JP6199691B2 - Preform supply device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a preform supply apparatus that aligns a plurality of preforms and supplies them one by one.

  Conventionally, in a container manufacturing factory, a beverage factory, etc., a bottomed preform of PET material molded by an injection molding machine is stored in a preform container, and then the preform stored in the container is used as a means such as a belt conveyor. There is a preform supply device that is taken out by a preform aligning / conveying unit and supplied to a blow molding machine in a single row state with a supply posture aligned.

  As an example of such a preform supply device, Patent Document 1 discloses an example in which a preform guiding chute is provided between a belt conveyor and a preform aligning and conveying (see Patent Document 1).

Utility Model Registration No. 3131813

  There are several types of preforms depending on the application of the container formed after blow molding. For example, as a preform to be blow-molded into a beverage bottle, an elongated cylindrical narrow mouth preform having a relatively small mouth portion with respect to the body is often used. On the other hand, preforms that are blow-molded into containers such as foods and cosmetics have various shapes. For example, a wide-mouth preform having a relatively large mouth portion with respect to the trunk is used.

  However, according to the preform guiding chute of Patent Document 1, the narrow-mouthed preform can be aligned and guided to the preform aligning and conveying unit while restricting the flow posture of many preforms. Since the preform has a center of gravity near the center and the flow posture is difficult to regulate, there is a case where the preform is guided to the vicinity of the entrance of the preform alignment / conveyance unit in a rollover posture. In this case, the preform in the rollover state is not guided by the gap between the pair of rollers of the preform aligning / conveying unit but is collected in the vicinity thereof. If a large amount of preforms accumulates in the middle of the conveyance path, it is necessary to stop the operation of the preform supply device and remove the accumulated preforms, resulting in a decrease in supply efficiency.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a preform supply apparatus that can efficiently supply a wide-mouth preform in a state of being aligned with a machine for a next process such as a blow molding machine.

The preform supply apparatus of the present invention capable of solving the above-described problems is
A preform supply apparatus that aligns wide-mouth preforms in a predetermined posture and supplies them one by one,
A storage section for storing a plurality of the preforms that have been charged;
A conveyance path having one end connected to the storage unit;
A vibrating section that vibrates the storage section and the transport path one by one along the transport path from the one end serving as the entrance to the transport path toward the other end serving as the exit. When,
Alignment means for separating the preforms, which are provided in the conveyance path, one by one, and excluding the preforms conveyed in a posture other than a predetermined posture from the conveyance path;
It is characterized by providing.

According to this preform supply device, even if it is a wide-mouthed preform whose posture is not stable because the center of gravity is in the vicinity of the center, the posture of the preform is adjusted or the overlap of the preforms is released by vibration at the vibrating part. While being transported along the transport path, the preforms that are transported in a posture other than the predetermined posture by the aligning means can be removed and sent out one by one in a predetermined posture.
Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that the preform is clogged and accumulated in a large amount in the conveyance path, which is caused by sending out a preform in a posture other than the predetermined posture or a preform in which a plurality of the preforms overlap each other. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the work of removing the clogged and accumulated preform, and to efficiently supply the preform in a state of being aligned with a machine for the next process such as a blow molding machine.

In the preform supply apparatus of the present invention, the transport path is gradually inclined upward from the one end to the other end, and the preform that has been sorted out by the alignment means is removed from the transport path. You may drop it into
According to this preform supply apparatus, the conveyance path is gradually inclined upward from one end serving as an inlet connected to the storage section toward the other end serving as an outlet of the preform. For this reason, it is possible to cause the preform to be transported and removed by the aligning means to drop from the transport path to the storage portion by vibration in the vibration portion, and to be easily returned to the storage portion. This eliminates the need for a separate mechanism for returning the excluded preform to the storage section, thereby reducing the size and cost of the apparatus. Moreover, there is a case where the overlap of the preforms can be released by dropping the overlapped preforms from the conveyance path to the storage unit.

  In the preform supply apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the transport path is formed in a spiral shape with the storage portion as a center. According to this configuration, since the distance of the conveyance path can be secured long around the storage unit, it becomes easy to adjust the posture of the preform or cancel the overlap of the preforms by vibration at the vibration unit during conveyance. Further, the device can be further reduced in size.

