JP7464834B2 - Cappa - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a capper that seals a container with a cap.

In a drive-in capper, in which a cap held by a capping head is pushed into the mouth of a container, if the central axes of the cap and the container are misaligned during capping, a strong load is placed on the cap and container, which can result in defects such as scratches or the cap being capped at an angle onto the container. To address this issue, a configuration has been proposed in which, when capping a container, the neck gripper that grips the container is temporarily opened and the cap is capped, so that the container follows the axis of the cap (Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 5003021

However, since the container is filled with contents and is heavy, conforming the container to the cap would place a large load on the cap and container, which could cause damage.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a capper that can align the cap and container while capping them without applying a large load.

The first invention of the present invention is a capper comprising a capping head for gripping a cap, a container holding means provided below the capping head for holding a container, and a lifting means for relatively raising and lowering the capping head and the container holding means. The capping head has a gripping portion that can move between a gripping position where it contacts the side of the cap to grip the cap and an opening position where it moves away from the side of the cap to open the cap, a plate that contacts the top surface of the cap when capping, and a driving means for moving the gripping portion between the gripping position and the opening position. The capper grips a cap supplied from a cap supplying means with the capping head and then caps the cap into a container held by the container holding means. During the capping operation, after the bottom end of the cap is flush with the top surface of the container, the gripping portion is moved from the gripping position to the opening position to open the cap, making the cap movable horizontally within the capping head, and capping is performed with the plate.

The capper of the second invention of the present invention is the capper of the first invention, which is characterized in that it includes a rotating means for rotating the capping head and a direction detecting means for detecting the direction of the cap held by the capping head, and rotates the capping head based on the detection signal of the direction detecting means to align the cap direction, and then caps the containers held by the container holding means.

The present invention provides a capper that can align the cap and container and stopper the container without applying a large load.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a capper according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of a capping head and a container holding portion provided along the outer periphery of the capper in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a capping head. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the arrangement of chucks of the capping head. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between a capping head and a laser sensor in a direction adjustment section. FIG. 13 is a side view showing the state in which the cap held by the capping head is lowered close to the mouth of the container in the capping section. FIG. In the latter half of the capping section, the zipper is released and the cap is shown to be held by being clamped between the plate and the mouth of the container V.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a capper according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of the capping head and container holding section provided along the outer periphery of the capper in Fig. 1, with only the left half of the capper being shown.

In this embodiment, caps C and containers V are supplied to the capper 10 from the cap/container supply wheel 12 at the supply position P1. The cap/container supply wheel 12 is a rotating body equipped with a cap supply disk on the upper level and a container supply wheel on the lower level. Caps C are supplied to the upper cap supply disk from the cap supply chute 14, and containers V filled with contents are supplied to the lower container supply wheel from the container supply conveyor 16 via the infeed screw 16A while being housed in the hakama 24A (see Figure 2).

The capper 10 is a wheel-type capper equipped with multiple capping heads 22 along the outer periphery and a container holding section (container holding means) 24 corresponding to each capping head 22. At the supply position P1, a cap C is delivered to the capping head 22 from the cap supply disk of the cap/container supply wheel 12, and a container V stored in the hakama 24A is delivered to the container holding section 24 from the container supply wheel of the cap/container supply wheel 12.

As shown in FIG. 1, a predetermined section downstream from the supply position P1 is a direction adjustment section A1 in which the capping head is rotated to align the orientation of the cap C with the orientation of the container V, as described below. Downstream of the direction adjustment section A1 is a stoppering section A2 in which the capping head 22 attaches the cap C to the mouth of the container V. The container V that has been stoppered in the stoppering section A2 is transferred to the discharge wheel 18 at the discharge position P2 located downstream of the stoppering section A2 while being contained in the hakama 24A, and is then transferred to the discharge conveyor 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the capper 10 has a rotor 10B rotatably held around a fixed shaft 10A located in the center via bearings 26A, 26B, etc. Rotating body 10B has a lower rotating part 28A along whose outer periphery the container holding parts 24 are arranged, and an upper rotating part 28B which holds the capping heads 22 located directly above each container holding part 24. In addition, a gear 28C is arranged on the outer periphery of the lower end of rotating body 10B, and gear 28C is driven by a worm gear 30 which is connected to, for example, a drive motor (not shown). This causes rotating body 10B to rotate around fixed shaft 10A at a predetermined speed.

