44Ba, 46Aa and 46Ba are moved to the roller member 24. The lower side of the roller member 24 is held by raising the pressing member 54 and closing the holding portions 44Aa, 44Ba, 46Aa, 46Ba of the both side plates 44A, 44B, 46A, 46B. be able to. Thereafter, when the piston rod 38a of the air cylinder 38 is contracted to raise the roller holding portion 40, the container 2 held by the gripper 22 of the container holding means 8 rises as the roller member 24 and the lifting rod 18 rise. And the bottom face 2c is located above the inlet side wall face 10b of the immersion tank 10 (refer to the container indicated by reference numeral 2D in FIG. 1).

  Subsequently, the conveying means 4 that travels intermittently travels by one pitch, and the roller member 24 moves from the holding portions 44Aa and 44Ba of the first opening and closing holding member 44 to the holding portions 46Aa and 46Ba on the second opening and closing holding member 46. (Refer to the roller indicated by reference numeral 24A in FIG. 3A). When the roller 24 is transferred onto the second opening / closing holding member 46, the container 2 held below moves over the inlet side wall surface 10 b of the immersion tank 10 to the inside of the immersion tank 10. Next, when the roller holding portion 40 is lowered by the operation of the air cylinder 38, the container 2 held by the container holding means 8 is inserted into the liquid 14 of the immersion tank 10. At this position, the second opening / closing holding member 46 is opened and the roller member 24 is released. At this time, the first opening / closing holding member 44 supports the lower surface side of the roller member 24 of the container holding means 8 holding the next container 2 located outside the immersion tank 10. Thereafter, in the roller holding portion 40, the first opening / closing holding member 44 holds the roller 24, and the second opening / closing holding member 46 rises again in an empty state.

  On the outlet side of the immersion tank 10, outlet-side lifting means (not shown) having the same configuration as the inlet-side lifting means 12 is provided and is moved in the immersion tank 10 while being held by the container holding means 8. The container 2 that has been removed is lifted and discharged out of the immersion tank 10.

  The operation of the container heat treatment apparatus according to the above configuration will be described. When the containers 2 conveyed by a supply conveyor (not shown) are stopped at the side of the delivery means 36 in the lowered position, the number of containers 2 held at one time by the container holding means 8 is increased by a pusher (not shown). ) And is transferred from the supply conveyor onto the transfer means 36 (see the container indicated by reference numeral 2A in FIG. 1). When the delivery means 36 receives the container 2, it rises and pushes up the container 2 to a height that can be held by the container holding means 8 (see the container indicated by reference numeral 2B in FIG. 1).

  In the horizontal traveling section HT above the conveying means 4, the container holding means 8 is supported by the roller member 24 positioned on the lower side by the guide member 26 and is 1 pitch with the container holding means 8 facing upward. It travels intermittently one by one, and in the descending side rotational travel section RT, the container holding means 8 rotates on the outer peripheral side of the endless chain 6 and gradually becomes downward. When entering the horizontal running section LT on the lower side, the roller member 24 is positioned above the endless chain 6, the container holding means 8 is directed downward, and reaches the delivery means 36.

  At this time, the container holding means 8 moves the operating rods 28 and 30 (the left operating rod 28 in FIG. 2A is moved downward in the figure and the right operating rod 30 is moved upward in the figure). The grip members 32 and 34 are rotated in a direction in which the grip surfaces 32b and 34b are separated from each other, so that the gripper 22 is opened. In this state, the delivery means 36 rises, and the cap 2b and the neck 2a of the container 2 are inserted into the opened gripper 22 through the opening 20aa provided in the bottom surface 20a of the bridge 20. Thereafter, the operating rods 28 and 30 are moved in the direction opposite to the above direction to close both grip members 32 and 34 and grip the neck 2a of the container 2 (the state shown in FIG. 2A).