In the preform supply apparatus of the present invention, the alignment means has a sorting conveyance path with one side open, and the preform fed in a posture in which the center of gravity protrudes from the sorting conveyance path is disposed on the sorting conveyance path. A first sorting mechanism for dropping from the opened one side portion may be provided.
According to this preform supply apparatus, the preform whose center of gravity protrudes from the sorting conveyance path can be easily removed from the sorting conveyance path by the vibration in the vibration section and the first sorting mechanism.

In the preform supply apparatus of the present invention, the alignment means may include a separation mechanism that separates the preforms that overlap each other by blowing air onto the preforms that overlap each other.
According to this preform supply apparatus, the preforms that overlap each other can be easily separated and transported by spraying air onto the preforms that overlap each other by the separation mechanism.

In the preform supply apparatus of the present invention, the alignment means includes an auxiliary nozzle that assists in arranging the preform in a predetermined posture by blowing air on the edge of the preform and rotating the preform. A correction mechanism may be provided.
According to this preform supply device, the preform can be easily rotated into a predetermined posture by blowing air onto the edge of the preform with the auxiliary nozzle of the posture correction mechanism.

In the preform supply apparatus according to the present invention, the aligning unit projects the preform above the transport path and has a height dimension with respect to the transport path that is slightly larger than the preform in a predetermined posture. You may provide the 2nd selection mechanism which has a stick | rod and makes the said preform selection stick | rod contact the said preform selection stick | rod, and is sent in attitude | positions other than a predetermined attitude | position.
According to this preform supply apparatus, a preform in a posture other than a predetermined posture can be easily removed by contacting the preform sorting rod.

In the preform supply apparatus of the present invention, at least a part of the alignment means may be detachable from the transport path.
According to this preform supply apparatus, the alignment means can be easily replaced. As a result, for preforms having different shapes and sizes, the preforms can be easily supplied and aligned by attaching alignment means corresponding to the preforms to the conveyance path. Adjustment time can be reduced.

  According to the present invention, even a wide-mouthed preform can be efficiently supplied in a state of being aligned with a machine for a next process such as a blow molding machine.

It is a top view of the preform supply apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the preform supply apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of a preform explaining a wide mouth preform. It is a perspective view of a preform supply apparatus. It is a perspective view of a supply apparatus main body. It is a figure explaining how to sort the preform in the first sorting mechanism, (a) and (b) are cross-sectional views orthogonal to the conveyance path. It is a perspective view near the conveyance auxiliary nozzle of a supply apparatus main body. It is a perspective view of the guide bar vicinity of the alignment block. It is a perspective view near the separation mechanism of the alignment block and the posture correction mechanism. It is sectional drawing orthogonal to the conveyance path explaining the method of separation of the preform in a separation mechanism. It is a figure explaining the method of attitude | position correction of the preform in an attitude | position correction mechanism, Comprising: (a) And (b) is sectional drawing orthogonal to a conveyance path, respectively. It is a perspective view near the 2nd sorting mechanism of an alignment block. It is a figure explaining the method of the selection of the preform in a 2nd selection mechanism, Comprising: (a) And (b) is sectional drawing orthogonal to a conveyance path, respectively.

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a preform supply apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preform supply apparatus 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the preform supply apparatus 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the preform supply apparatus 11 according to this embodiment includes a base 12 and a supply apparatus main body 13 supported on the upper part of the base 12. In the preform supply apparatus 11, a vibration part 41 is provided on the base 12, and the vibration part 41 imparts vibration to the supply apparatus main body 13 supported on the base 12.

  The preform supply device 11 is provided with a preform conveyance device 14, and the preforms P are aligned in a predetermined posture and supplied one by one from the preform supply device 11 to the preform conveyance device 14. The preform conveying device 14 is connected to the blow molding machine 15, conveys the preforms P supplied from the preform supply device 11 one by one, and sends them to the blow molding machine 15 in the next process.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the preform for explaining the wide-mouthed preform P. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the preform P supplied by the preform supply apparatus 11 according to this embodiment includes a mouth portion 36 that is relatively large with respect to the bottomed body portion 35. The preform P has a center of gravity G passing through the central axis 37 close to the bottom 35 a of the body 35. The preform P can stand independently in an inverted posture on the horizontal plane HR. The mouth portion 36 is formed in a cylindrical body. A thread is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 36. The central axis 37 of the preform P, that is, the central axis 37 of the mouth portion 36 is orthogonal to the horizontal plane HR. Moreover, since the height of the body portion 35 is set relatively low with respect to the size of the mouth portion 36, the preform P is stabilized in an inverted posture.

