JPH0231434Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] "Industrial Application Field" The present invention relates to a centering device for centering a container.

``Prior Art'' Conventionally, for example, in order to easily put a lid on a container, it is necessary to center the container with respect to a picker that holds the lid and feeds the lid toward the container. To center a container, it is sufficient to hold the container between a pair of left and right centering members each having a notch that follows the cross-sectional shape of the container. It is necessary to retract the centering member upward during transport, lower the centering member after the container has been transported and stop, and then move the centering member horizontally to clamp the container.

``Problem to be solved by the invention'' However, in order to make the centering member perform such an operation, conventionally, a lifting device for raising and lowering the centering member and an actuation device for moving the centering member in the horizontal direction were separately provided. The structure was complicated and expensive.

"Means for Solving the Problems" In view of such drawbacks, the present invention provides a lifting frame that can be raised and lowered, a lifting device that lifts and lowers the lifting frame, and a centering member that is swingably provided on the lifting frame. Normally, an elastic body is provided to hold this centering member in an open position inclined from the horizontal direction, and an elastic body is provided on each of the centering member and the machine frame, and when the elevator frame is lowered, they engage with each other to move the centering member in the horizontal direction. A cam mechanism is provided to center the container at the tip of the centering member.

"Operation" According to the above configuration, when the lifting frame is in the raised position, the centering member is held by the elastic body in the open position inclined from the horizontal direction, and in this state, the centering member is held in the open position inclined from the horizontal direction. It can be carried under the member. When the container is carried under the centering member, by lowering the centering member using the lifting device, the centering member can be rotated from the inclined open position to the horizontal direction by the cam mechanism. , the container can be centered at the tip of the centering member.

"Example" The present invention will be explained below with reference to the illustrated example.
In FIGS. 2 and 3, 1 is a transport conveyor that intermittently transports containers 2 in multiple rows, and 3 is a machine frame disposed astride the top of this transport conveyor 1. A magazine 4 is attached to a position directly above each row of containers 3, and lids are stacked and stored in each magazine 4.

A pair of levers 5 are pivotally supported on the machine frame 3 for each row of containers conveyed by the conveyor 1, and a picker 7 is mounted in the center of a rod 6 pivotally supported between the ends of each lever 5. is fixed. This picker 7 uses negative pressure to attract and take out the lid stored in the magazine 4, and a negative pressure source is provided through a negative pressure passage 8 formed in the rod 6 and lever 5 and an electromagnetic on-off valve (not shown). is connected to.

One of the pair of levers 5 is linked with a drive rod 9 that is reciprocated in conjunction with a drive source (not shown), and this drive rod 9 swings the lever 5, rod 6, and picker 7 together. It is designed so that it can be moved up and down. Then, attach the pinion 10 fixed to the rod 6 to the machine frame 3.
The pinion 10 is engaged with a fan-shaped rack 11 provided in the rack 11 as the lever 5 swings.
When the pinion 10 is positioned above the rack 11, the picker 7 rotates together with the pinion 10.
On the other hand, when the pinion 10 is positioned below the rack 11, the picker 7 is directed downward so that the lid can be picked up at the top of the container 2. It is designed so that it can be directed towards the opening.

The rack 11 is attached to the machine frame 3 so as to be rotatable about the center of rotation of the lever 5, and usually a protrusion 11 is formed integrally with the rack 11.
a is held stationary by a pair of upper and lower compression springs 12 on the machine frame 3, and the pinion 10 is allowed to roll on the rack 11 in this stationary state. And the lever 5 is easily 11
When the rack 11 comes into contact with a stopper 13 provided in the container, the lever 5 pushes down the rack 11 together against the elastic force of the compression spring 12, thereby causing the picker 7 to close the lid of the container. It is designed so that it can be lowered while facing towards the 2nd direction.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the machine frame 3 is provided with lifting frames 20 on both sides of the conveyor 1 so as to be able to rise and fall freely.
Between them, a pair of centering members 21 are swingably supported perpendicularly to the conveyance direction of the conveyor 1. Each of the elevating frames 20 is movable up and down along a pair of guide pins 22 erected on the machine frame 3, and is held at a rising end position by a spring 23, with the centering member 21 normally in contact with the container 2. I try not to let that happen.

Further, a push-down pin 24 is attached to each lift frame 20 so as to be able to rise and fall freely, and the push-down pin 24 and the lift frame 20
A spring 25 having a stronger resiliency than the spring 23 is mounted between the push-down pin 24 and the rod 6 in contact with the top of the push-down pin 24. Therefore, when the lever 5 comes into contact with the push-down pin 24 and swings further downward, both the lifting frames 20 and the centering member 21 are lowered together, and the lifting frame 2
When the lever 5 further swings downward from the state in which the elevator frame 20 stops lowering when 0 is the lowering end position, the push pin 24 comes to lower against the spring 25.