  The container holding means 8 in which each gripper 22 holds the container 2 advances one pitch and stops at a position immediately before the inlet side wall surface 10b of the immersion tank 10 (see the container indicated by reference numeral 2C in FIG. 1). At this position, the air cylinder 38 of the upper inlet side lifting / lowering means 12 is operated, and the roller holding portion 40 is lowered to the position of the roller member 24. In the roller holding part 40, the pressing member 54 is lowered by the air cylinder 52, and the bent holding parts 44Aa and 44Ba of both L-shaped plates 44A and 44B of the first opening and closing holding member 44 are opened. 44Aa and 44Ba descend to the lower side of the roller member 24. When the pressing member 54 is raised at this position, the L-shaped plates 44A and 44B are rotated by the torsion springs 56 and 58, and the holding portions 44Aa and 44Ba are substantially horizontal to hold the lower side of the roller member 24. (See L-shaped plates 44A and 44B indicated by solid lines in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b)). Thereafter, the operation of the air cylinder 38 of the inlet-side lifting / lowering means 12 raises the roller holding portion 40 to raise the container holding means 8 and the container 2 together with the roller member 24 and the lifting / lowering rod 18 (indicated by reference numeral 2D in FIG. 1). Container).

  After the conveying means 4 is stopped, the inlet-side lifting / lowering means 12 moves upward while holding the roller member 24, and then the conveying means 4 moves forward by one pitch. By the movement of this one pitch, the container 2 (2D) located above the entrance side wall surface 10b of the immersion bath 10 enters the inside of the immersion bath 10 through the upper side of the entrance side wall surface 10b and rises. Stop at the same position. At this time, the container 2 held by the next container holding means 8 reaches the position in front of the inlet side wall surface 10b of the immersion tank 10 (2C). Here, the roller holding portion 40 is lowered again, the first opening / closing holding member 44 is positioned at a height at which the roller member 24 is held, and the second opening / closing holding member 46 is held by the roller member 24, the lifting rod 18, and the like. The container holding means 8 is lowered and the container 2 held by the container holding means 8 is put into the liquid 14 of the immersion tank 10 (see the container indicated by reference numeral 2E in FIG. 1). At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, the cap 2 b of the container 2 is not immersed in the liquid 14 of the immersion tank 10.

  At the position where the roller holding portion 40 of the inlet side raising / lowering means 12 is lowered, the first opening / closing holding member 44 is closed to hold the roller member 24, and the second opening / closing holding member 46 is opened to hold the roller member 24 held. Release. Thereafter, the roller holding part 40 is raised to raise the container 2 outside the immersion tank 10. The roller member 24 held by the first opening / closing holding member 44 moves to the second opening / closing holding member 46 by the next advance of the pitch of the conveying means 4 and performs the same operation as described above.

  Further, the container 2 held in the container holding means 8 and immersed in the liquid 14 in the immersion tank 10 advances by one pitch in the liquid 14 by the intermittent running of the conveying means 4. The container holding means 8 that has reached the outlet side of the immersion tank 10 has the roller member 24 held by an outlet-side lifting means (not shown) provided on the outlet side of the immersion tank 10, and is higher than the height of the outlet side wall surface. It is lifted upward, moved one pitch and moved to the outside of the immersion tank 10, and then lowered and delivered to a discharging means such as a discharge conveyor.

  The gripper 22 of the container holding means 8 opens and closes the grip members 32 and 34 by moving the operating rods 28 and 30 in the opposite direction. Can be used. For example, in the container holding means 108 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the front end sides 132a and 134a and the base portions 132c and 134c of the grip members 132 and 134 of the grippers 122 arranged in the bridge 120 are connected. It is aimed in the same direction. In this example, when the two operating rods 128 and 130 whose engaging pins 128a and 130a are engaged with the notches 132e and 134e are moved upward in FIG. 4A, both grip members 132 and 134 are moved. The grip surfaces 132b and 134b rotate in the opening direction. Further, when both operating rods 128 and 130 are moved downward in FIG. 4A, the grip surfaces 132b and 134b of both grip members 132 and 134 are rotated in a direction approaching each other by a spring (not shown). .

  5 (a) and 5 (b) show still another container holding means 208. The bridge 220 faces downward and is close to both side walls 220b and 220c inside the bridge 220 along the side walls 220b and 220c. The two fulcrum shafts 260 and 262 are supported in parallel. On both fulcrum shafts 260 and 262, open / close holding members 264 and 266 having a U-shaped cross section are rotatably supported with the U-shaped open side facing each other. These open / close holding members 264 and 266 are biased by the torsion springs 268 and 270 in a direction in which the lower sides 264a and 266a are approached. A pressing member 274 that is moved up and down by an air cylinder 272 is provided on the top surface 220d of the bridge 220. By lowering the pressing member 274, the upper joints of the U-shaped opening / closing holding members 264 and 266 are moved downward. The lower side 264a, 266a is opened by pressing to. Grip surfaces 264aa and 266aa are formed at predetermined intervals on the lower sides 264a and 266a of the open / close holding members 264 and 266. When the lower sides 264a and 266a of the open / close holding members 264 and 266 are opened, the container 2 The neck 2a of the container 2 is inserted and then closed to grip the neck 2a of the container 2.