  On the other hand, since the bottom portion 35a of the body portion 35 of the preform P is rounded, the preform P in the upright posture cannot stand upright on the horizontal plane HR. In other words, the preform P in the upright posture cannot be held on the horizontal plane HR with the central axis 37 of the mouth portion 36 being orthogonal to the horizontal plane HR. Therefore, even if the wide-mouthed preform P is simply slid on the inclined surface, it is difficult to align the posture with the bottom 35a facing downward. Further, the wide-mouthed preforms P tend to overlap each other.

  In the preform P, a so-called support ring or flange 38 is formed between the mouth portion 36 and the body portion 35. The flange 38 extends outward along a plane perpendicular to the central axis 37 of the mouth portion 36.

  In the preform P, the mouth portion 36 opens downward in the inverted posture, and conversely, the mouth portion 36 opens upward in the upright posture. Further, the wide-mouthed preform P of this example has a ratio of the caliber / full length (length from the mouth to the bottom) (ratio of the diameter of the mouth with respect to the total length) of about 1/2 or more, and is used in 500 ml bottle molding It is significantly larger than the value of a normal narrow mouth preform (for example, 1/4).

  In the preform supply apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment, the inverted posture is set to a predetermined posture, and the preform P in this predetermined posture is sent to the preform conveying device 14. Then, the preforms P are conveyed by the preform conveying device 14 in a predetermined posture which is an inverted posture, and are sent one by one to the blow molding machine 15.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the preform supply apparatus 11.
As shown in FIG. 4, the supply apparatus main body 13 includes a storage unit 42 and a conveyance path 43. The storage part 42 is provided in the center part in planar view of the supply apparatus main body 13 (refer FIG. 1), and the several preform P is thrown into this storage part 42 and stored. The conveyance path 43 is disposed so as to surround the storage unit 42. One end of the transport path 43 is an inlet 43 a for the preform P, the other end is an outlet 43 b for the preform P, and one end that is the inlet 43 a is connected to the storage portion 42. The other end of the conveyance path 43 serving as the outlet 43b is connected to the preform conveyance device 14. In the conveyance path 43, the preform P is conveyed from the inlet 43a toward the outlet 43b.

  The conveyance path 43 is formed in a spiral shape so as to gradually protrude from the inner side which is the storage unit 42 side so as to surround the storage unit 42. The conveyance path 43 is gradually inclined upward from one end serving as the inlet 43a connected to the storage portion 42 toward the other end serving as the outlet 43b of the preform P. The conveyance path 43 is slightly inclined downward from the inner peripheral side to the outer peripheral side in the width direction. Further, the conveyance path 43 is provided with an outer peripheral wall 44 erected upward on the outer peripheral side. In this conveyance path 43, when vibration is applied to the supply apparatus main body 13 by the vibration unit 41, the preform P in the storage unit 42 is conveyed from one end serving as the inlet 43a to the other end serving as the outlet 43b due to the vibration. Is done.

