JP7157325B2 - cap feeder - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cap supply device that supplies caps with dispensers through a chute.

In a cap supply device that supplies caps to a capper, which has a dispenser with a pump, it is necessary to align the direction of the nozzle of the dispenser and deliver the cap to the capper. A mechanism is provided for For example, in a cap supply device that uses its own weight to supply a cap to a capper through a chute, the cap is temporarily locked in the middle of the chute, the orientation of the nozzle is detected, and the orientation of the nozzle is adjusted in a predetermined direction. There is known a cap supply device that aligns the caps with each other (see Patent Literature 1).

JP-A-2002-211740

However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the direction of the nozzle is aligned in the middle of the chute, and then the cap is supplied to the capper by sliding it again in the downstream chute, so the cap is defined in the downstream chute. may rotate from the direction of Also, the rotation of the cap may cause the cap to slide in the chute and become jammed. In addition, by conveying the cap with the short side direction facing the chute conveying direction, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of jams in the chute of the cap, but as described above, the cap tends to be displaced from the specified direction. Configuration 1 increases the likelihood of jams occurring in the chute.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to prevent the cap from rotating within the chute in a cap supply device that supplies a cap with a dispenser through a chute.

The cap supply device, which is the first aspect of the present invention, is capable of ejecting a liquid in a container from a nozzle provided in an operation portion attached to a cap body, and is equipped with a dispenser having a hanging member extending downward from the operation portion. a cap supply means for conveying the caps with the nozzles directed in one of the forward and backward directions in the conveying direction; In a cap supply device comprising a rotating direction restricting means and a chute for transporting caps having nozzles oriented in a direction perpendicular to the transporting direction by the direction restricting means, the cap body is rotatably attached to the operation portion. The direction regulating means includes a first direction regulating wheel that rotates the cap so that the nozzle faces a predetermined one of the forward and backward directions of the conveying direction, and the nozzle faces a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction. each of the first and second direction regulating wheels includes a plurality of gripping mechanisms for gripping the cap body on the outer periphery of each wheel, and a plurality of gripping mechanisms gripped by the gripping mechanisms. and a rotation mechanism for rotating the operating portion with respect to the cap body, and a cap is provided in the chute at a position corresponding to between the cap body and the hanging member along the conveying direction of the chute. It is characterized by providing a rotation prevention guide for preventing the rotation of the.

A third aspect of the present invention is a cap supply device according to the second aspect, wherein the starting end of the anti-rotation guide extends from the chute to the end of the conveying section of the second direction regulating wheel, It is characterized in that the starting end of the anti-rotation guide is inserted between the cap main body and the hanging member when the cap is conveyed by the two-way regulating wheel.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it is a cap supply apparatus which supplies the cap with a dispenser via a chute. WHEREIN: Rotation within the chute of a cap can be prevented.

1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a dispenser-equipped cap supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a part of the first direction regulating wheel; FIG. 11 is a side view showing the arrangement of a part of the configuration of the first direction regulating wheel; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the discharge chute on which the cap is set as seen from the direction IV in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a discharge chute on which another cap is set as seen from the direction IV in FIG. 1;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a dispenser-equipped cap supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The cap supply device 10 of this embodiment aligns the directions of the caps with dispensers C and supplies them to a capper (not shown) in an aligned state. The cap with dispenser C (see FIGS. 4 and 5) includes, for example, a tube Ct inserted into the container, a pump Cp connected to the upper end of the tube, and an operation for holding/operating the cap with dispenser C attached to the container. and a nozzle Cn for ejecting liquid discharged from the pump Cp. A cap main body Cb screwed to the mouth of the container is rotatably attached under the operating portion Ch so as to surround the pump Cp.

The caps C are sequentially supplied from the supply chute 12 to the cap supply wheel 14 in an upside down state (the tube Ct faces upward) and with the nozzle Cn facing forward or backward in the conveying direction (cap supply means). The cap supply wheel 14 conveys the cap C along its outer periphery at predetermined intervals while maintaining the orientation of the nozzles Cn with respect to the conveying direction, and conveys the cap C to the first direction regulating wheel (direction regulating means) 16 adjacent on the downstream side. and pass.