In this embodiment, the container holding unit 24 is equipped with a gripper 24B. The container V that is delivered while housed in the hakama 24A has its neck gripped by the gripper 24B. The opening and closing operation of the gripper 24B is controlled by a cam mechanism (not shown). That is, the gripper 24B closes at the supply position P1 to grip the container V, and opens just before the discharge position P2 to release the container V.

The capping head 22 is attached to the lower end of the head holding part 32. The head holding part 32 is held by the upper rotating part 28B so that it can be raised and lowered freely, and a cam follower 32A (lifting means) that engages with a cam (lifting means) 34 provided on the fixed shaft 10A is provided near its upper end. In other words, when the head holding part 32 moves along the circumference as the upper rotating part 28B rotates, the head holding part 32 rises and falls in accordance with the shape of the cam 34.

The capping head 22 is attached to the lower end of a rotating shaft 36 that runs vertically inside the head holding part 32 via a head driving part 35. Meanwhile, the upper end of the rotating shaft 36 is connected to a servo motor 38. That is, the capping head 22 can be rotated by being driven by the servo motor 38.

The head drive unit (drive means) 35 is a mechanism that uses compressed air to control the cap gripping operation of the capping head 22. An air passage 35A is provided inside the head drive unit 35A for circulating air along the axis, and the lower end of the air passage 35A is connected to the chuck drive mechanism of the capping head 22, which will be described later. Compressed air can be supplied to the air passage 35A from a compressed air source 35C via an opening/closing valve 35B.

In addition, a laser sensor (direction detection means) 40 for detecting the orientation of the cap C is disposed near each capping head 22, as described below. The laser sensor 40 is supported by a support rod 40A that hangs down from the underside of the upper rotating section 28B.

The drive of the servo motor 38 and the opening/closing valve 35B is controlled by a control device 42, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 3. The control device 42 determines the timing for opening and closing the chuck of the capping head 22 (described later) based on a signal from an encoder 42A that detects the phase of the rotating body 10B, and controls the opening and closing of the opening/closing valve 35B. It also controls the rotation of the servo motor 38 based on a signal from a laser sensor 40 to adjust the orientation of the cap C relative to the container V to a specified direction.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the capping head 22, with Figure 4(a) showing the state before holding the cap C and Figure 4(b) showing the state after holding the cap C. Also, Figure 5 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the chucks of the capping head 22. The configuration of the chuck drive mechanism provided in the capping head 22 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

The capping head 22 comprises a cup-shaped head body 22A that opens downward, a chuck mechanism 22B housed within the head body 22A, and a shaft portion 22C that is provided on the upper part of the head body 22A and connected to the head drive unit 35. An air passage 35A is disposed at the center of the shaft portion 22C. The air passage 35A branches out radially below the shaft portion 22C, extends diagonally downward, and communicates from the top surface of the head body 22A to the inside of the head body 22A.

A rod-shaped locking member 44 is provided downward at the center of the lower end of the shaft portion 22C and extends into the head body 22A. A cam member 46 constituting the chuck mechanism 22B is arranged directly below the top surface of the head body 22A. The outer peripheral surface of the cam member 46 slides against the inner peripheral surface of the head body 22A, and a hole 46A is provided in the center of the cam member 46 through which the locking member 44 is airtightly inserted. That is, the cam member 46 is arranged to be able to move up and down freely within the head body 22A, and when compressed air is supplied into the head body 22A through the air passage 35A, compressed air is supplied between the top surface of the head body 22A and the top surface of the cam member 46, and the cam member 46 is lowered along the inner peripheral surface of the head body 22A. A seal ring 46B is attached to the upper end of the outer peripheral surface of the cam member 46, which seals the space between the outer peripheral surface of the cam member 46 and the inner peripheral surface of the head body 22A, preventing the compressed air supplied into the head body 22A from leaking.