  A first sorting mechanism 45, a separation mechanism 52, a posture correction mechanism 53, and a second sorting mechanism 54 are provided in the conveyance path 43 of the supply apparatus body 13 in this order from the upstream side. In this example, these first sorting mechanisms are provided. The mechanism 45, the separation mechanism 52, the posture correction mechanism 53, and the second selection mechanism 54 constitute an alignment means. Further, a conveyance auxiliary nozzle 46 is provided on the downstream side of the first sorting mechanism 45.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the supply device body 13. FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining how the first sorting mechanism 45 sorts the preforms P. FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views orthogonal to the conveyance path 43.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first sorting mechanism 45 has a sorting transport path 43 c that closes at least a part of the recess 47 on the recess 47 provided in the transport path 43. The sorting conveyance path 43c is formed of a rectangular plate-like member, and is installed on the recess 47 so as to be movable along the direction X from the center of the supply device body 13 toward the outside. In this example, the sorting conveyance path 43 c is disposed at a position where the width dimension W of the sorting conveyance path 43 c is smaller than the width dimension of the conveyance path 43. Further, the width dimension W of the sorting and conveying path 43c is slightly larger than the dimension in the axial direction from the bottom 35a of the body 35 of the preform P to the center of gravity G. Further, the width dimension W of the sorting conveyance path 43c in the first sorting mechanism 45 is smaller than the dimension in the axial direction from the mouth portion 36 to the center of gravity G and the dimension in the radial direction from the edge portion of the mouth portion 36 to the center of gravity G. Has been.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 6A, the bottom 35a of the body 35 is disposed closer to the outer peripheral wall 44, and further, the body 35 is disposed along the corners of the sorting conveyance path 43c and the outer peripheral wall 44. The preform P whose mouth 36 is directed upstream is passed through the first sorting mechanism 45 because the center of gravity G is disposed on the sorting conveyance path 43c. Similarly, the bottom portion 35a of the trunk portion 35 is disposed closer to the outer peripheral wall 44 while the mouth portion 36 faces the downstream side, and the trunk portion 35 is disposed along the corners of the sorting conveyance path 43c and the outer peripheral wall 44. The preform P thus formed also passes through the first sorting mechanism 45 because the center of gravity G is disposed on the sorting conveyance path 43c. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6B, the preform P arranged so that the mouth portion 36 faces the outer peripheral wall 44 has a center of gravity G from the sorting conveyance path 43 c to the open side of the conveyance path 43 ( It is arranged at a position protruding from the inside. Therefore, the preform P cannot pass through the first sorting mechanism 45 and falls from the opening side edge of the sorting transport path 43c, and is returned to the storage section 42 on the lower side. Similarly, the preform P, which is disposed so that the bottom 35a of the body 35 faces the outer peripheral wall 44 and the mouth 36 protrudes to the open side of the conveyance path 43, is also the first sorting mechanism 45. Without being able to pass through, it falls from the edge on the open side of the sorting conveyance path 43c and is returned to the storage part 42 on the lower side. Thus, the preform P that has passed through the first sorting mechanism 45 is moved downstream in a state where the mouth portion 36 is aligned in two directions facing either the downstream side or the upstream side and is made into a single row. Be transported.

  Further, in the case where a plurality of preforms P overlap each other, the dimension from the mouth portion 36 to the entire center of gravity G becomes large. Therefore, in this case, since the dimension from the mouth portion 36 to the entire center of gravity G is larger than the width dimension W of the sorting transport path 43c, the dimension of the sorting transport path 43c on the open side cannot pass through the first sorting mechanism 45. It falls from the edge part and is returned to the storage part 42 on the lower side. The plurality of preforms P that overlap each other may have the center of gravity G disposed on the sorting transport path 43c when the center axis 37 is disposed along the transport direction. The reform P may pass through the first sorting mechanism 45.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the conveyance auxiliary nozzle of the supply apparatus main body 13.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the conveyance auxiliary nozzle 46 is disposed above the conveyance path 43 and ejects air A toward the downstream side. The conveyance auxiliary nozzle 46 sends the preform P downstream by spraying air A onto the preform P that has passed through the first sorting mechanism 45.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the separation mechanism 52, the posture correction mechanism 53, and the second sorting mechanism 54 that constitute a part of the alignment means of this example are provided in the alignment block 50 and are made of stainless steel. The alignment block 50 is detachable from the supply apparatus main body 13. The alignment block 50 constitutes a part of the conveyance path 43.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the guide bar of the alignment block 50. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the separation mechanism 52 and the posture correction mechanism 53 of the alignment block 50. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view orthogonal to the conveyance path 43 for explaining how the preform P is separated by the separation mechanism 52. FIG. 11 is a view for explaining how to correct the posture of the preform P by the posture correction mechanism 53, and (a) and (b) are cross-sectional views orthogonal to the conveyance path 43.