The outer parts of the pair of centering members 21 facing each other are rotatable around a pin 26 provided on the lifting frame 20, and are normally rotated by a torque spring 27 provided between the centering member 21 and the lifting frame 20. It is held in an open position with the mutually opposing tips pointing diagonally downward. A semicircular notch 28 is formed at the tip of each centering member 21 along the cross-sectional shape of the container 2 in the horizontal plane. This makes it possible to center the image against the object.

Further, a cam follower 29 is provided at the lower part of the centering member 21, and a cam member 30 is provided on the machine frame 3 with which the cam follower 29 engages, and the upper surface of the cam member 30 is made horizontal and smooth, and its height is Centering member 21
The height is such that the cam follower 29 comes into contact with the cam follower 29 when the cam follower 29 is lowered by the required amount.

In the above configuration, when the lever 5 is at the upper end position, the picker 7 faces the magazine 4 and attracts the lid, and the lifting frame 20 and the centering member 21
is located at the rising end position, and its centering member 21 is located at the open position. Further, the container 2 is intermittently conveyed by the conveyor 1, brought to a predetermined position, and then stopped.

When the lever 5 is swung downward from this state via the drive rod 9, the picker 7 that has attracted the lid
When the lid is pulled out from inside the magazine 4, the lid is turned downward as the pinion 10 rolls on the rack 11 which is stationary with respect to the machine frame 3. When the picker 7 and the lid face downward, the lever 5 comes into contact with a stopper 13 provided on the rack 11, and the lever 5 comes into contact with a stopper 13 provided on the rack 11.
Because the rack 11 is pressed down together against the elastic force of the compression spring 12, the picker 7 is lowered with the lid substantially facing the container 2.

At almost the same time, when the rod 6 integrated with the lever 5 contacts the push-down pin 24 and swings further downward, both the lifting frames 20 and the centering member 21 are lowered together, and the notch of the centering member 21 is lowered. The container 2 is relatively housed within the container 28. Then, when the centering member 21 descends by a predetermined amount or more, the cam follower 29 provided on the centering member 21 moves to the cam member 3, as shown in FIG.
0, and when the centering member 21 further descends from this state, the cam follower 29 rotates the centering member 21 horizontally against the torque spring 27 while rolling on the cam member 30. The centering member 2
One notch 28 is pushed forward to close both centering members 21, thereby sandwiching and centering the container 2.

In this state, the elevating frame 20 and the centering member 21 reach the lowering end position and stop descending, and then, as the lever 5 descends, the picker 7 slightly descends to cover the container 2 with the lid. Then, the communication between the picker 7 and the negative pressure source is cut off. At this time, as described above, the push-down pin 24 descends against the spring 25 as the lever 5 swings downward.

When the picker 7 puts the lid on the container 2 in this way, the lever 5 is raised by the drive rod 9, and the centering member 21 is first returned to the open position and then raised, and the lifting member 20 and the centering member 21 When almost reaches the rising end, the rack 11 is raised together with the pinion 10, lever 5, etc. by the compression spring 12, returns to its original position, and stops. As a result, the pinion 10 is
1, the picker 7 is directed upward toward the magazine 4, and when the picker 7 is directed upward, the picker 7 is communicated with a negative pressure source and begins to attract the lid inside the magazine 4 again. .

On the other hand, when the centering member 21 reaches the upper end position, the conveyor 1 is operated to carry out the container 2 covered with the lid, and a new container 2 is placed at that position.
After that, the same operations as those described above are repeated.

"Effects of the Invention" As described above, according to the present invention, the container can be centered using the lifting device that lowers the lifting frame and the centering member, and the cam mechanism. Compared to conventional devices in which a separate actuating device for moving a member in the horizontal direction is provided, the structure can be made simpler and cheaper.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an operational explanatory diagram showing the operating state of the main parts in an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side view of the picker 7 portion for removing the lid from the magazine 4, and Fig. 3 is a side view of the picker 7 portion for removing the lid from the magazine 4.
4 is a partially sectional front view of the figure, FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the lifting frame 20 and the centering member 21, and FIG.
The figure is a partially sectional front view of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a partially sectional side view of FIG. 4. 1... Conveyor, 2... Container, 3... Machine frame, 7... Picker, 10... Pinion, 11...
Rack, 13... Stopper, 20... Lifting frame, 2
1... Centering member, 28... Notch, 27
...Torque spring, 29...Cam follower,
30...Cam member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A lifting frame that can be raised and lowered, a lifting device that raises and lowers the lifting frame, a centering member that is swingably provided on the lifting frame, and an elastic body that normally holds the centering member in an open position inclined from the horizontal direction. , provided on each of the centering member and the machine frame, and engaged with each other when the lifting frame is lowered to rotate the centering member horizontally, and center the container at the tip of the centering member. A container centering device characterized by comprising a cam mechanism that allows the centering of containers.