In the first direction regulating wheel 16, for example, nozzles Cn provided on the cap C facing forward with respect to the conveying direction are rotated 180° around the vertical axis to be aligned backward (described later). A second direction regulating wheel (direction regulating means) 18 is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the first direction regulating wheel 16, and the first direction regulating wheel 16 aligns the orientation of the nozzles Cn rearward in the conveying direction. C is rotated by approximately 90° (tolerance of approximately ±20°) around the vertical axis, and the orientation of the nozzles Cn is set in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, that is, laterally with respect to the transport direction (described later). A discharge chute 20 is disposed downstream of the second direction regulation wheel 18 to slide the cap C by its own weight and sequentially supply the cap C to a capper (not shown), and the nozzle Cn is oriented sideways with respect to the conveying direction. Cap C is delivered sequentially.

The feed wheel 14 comprises a disc 14B with claws provided with conveying claws 14A at predetermined intervals along the circumference. The cap C supplied from the supply chute 12 is fed between the pair of front and rear conveying claws 14A by a clipping device 12A provided downstream of the supply chute 12 and in front of the cap transfer position P1 to the supply wheel 14. One cap C is delivered. The clipping device 12A is, for example, a stopper that is synchronized with the rotation of the supply wheel 14, and temporarily stops movement of the following cap C so that one cap C is transferred between the pair of front and rear conveying claws 14A. .

In the conveying section P1-P2 from the transfer position P1 to the transfer position P2 where the cap is transferred to the first direction regulating wheel 16, a bottom guide 14C that supports the outer half of the cap C from below along the outer circumference of the disc 14B with claws is provided. is placed. Further, an arc-shaped side guide 14D along the outer circumference is arranged at a position separated from the outer circumference of the disk 14B with claws (corresponding to the root position of the conveying claw 14A), for example, by the outer diameter of the cap main body Cb. That is, the cap C transferred to the supply wheel 12 is pushed from the rear by the conveying claw 14A on the rear side of the rotating disk 14B with claws, is guided by the side guide 14D, and is guided along the outer circumference of the disk 14B with claws to the bottom surface. It is conveyed on the guide 14C.

The first directional control wheel 16 comprises a rotating body 24 having a plurality of grippers 22 provided at predetermined intervals along its circumference. The grippers 22 grip the outer peripheral surface of the cap main body Cb to hold the cap C, and only two grippers 22 are depicted in FIG. 1, and the other grippers 22 are omitted.

A bottom support plate 24D (see FIG. 3) is provided on the outer periphery of the rotating body 24 to support approximately half of the inner side of the cap C (the radially inner side of the wheel 16), as will be described later. A side guide 26 for guiding the transportation of the cap C along the outer circumference of the rotating body 24 is provided at the transfer position P3 where the cap C is transferred to the direction regulating wheel 18 . Further, bottom guides 26A and 26B are provided in a predetermined section from the delivery position P2 and in a predetermined section before the delivery position P3 to support approximately half of the outer side of the cap C (the radially outer side of the wheel 16).

In addition, a cap rotation section A is provided in a predetermined section of the side guide 26 directed downstream from the terminal end of the bottom guide 26A. A recess is formed. That is, the cap main body Cb is gripped by the gripper 22 before reaching the cap rotation section A, and when the cap C is rotated in the cap rotation section A to align the nozzles Cn, the operation portion Ch is moved by the side guide 26. Does not interfere with the inner peripheral wall.

The gripper 22 is opened in the section where the bottom guide 26B is provided, and the cap C is transferred to the second direction control wheel 18 at the transfer position P3. The second direction regulating wheel 18 differs in that the angle at which the cap C is rotated is approximately 90° (with an allowable error of approximately ±20°) and the arrangement of the side guides and bottom guides, but its basic configuration is the first direction. It is substantially the same as the regulation wheel 16 . That is, the second direction regulating wheel 18 has a rotating body 30 having a plurality of grippers 22 provided at predetermined intervals along the outer periphery. Only one gripper 22 is depicted in FIG.