  As shown in FIG. 8, guide rods 55 and 56 for guiding the preform P to the conveyance path 43 of the alignment block 50 are provided on the upstream side of the alignment block 50. These guide rods 55 and 56 are also made of stainless steel and are buffed so that the preform P is not damaged when it contacts the preform P. By these guide rods 55 and 56, the preform P is conveyed downstream while the bottom 35 a of the body portion 35 is adjusted to a posture in which it is disposed on the outer peripheral wall 44 side.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the separation mechanism 52 has a separation nozzle 57. The separation nozzle 57 is disposed on the upper side of the transport path 43 and ejects air A toward the inside of the supply apparatus main body 13.

  In the separation mechanism 52, air A is applied to the mouth 36 of the preform P disposed inside the supply device main body 13 among the preforms P that are overlapped with each other and are transported toward the inside of the supply device main body 13. Spout. Thereby, the preform P1 inside the supply apparatus main body 13 is peeled off from the preform P2 outside the supply apparatus main body 13, dropped from the transport path 43, and returned to the storage section.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the posture correction mechanism 53 includes a reverse conveyance path 43 </ b> Z having a first inclined surface 43 </ b> X and a second inclined surface 43 </ b> Y, a reverse auxiliary nozzle 61 that assists posture correction (reverse), and a posture correction plate. 62. The reverse conveyance path 43 </ b> Z is a part of the conveyance path 43 on the downstream side of the separation mechanism 52. The first inclined surface 43X of the reverse conveyance path 43Z is slightly inclined upward from the standing portion of the outer peripheral wall 44 in the width direction of the reverse conveyance path 43Z. The second inclined surface 43Y of the reverse conveyance path 43Z is inclined downward inward from the connection portion C connected to the inner end of the first inclined surface 43X in the width direction of the reverse conveyance path 43Z. The reversal auxiliary nozzle 61 is disposed above the reversal conveyance path 43Z and jets air A downward. The posture correction plate 62 is provided on the inner side of the reverse conveyance path 43Z. The posture correction plate 62 has an inclined surface 62a that is gradually inclined upward from the portion connected to the inner end of the second inclined surface Y of the reverse conveying path 43Z toward the inside of the supply apparatus main body 13. Further, the posture correcting mechanism 53 has a guide bar 63 that guides the preform P to the downstream conveyance path 43 (see FIG. 9). The guide rod 63 is also made of stainless steel and is buffed so that the preform P is not damaged when it contacts the preform P.

  The preform P that has been transported to the posture correction mechanism 53 in a state in which the mouth portion 36 is directed sideways toward the inside of the supply device body 13 is preformed on the reverse transport path 43Z as shown in FIG. The center of gravity G of P is located above the second inclined surface 43Y. In other words, since the center of gravity G of the preform P is located on the inner side of the inner end portion (connecting portion C) of the first inclined surface 43X, the preform P that has been transported sideways is fed by its own weight. The mouth part 36 rotates so as to face downward.

  In the posture correction mechanism 53, the air A from the reversal auxiliary nozzle 61 is sprayed toward the vicinity of the lower portion 36a in the edge portion of the mouth portion 36 of the preform P that has been conveyed sideways. As a result, the lower portion 36a of the edge portion of the mouth portion 36 of the preform P is pushed down by the air A ejected from the reversal auxiliary nozzle 61, and rotation due to its own weight is assisted. Then, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), the preform P rotates about 45 ° with the edge of the transport path 43 as a fulcrum, the mouth 36 is directed downward, and the mouth 36 is directed to the posture correction plate 62. It arrange | positions on the inclined surface 62a in the state contact | abutted to the inclined surface 62a. Thereby, the preform P is arranged on the posture correction plate 62 without falling to the storage part 42 of the supply apparatus main body 13.

  Thereafter, the preform P is sent out from the posture correction plate 62 to the downstream conveyance path 43 while being guided by the guide rod 63. As a result, the posture of the preform P disposed obliquely along the inclined surface 62 a is in a state of being disposed substantially perpendicularly with the mouth 36 facing downward with respect to the conveyance path 43. When the posture correction mechanism 53 is rotated, the mouth portion 36 may be turned sideways and conveyed to the downstream conveyance path 43 in that state.

  FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the second sorting mechanism 54 of the alignment block. FIGS. 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining a method of sorting the preform P by the second sorting mechanism 54, and FIGS. 13A and 13B are cross-sectional views orthogonal to the conveyance path 43.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the second sorting mechanism 54 includes a preform sorting bar 65. One end of the preform sorting bar 65 is fixed to the upper end portion of the outer peripheral wall 44, and the other end extends to the upper side of the conveyance path 43 while extending to the downstream side. The gap between the preform selection bar 65 and the conveyance path 43 is slightly larger than the height dimension from the mouth portion 36 to the bottom portion 35a of the preform P and smaller than the outer diameter of the mouth portion 36 of the preform P. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 13A, in the second sorting mechanism 54, the preform P that is conveyed in an inverted posture that is disposed substantially perpendicularly with the mouth 36 facing downward with respect to the conveyance path 43 is: The lower part of the preform sorting bar 65 is moved without contacting the preform sorting bar 65. Therefore, the preform P in the predetermined posture with the mouth portion 36 facing downward is transported from the second sorting mechanism 54 to the downstream side and sent to the outlet 43 b of the transport path 43. Further, when the ratio of the diameter / full length (length from the mouth portion to the bottom portion) of the preform P (ratio of the diameter of the mouth portion with respect to the full length) is about 1 or more, as shown in FIG. The preform P conveyed with the side 36 facing sideways is in contact with the mouth 36 of the preform selection bar 65. Then, the preform P is pushed out to the inside of the supply apparatus main body 13 by moving along the preform sorting bar 65 extending to the upper side of the conveyance path 43 while extending to the downstream side. As a result, the preform P is dropped from the transport path 43 to the storage unit 42.

  Thus, in the second sorting mechanism 54, only the preform P having a predetermined posture, which is an inverted posture with the mouth portion 36 directed downward, passes and is sent downstream. Note that the preform P in which the gate formed at the time of injection molding remains on the bottom portion 35a is also excluded when the preform selection rod 65 contacts the gate even in a predetermined posture.

  In addition, when the preforms P in the inverted posture with the mouth portion 36 directed downward with respect to the conveyance path 43 and being overlapped with each other have been conveyed, the bottom portion 35a of the upper preform P is moved to the bottom. The two preforms P that are in contact with the reforming sorting bar 65 are pushed out to the inside of the supply apparatus main body 13. As a result, the two preforms P that overlap each other are dropped from the conveyance path 43 to the storage unit 42.

  The preform P sent to the outlet 43 b of the transport path 43 is then sent to the preform transport device 14 and transported to the blow molding machine 15 by the preform transport device 14. The preform P is blow-molded by the blow molding machine 15.

  As described above, according to the preform supply device 11 according to the present embodiment, even if the preform P has a wide mouth whose posture is not stable because the center of gravity G is in the vicinity of the center, To adjust the posture of the preform P or to release the overlap of the preform P along the conveyance path 43, and to perform the first selection mechanism, separation mechanism 52, posture correction mechanism 53, and The preforms P conveyed in a posture other than the inverted posture can be eliminated by the second sorting mechanism 54 and can be sent one by one to the blow molding machine 15 in an inverted posture.

  As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that the preform P is clogged and accumulated in the middle of the conveyance path 43 caused by sending out the preform P in a posture other than the inverted posture or the multiple preforms P. Can do. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the operation of removing the clogged and accumulated preform P, and to efficiently supply it in a state aligned with a machine for the next process such as the blow molding machine 15.

  Further, the conveyance path 43 is gradually inclined upward from one end serving as the inlet 43 a connected to the storage portion 42 toward the other end serving as the outlet 43 b of the preform P. For this reason, the preform P can be transported and removed from the transport path 43 to the storage unit 42 by the vibration of the vibration unit 41 and returned to the storage unit 42 easily. Can do. Thereby, a separate mechanism or the like for returning the excluded preform P to the storage unit 42 is not necessary, and the apparatus can be reduced in size and cost. Moreover, by dropping the preform P in an overlapped state from the conveyance path 43 to the storage unit 42, the preform P may collide with the storage unit 42 or other preforms to release the overlap.