The lower end surface of the cam member 46 is annular and has a cam surface 46C that is conically inclined inward. Below the cam member 46, multiple (e.g., three) chucks 48 are arranged in an annular shape along the cam surface 46C. Each chuck 48 has a gripping member 48A that grips the outer periphery of the cap C from the outside, and a driven member 48B that cooperates with the cam member 46 to move the entire chuck 48 radially inward.

Each gripping member 48A has, for example, a sector-shaped planar shape, and adjacent gripping members 48A are connected to each other by a biasing member 50 such as a spring, and each is biased so as to spread radially outward. The gripping members 48A are held radially inward by a driven member 48B, and the top surface of the driven member 48B has a contact surface 48C that slides against the cam surface 46C. The bottom surface of the driven member 48B is supported by a web portion 22D that extends inward in an annular shape from the lower end of the head body 22A. That is, the chuck 48 is housed inside the cylinder of the head body 22A, and the cam member 46 is disposed between the chuck 48 and the top surface of the head body 22A.

In addition, on the underside of the cam member 46 inside the cam surface 46C, a spring or other biasing member 52A is arranged around the hole 46A so as to surround the locking member 44 extending downward from the hole 46A. At the lower end of the biasing member 52A, a plate 52B that abuts against the top surface of the cap C is arranged horizontally so as to cover the lower end surface of the locking member 44.

The chuck 48 is biased by the biasing member 50 to expand in diameter, so that the gripping member 48A is biased radially outward. As a result, the cam member 46 is biased upward by the contact surface 48C of the driven member 48B that slides against the cam surface 46C. Therefore, when compressed air is not supplied to the head body 22A, the chuck 48 is maintained in an open state (expanded state) (open position), and the top surface of the cam member 46 is maintained in contact with the top surface of the head body 22A.

Next, the capping operation of the capper 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 and Figures 6 to 8. Note that Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the capping head 22 and the laser sensor 40 in the direction adjustment section A1. Also, Figure 7 is a side view showing the state in which the cap C held by the capping head 22 has been lowered close to the mouth of the container V in the stoppering section A2, and Figure 8 shows the state in the latter half of the stoppering section A2 in which the chuck 48 has been released and the cap C is sandwiched and held between the plate 52B and the mouth of the container V.

Upstream of the supply position P1 in FIG. 1 and downstream of the discharge position P2, the capping head 22 is maintained in the state shown in FIG. 4(a). Just before the supply position P1, the capping head 22 is slightly lowered by the engagement of the cam 34 and the cam follower 32A, and the cap C on the cap supply disk of the cap/container supply wheel 12 is inserted into the head body 22A.

As shown in FIG. 4(b), the capping head 22 presses the top of the cap C against the plate 52B, and the head body 22A is lowered until the plate 52B abuts against the lower end surface of the locking member 44 against the biasing force of the biasing member 52A. Then, at the supply position P1, the opening and closing valve 35B is opened and compressed air from the compressed air source 35C is supplied into the head body 22A through the air passage 35A, and the cam member 46 is pushed downward. As a result, the chuck 48, whose bottom is restricted from moving in the vertical direction by the web portion 22D, is moved radially inward against the biasing force of the biasing member 50 due to contact between the cam surface 46C and the contact surface 48C, and the gripping member 48A grips the outer peripheral surface (side surface) of the cap C from three sides (gripping position).

At approximately the same time, the capping head 22 is raised slightly by the engagement of the cam 34 and the cam follower 32A, and the cap C is handed over to the capping head 22. The cap C has, for example, a protrusion Cp on the outside of the opening edge, and in the direction adjustment section A1, the capping head 22 maintains the height of the protrusion Cp of the grasped cap C at the same level as the laser sensor 40, as shown in FIG. 6.

In the direction adjustment section A1, the control device 42 rotates the capping head 22 using the servo motor 38, and when the protrusion Cp of the cap C is detected by the laser sensor 40, the control device 42 rotates the servo motor 38 by a predetermined angle from that position to align the orientation of the cap C held by the capping head 22 with the orientation of the container V held by the container holding section 24.