A bottom support plate (not shown) that supports approximately half of the inner side of the cap C (the radially inner side of the wheel 18) is provided on the outer periphery of the rotating body 30, and the cap C is received from the delivery position P3 to the discharge chute 20. A side guide 32 for guiding the transfer along the outer circumference of the cap C along the outer circumference of the rotating body 30 is arranged over the transfer position P4. A bottom guide 32A is provided in a predetermined section from the delivery position P3 to support approximately half of the outer side of the cap C (the outer side of the wheel 18 in the radial direction).

The side guide 32 extending from the terminal end of the bottom guide 32A to the delivery position P4 is provided with a laterally placed cap section B in which the inner peripheral wall of the arcuate side guide 32 is enlarged outward. Further, in the cap laterally placed section B, a rotation prevention guide 34 that extends along substantially the entire section along the discharge chute 20 and prevents rotation of the cap C within the discharge chute 20 as described later is provided. It extends from the discharge chute 20 along the outer circumference of the rotor 30 . In addition, in the cap laterally placed section B, the anti-rotation guide 34 is fixed to the side guide 32 via the stay 32B.

Next, the configuration of the first direction control wheel 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the layout of a part of the first direction regulation wheel 16, and FIG. 3 is a side view. The right side of FIG. 2 shows the arrangement at the lower portion (lower rotary plate 24C) of the rotating body 24, and the left side shows the arrangement at the intermediate portion (middle rotary plate 24B) of the rotating body.

In this embodiment, the rotating body 24 of the first direction regulating wheel 16 includes an upper rotating plate 24A, a middle rotating plate 24B, and a lower rotating plate 24C, which rotate integrally with a rotating shaft 36 rotated by a driving unit (not shown). do. The lower rotating plate 24C has an annular structure, and a rotating shaft 36 and a fixing portion 37 surrounding it are vertically inserted through a central hole. The upper end of the fixing portion 37 extends to near the lower surface of the middle rotary plate 24B, and a gripper driving cam 37A is provided along the entire outer periphery of the upper end portion. A reversing lever drive cam 37B is provided across the shaft.

The rotating body 24 is provided with a plurality of grippers 22 for gripping the cap main body Cb at predetermined intervals along the outer circumference, and a reversing lever 38 paired with the grippers 22 for aligning the orientation of the nozzles Cn of the cap C rearward in the conveying direction. Also, corresponding to each gripper 22 (each reversing lever 38), a swing shaft 40 is installed vertically from the upper rotating plate 24A through the middle rotating plate 24B to the lower rotating plate 24C. A gripper drive mechanism 42 for driving the gripper 22 is attached to the swing shaft 40 between the upper rotary plate 24A and the middle rotary plate 24B, and the swing shaft 40 between the middle rotary plate 24B and the lower rotary plate 24C has , a lever drive mechanism 44 for driving the reversing lever 38 is mounted.

The gripper drive mechanism 42 includes a pair of first and second gripper pieces 21 and 23 forming the gripper 22, and a drive arm 42A having a cam follower 42C at the tip of the arm. A base end portion of the drive arm 42A is attached so as to be swingable around a swing shaft 40, and a torsion spring 42B is arranged around the swing shaft 40 between the drive arm 42A and the upper rotating plate 24A. . One end of the torsion spring 42B is engaged with the drive arm 42A and the other end is engaged with the upper rotating plate 24A. biased to rotate. As a result, the cam follower 42C is pressed against the cam surface of the gripper drive cam 37A, and when the drive arm 42A moves together with the swing shaft 40 as the rotor 24 rotates, the cam follower 42C contacts the cam surface of the gripper drive cam 37A. The drive arm 42A is swung around the swing shaft 40 according to the shape of the cam.

The first gripper piece 21 is an L-shaped member, and a gripping portion for gripping the cap main body Cb is formed on the distal end side of the short member. On the other hand, the tip of the longitudinal member of the L-shaped first gripper piece 21 is concentrically pivoted to a drive arm 42A pivoted around the swing shaft 40, and swings independently of the drive arm 42A. It can swing around the axis 40 .