  Moreover, the said raising / lowering means 12 is not limited to the structure shown to Fig.3 (a), (b), It can also be set as another structure. For example, the elevating means 312 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B (only the roller holding portion 340 is shown in this example) is transported in the transport direction of the cover 342 (up and down direction in FIG. 6A). Opening and closing holding members 344 and 346 are provided at both ends of the above. The open / close holding members 344 and 346 have upright plate-like portions 344a and 344B disposed on both sides and support portions 344Aa and 344Ba whose lower ends are bent in a direction facing each other. The upper ends of 344A and 344B are connected to a cylinder 380, and are moved forward and backward in the direction of both sides while standing upright. When the roller holding portion 340 descends and holds the roller member 24 of the article holding means 8, the plate-like members 344A and 344B on both sides are separated from each other, and the bent support portions 344Aa and 344Ba are spaced between the tip portions. , The support portions 344Aa and 344Ba are positioned below the roller member 24, and then the two plate-like members 344A and 344B are moved closer to each other by the cylinder 380. The roller member 24 is supported by 344Aa and 344Ba.

  Opening and closing holding members 344 and 346 are provided on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction, respectively, and flat surfaces 342a and 342b formed on the lower surface side of the cover 342 are formed in the middle. Accordingly, after the upstream opening / closing holding member 344 supports the roller member 24, when the container holding means 8 is moved by one pitch, the roller member 24 covers the support portions 344Aa and 344Ba of the upstream opening / closing holding member 344. It passes over the lower surface flat surfaces 342a and 342b of the 342 and moves onto the support portions 344Aa and 344Ba of the downstream opening / closing holding member 346.

  Further, in the roller holding portion 440 shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the opening / closing holding members 444 and 446 respectively provided on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction face the transport direction toward the upper center. A fulcrum shaft 482 is arranged, and on this fulcrum shaft 482, there are substantially U-shaped rotating members 484A, 484B having horizontal upper walls 484Aa, 484Ba, vertical side walls 484Ab, 484Bb and bottom side support portions 484Ac, 484Bc. It is attached. When the support portions 484Ac and 484Bc of both U-shaped rotating members 484A and 484B are opened to the outside around the fulcrum shaft 482, the roller member 24 can be held, and both U-shaped rotating members 484A and 484B. Is closed, the support portions 484Ac and 484Bc on the bottom side support the roller member 24 from both sides. When the roller member 24 moves from the upstream opening / closing holding member 444 to the downstream opening / closing holding member 446 between the upstream opening / closing holding member 444 and the downstream opening / closing holding member 446 provided at both ends in the transport direction. Flat support surfaces 486a and 486b that pass through are provided. In the above-described embodiment, the transport unit is intermittently traveled. However, the transport unit can be continuously traveled by using a roller holding unit as illustrated in FIGS.

2 Container 4 Conveying means 8 Holding means (container holding means)
10 Immersion tank 12 Elevating means (entrance side elevating means)
14 Liquid in immersion tank

Claims (1)

A container holding means for holding the container is provided at a predetermined interval, a conveying means for holding and conveying the container by the container holding means, and a dipping tank that is disposed below the conveying means and contains a liquid therein. In a container heat treatment apparatus for performing heat treatment of a container or the contents of a container by immersing the container held by the container holding means in a liquid in an immersion tank,
The container holding means is installed so as to be movable up and down at the installation position with respect to the conveying means,
The transporting means travels, and lifting / lowering means having holding members that can be moved up and down are provided on the inlet side and the outlet side of the immersion tank, respectively, and the container holding means transported to the inlet side of the immersion tank is moved up and down on the inlet side. The holding member of the means is raised while being held, and the transporting means is moved and moved above the immersion tank, and then the container held by being lowered is immersed in the liquid in the immersion tank, and immersed After the container holding means transported to the outlet side of the tank is lifted in a state where the holding member of the outlet side lifting means is held and extracted from the liquid, the transport means is moved to the outside of the immersion tank, A container heat treatment apparatus that is lowered.

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