  In addition, since the conveyance path 43 is formed in a spiral shape with the storage section 42 as the center, a long distance of the conveyance path 43 can be ensured with the storage section 42 as the center. For this reason, the posture of the preform P is easily adjusted or the overlap of the preforms is easily released by the vibration of the vibration part 41 during the conveyance. Further, the device can be further reduced in size.

  Further, in the first sorting mechanism 45, the preform P in which the center of gravity G protrudes from the sorting conveyance path 43c can be easily removed from the sorting conveyance path 43c by the vibration of the vibration unit 41.

  Further, in the separation mechanism 52 constituting the alignment means, the air P is sprayed on one of the overlapping preforms P, so that the overlapping preforms P can be easily separated and transported.

  Moreover, by blowing the air A onto the edge of the preform P by the reversing auxiliary nozzle 61 of the posture correcting mechanism 53 that constitutes the aligning means, the preform P can be easily rotated into a predetermined posture.

  In the second sorting mechanism 54, the preform P in a posture other than the predetermined posture can be easily removed by contacting the preform sorting rod 65.

By the way, conventionally, in the apparatus configuration in which the posture is aligned while dropping the preform as in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to secure a long conveyance path for sliding the preform, and the entire apparatus is easily increased in size. In addition, in such a large apparatus, when the shape of the preform is changed in design, it takes a lot of time and labor to adjust to cope with the change in design.
On the other hand, in the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the alignment block 50 including the separation mechanism 52, the posture correction mechanism 53, and the second selection mechanism 54 that constitute a part of the alignment means is detachable and can be easily replaced. Can do. Further, the sorting conveyance path 43c of the first sorting mechanism 45 is movable, and its width dimension W can be adjusted. Thereby, for the preforms P having different designs and sizes, the alignment blocks 50 corresponding to the preforms P are attached to the transport path 43, or the width dimension W of the sorting transport path 43c is adjusted. Since the preform P can be adjusted so that it can be easily supplied and aligned, the equipment cost and the work time required for adjustment can be greatly reduced. Each sorting mechanism and separation mechanism are optimized based on the shape and size of the preform and the balance of the center of gravity. Therefore, the arrangement and shape of the guide rods and the like can be changed as appropriate for each preform.

11: Preform supply device, 41: Vibrating section, 42: Storage section, 43: Transport path, 43a: Inlet, 43b: Exit, 43c: Sorting transport path, 45: First sorting mechanism, 52: Separating mechanism, 53: Posture correction mechanism, 54: second sorting mechanism, 65: preform sorting bar, P: preform

Claims (7)

A preform supply apparatus that aligns wide-mouth preforms in a predetermined posture and supplies them one by one,
A storage section for storing a plurality of the preforms that have been charged;
A conveyance path having one end connected to the storage unit;
A vibrating section that vibrates the storage section and the transport path one by one along the transport path from the one end serving as the entrance to the transport path toward the other end serving as the exit. When,
Alignment means for separating the preforms, which are provided in the conveyance path, one by one, and excluding the preforms conveyed in a posture other than a predetermined posture from the conveyance path;
Equipped with a,
The conveying path comprises, from one end to the other end is gradually inclined upward, and wherein the Rukoto is dropped into the reservoir of the preform which is excluded are selected by the aligning means from the conveying path Preform supply device. The preform feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyance path is formed in a spiral shape with the storage portion as a center. The aligning means has a sorting conveyance path with one side opened, and the preform fed in a posture where the center of gravity protrudes from the sorting conveyance path is dropped from the one side opened with the sorting conveyance path. the preform supply device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a first selection mechanism for. The preform according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the alignment unit includes a separation mechanism that separates the preforms that overlap each other by spraying air onto the preforms that overlap each other. Feeding device. The alignment means includes an attitude correction mechanism including an auxiliary nozzle that assists in arranging the preform in a predetermined attitude by blowing air on the edge of the preform and rotating the preform. The preform supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The alignment means has a preform sorting bar that projects above the conveyance path and has a height dimension slightly larger than that of the preform in a predetermined posture. the preform supply device according to the preform fed in a posture in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a second selection mechanism to eliminate in contact with the preform sorting bar. The preform supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein at least a part of the alignment means is detachable from the conveyance path.

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