A second gripper rotation shaft 21A extending vertically upward is provided near the bent portion of the longitudinal member of the L-shaped first gripper piece 21. At the upper end of the second gripper rotation shaft 21A, A second gripper piece 23 is pivotally mounted. That is, the first and second gripper pieces 21 and 23 can be advanced and retracted in the radial direction of the first direction regulating wheel 16 by rotating the first gripper piece 21 around the pivot shaft 40, and the second gripper piece 21 can move forward and backward. The gripper 22 can be opened and closed by rotating around the second gripper rotating shaft 21A.

A pin 23A projecting downward is provided on the lower surface of the second gripper piece 23 closer to the swing shaft 40 than the second gripper rotation shaft 21A, and a torsion spring 23B is arranged around the pin 23A. One end of the torsion spring 23B is engaged with the second gripper piece 23, and the other end is engaged with a pin 42D projecting upward from the upper surface of the drive arm 42A.

When the cam follower 42C of the drive arm 42A is pushed outward by the gripper drive cam 37A and the drive arm 42A is rotated around the swing shaft 40, the pin 42D of the drive arm 42A, the torsion spring 23B and the pin 23A The rotational force of the drive arm 42A is transmitted to the second gripper piece 23, and the rotational force of the first gripper piece 21 is further transmitted via the second gripper rotational shaft 21A. As a result, the first gripper piece 21 and the second gripper piece 23 are integrally pushed out radially outward of the first direction regulating wheel 16 .

Further, when the drive arm 42A is rotated around the swing shaft 40 and the first gripper piece 21 rotated around the swing shaft 40 is pushed out to a predetermined position, the longitudinal member of the first gripper piece 21 is pushed out. It is stopped by the stopper 27 and the rotation of the first gripper piece 21 around the pivot shaft 40 is stopped. When the drive arm 42A is further rotated around the swing shaft 40 in a state where the rotation of the first gripper piece 21 is stopped, the drive arm is moved to the second gripper piece 43 via the pin 42D, the torsion spring 23B, and the pin 23A. A rotational force of 42A is transmitted, and the second gripper piece 23 rotates about the second gripper rotating shaft 21A in the direction in which the gripper 22 closes. In this embodiment, a gripping force adjustment mechanism 22A is provided between the first and second gripper pieces 21 and 23 to communicate between them and adjust the gripping force of the gripper 22 .

On the other hand, the lever drive mechanism 44 includes a sector gear 44A that rotates the reversing lever 38 and a drive arm 44B that rotates the sector gear 44A. The sector gear 44A and the drive arm 44B are integrally pivoted on the swing shaft 40, and the tip of the drive arm 44B is provided with a cam follower 44C that engages the cam surface of the reversing lever drive cam 37B. The reversing lever 38 includes a gear 38A whose one end is supported by the lever rotation shaft 44D and rotates around the lever rotation shaft 44D. The other end of the reversing lever 38 is provided with an engagement pin 38B that engages with the operation portion Ch of the cap C to reverse the cap C. As shown in FIG. The engaging pin 38B extends vertically upward from the main body of the reversing lever 38 to a position slightly higher than the upper surface of the central rotary plate 24B.

The sector gear 44A is, for example, a fan-shaped gear and meshes with the gear 38A of the lever rotating shaft 44D. A tension spring 44E, one end of which is attached to the lower rotary plate 24C, is attached to the opposite side of the sector gear 44A across the swing shaft 40. As shown in FIG. That is, the sector gear 44A and the drive arm 44B are urged toward the center of the first direction control wheel 16, and the cam follower 44C of the drive arm 44B is pressed against the cam surface of the reversing lever drive cam 37B.