When the capping head 22 enters the capping section A2, as shown in FIG. 7, the capping head 22 is lowered by the engagement of the cam 34 and the cam follower 32A. As shown in FIG. 8, when the mouth of the container V descends to a height where it slightly enters the lower end of the cap C, the opening and closing valve 35B is closed, and the chuck 48 is moved radially outward by the biasing force of the biasing member 50, and the grip of the cap C is released. That is, the chuck 48 grips the cap C throughout the section B1, which is a certain section at the beginning of the direction adjustment section A1 and the capping section A2, but then the chuck 48 is released in the section B2 until the next supply position P1 is reached, and the cap C is held in a state sandwiched between the plate 52B and the mouth of the container V until the capping is completed. The timing of releasing the chuck 48 is controlled based on the relationship between the phase of the rotor 10B and the height of the chuck 48, which is stored in advance, and on the signal from the encoder 42A.

The capping head 22 is further lowered from the state shown in FIG. 8 with the chuck 48 open, and the cap C is pushed into the mouth of the container V by the plate 52B abutting the top surface of the cap C, and the capping section A2 ends when the cap C is completely capped into the container V. The capping head 22 is raised to a height where it does not interfere with the capped cap C by the time it reaches the discharge position P2 due to the engagement between the cam 34 and the cam follower 32A, and is raised to its initial height by the time it reaches the supply position P1.

In the stoppering section A2, if the central axes of the cap C and the mouth of the container V are misaligned, the cap C is not gripped by the chuck 48 from the state shown in FIG. 8 until stoppering is completed, and is held by being sandwiched between the plate 52B and the container V, so that horizontal movement is not restricted. In addition, the inside of the opening edge of the cap C in this embodiment has a tapered surface that gradually expands outward toward the bottom, and during the stoppering operation, the top surface of the mouth of the container V abuts against the tapered surface, and the cap C moves horizontally along the container. Therefore, when the cap C is pressed against the mouth of the container V by the plate 52B of the capping head 22, the cap C moves horizontally along the mouth and is stoppered at the appropriate position. Note that the shape of the cap C and the mouth of the container V is not limited to this embodiment, as long as the cap C can move horizontally (align) along the mouth of the container V when pressed against it.

As described above, according to this embodiment, after the cap is gripped by the chuck, when the cap is to be stoppered, the chuck is released and the cap can be moved laterally (horizontally) within the chuck after the bottom end of the cap is flush with the top surface of the container, making it possible to stopper the cap in the correct position without placing a large load on the cap or container.

In the capper of this embodiment, the capping head is raised and lowered, but the container holding part or both may be raised and lowered to cap the container. The gripping part may be configured to have a rubber member that expands with air, and the rubber expands when air is supplied to grip the cap, and the rubber does not expand when air is not supplied to open the cap. In this embodiment, the zipper is opened when the mouth of the container is slightly inserted into the cap, but the zipper may be opened when the bottom end of the cap is flush with the top of the container.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Capper 10A Fixed shaft 10B Rotating body 22 Capping head 32A Cam follower 34 Cam 35A Air passage 35 Head drive section 35B Opening/closing valve 35C Compressed air source 38 Servo motor 40 Laser sensor 46 Cam member 48 Chuck A1 Direction adjustment section A2 Capping section B1 Chuck closed section B2 Chuck open section C Cap V Container

Claims (2)

A capping head that holds the cap;
a container holding means provided below the capping head for holding a container;
a lifting means for lifting the capping head and the container holding means relative to each other,
The capping head is
a gripping portion that is movable between a gripping position where the gripping portion abuts against a side surface of the cap and grips the cap, and an opening position where the gripping portion moves away from the side surface of the cap and opens the cap;
a plate that comes into contact with a top surface of the cap when the cap is plugged;
a driving means for moving the gripping portion between the gripping position and the release position;
A capper that grips a cap supplied from a cap supplying means with the capping head and then caps the cap into a container held by the container holding means,
A capper characterized in that, during a capping operation, after the lower end of the cap becomes flush with the top surface of the container, the gripping portion is moved from the gripping position to the open position to open the cap, thereby making the cap movable horizontally within the capping head and capping the container with the plate. A rotating means for rotating the capping head;
a direction detection means for detecting a direction of the cap held by the capping head,
2. The capper according to claim 1, wherein the capping head is rotated based on a detection signal from the direction detection means to align the direction of the cap, and then the cap is capped into the container held by the container holding means.

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