When the cam follower 44C is pushed radially outward of the first direction control wheel 16 by the reversing lever drive cam 37B, the sector gear 44A is swung radially outward about the swing shaft 40 . As a result, the engaging pin 38B is rotated by a predetermined angle of 180° or more from the position indicated by P5 in FIG. 2 to the position indicated by P6. Also, when the cam follower 44C moves radially inward of the first directional restricting wheel 16, the engagement pin 38B is rotated from the position indicated at P6 to the position indicated at P5. In the present embodiment, arcuate slits 25 for retracting the respective engaging pins 38B are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the central rotary plate 24B, and the engaging pins 38B are , is retracted into the arc slit 25 .

The operating portion Ch of the cap C is long in the jetting direction of the nozzle Cn, and the length is different before and after sandwiching the cap main body Cb. In this embodiment, the side of the operation portion Ch opposite to the nozzle Cn is long, and the engagement pin 38B is arranged to engage only the longer side of the operation portion Ch extending forward and backward from the cap main body Cb. . Therefore, when the reversing lever 38 is rotated and the engagement pin 38B is moved from P5 to P6, the engagement pin 38B is moved to the operating portion Ch in the cap C in which the nozzle Cn of the cap C faces forward with respect to the conveying direction. As for the cap C which is engaged with the rear side and rotated 180° (clockwise in FIG. 2) and the nozzle Cn faces the rear side with respect to the transport direction, the operation portion Ch is connected to the engagement pin 38B. It remains in its original orientation without interference. As a result, the nozzles Cn of the cap C are aligned rearward with respect to the transport direction.

The gripper drive mechanism and lever drive mechanism of the second direction control wheel 18 used in the dispenser-equipped cap supply device 10 of the present embodiment have substantially the same configuration as the above-described first direction control wheel 16, and therefore description thereof is omitted. do. However, in the second direction regulating wheel 18, the rotation of the reversing lever by the reversing lever driving cam rotates the cap C only by approximately 90° (with an allowable error of approximately ±20°), and the conveying direction of the cap C is changed by the first direction regulating wheel. 16 is in the opposite direction. In addition, since all the nozzles Cn of the second direction regulation wheel 18 are oriented rearward in the transport direction, all the caps C are rotated by approximately 90° (with an allowable error of approximately ±20°) by the engagement pins, and the nozzles Cn are The radially inner side of the second directional control wheel 18 is directed.

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the configuration of the discharge chute 20 and the attitude of the cap C handled in the present embodiment moving within the discharge chute 20 will be described. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the discharge chute 20 on which the cap C is set as seen from the IV direction in FIG.

The discharge chute 20 has a hollow U-shaped cross-section, and the top of the cap C is supported by the bottom plate 20A of the discharge chute 20 when the cap C is turned upside down. A slit-shaped opening 20C along the longitudinal direction of the chute is provided in the bottom 20B of the concave portion above the discharge chute 20, and the pump Cp and the tube Ct extending upward from the cap main body Cb pass through the opening 20C. projects outward from the discharge chute 20 .

Inside the discharge chute 20, the anti-rotation guide 34 and the traveling guide 35 extend along the longitudinal direction of the chute. In the operation portion Ch of the cap C handled in this embodiment, the operation lever Cl, which is the trigger of the pump Cp, extends toward the rear side of the operation portion Ch on the opposite side (rear side) of the nozzle Cn. A grip (hanging member) Cg for the user to grip is provided below it (upper in FIG. 4). The grip Cg extends downward from the cap C (in the direction in which the tube Ct is attached) along the cap main body Cb and the pump Cp from the rear portion of the operation portion Ch (opposite side of the nozzle Cn). The anti-rotation guide 34 is positioned, for example, between the cap body Cb and the grip Cg in the chute, and the traveling guide 35 is adjacent to the cap body Cb on the opposite side of the anti-rotation guide 34 with the cap body Cb interposed therebetween. placed.

Since the anti-rotation guide 34 is sandwiched between the grip Cg and the cap main body Cb, even if the cap C tries to rotate in the discharge chute 20, the grip Cg engages with the anti-rotation guide 34 and rotation is prevented. Regulated. Further, the travel guide 35 prevents the cap C inside the discharge chute 20 from tilting to the side opposite to the rotation prevention guide 34 during travel.

Next, referring to FIG. 5, the longitudinal axis of the operation portion Ch is longer on the side where the nozzle Cn is provided, and the operation lever (drooping member) Cl, which is the trigger of the pump Cp, extends from the operation portion Ch below the nozzle to the cap body. Cb, the case of handling the cap C extending downward (in the direction in which the tube Ct is attached) along the pump Cp will be described. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the discharge chute of FIG. 1 corresponding to FIG. 4 when handling another cap, viewed from the IV direction.

In the cap C configured in FIG. 5, since the operation portion Ch on the nozzle side is long, the locking pins 38B of the first and second direction regulating wheels 16 and 18 are engaged only on the side where the nozzle Cn is provided. It is the operation part Ch. Therefore, in the first direction regulating wheel 16, only the cap C whose nozzles Cn face the rear side in the transport direction is rotated 180°, and all the nozzles Cn are aligned so as to face the front side in the transport direction. Further, in the second direction regulation wheel 18, all the caps C are rotated by approximately 90° (tolerance of approximately ±20°) by the engagement pin, and the nozzles Cn are directed radially outward of the second direction regulation wheel 18.

The anti-rotation guide 34 is located between the cap main body Cb and the operating lever Cl in the chute, and the travel guide 35 is adjacent to the cap main body Cb on the opposite side of the anti-rotation guide 34 with the cap main body Cb interposed therebetween. placed. That is, since the anti-rotation guide 34 is sandwiched between the operating lever Cl and the cap main body Cb, even if the cap C tries to rotate within the discharge chute 20, the operating lever Cl engages the anti-rotation guide 34. rotation is regulated. Further, the travel guide 35 prevents the cap C inside the discharge chute 20 from tilting to the side opposite to the rotation prevention guide 34 during travel.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the cap supply device that supplies caps with dispensers through the chute, members such as grips and operation levers hanging downward from the cap operation portion and the cap main body By providing a guide member along the chute between them, the rotation of the cap within the chute can be prevented.

10 cap supply device with dispenser 14 cap supply wheel (cap supply means)
16 first direction control wheel (direction control means)
18 second direction control wheel (direction control means)
20 discharge chute 22 gripper 34 anti-rotation guide 38 reversing lever 38B locking pin 42 gripper driving mechanism (gripping mechanism)
44 Lever drive mechanism (rotating mechanism)
C Cap Cb Cap main body Cg Grip (hanging member)
Ch operation part Cl operation lever (hanging member)
Cn Nozzle Cp Pump Ct Tube

Claims (2)

A cap with a dispenser that is capable of ejecting the liquid in the container from a nozzle provided in the operation part attached to the cap body and has a hanging member that extends downward from the operation part, the nozzle being arranged in one of the forward and backward directions in the conveying direction. a cap supply means for conveying in a state facing the
a direction regulating means for rotating the cap supplied from the cap supplying means so that the nozzle faces a direction substantially orthogonal to the conveying direction;
A cap supply device comprising a chute for conveying caps having nozzles oriented in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction by the direction restricting means,
The cap main body is rotatably provided in the operation portion,
The direction regulating means includes a first direction regulating wheel that rotates the cap so that the nozzle faces a predetermined one of forward and backward directions of the transport direction, and a cap that rotates the cap so that the nozzle faces a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport direction. and a second directional control wheel that rotates ,
Each of the first and second direction regulating wheels includes a plurality of gripping mechanisms that grip the cap body on the outer periphery of each wheel, and a rotating mechanism that rotates the operation portion with respect to the cap body gripped by the gripping mechanism. with
The chute is provided with a rotation prevention guide for preventing rotation of the cap within the chute at a position corresponding to between the cap body and the hanging member along the conveying direction of the chute.
A cap supply device characterized by: The starting end of the anti-rotation guide extends from the chute to the terminal end of the conveying section of the second direction regulating wheel. 2. The cap feeding device according to claim 1 , wherein the cap feeding device is arranged so as to be inserted between the cap body and the hanging member.

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