JPH0275528A - Container feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the separation of the lowermost container and the transfer thereof to a container transfer device sure and simplify structure by constituting such that the opening action of a holding member is effected by the lowering of a separating member for releasing the lowermost container. CONSTITUTION:When a moving side descends to release a lowermost container C to be fed onto a container transport device, the bottom of the moving side presses the top surface of a roller 40. A swing piece 37 then swings, a connecting piece 38 opens outward to make a control piece into an open condi tion, and a gap is produced to allow the passage of the container C. After the feeding of the container C onto the container transport device, the moving side displaces upward, the pressing of an opening-closing plate 27 against the roller 40 is released, and the connecting piece 38 is returned to the original closed condition with the resilient force of a spring 41. Under this closed condi tion, the container C remains on the container transport device in a stabilized attitude even if the container tends to float up due to the pressure within a chamber because the top surface of the container is in contact with the bottom surface of the control piece 39 and the passage of the container C is not permit ted.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention separates a plurality of container groups having vertically fitted and stacked flanges into single units, and supplies each container separated into two to a container conveying device. This relates to a device for

[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention]

In conventional filling machines for filling dairy products and the like, there are various configurations of so-called container feeding devices that separate a group of fitted and stacked containers into individual containers and feed them onto a container conveying device. The most primitive type is one in which only the lowest container in a group of containers (lowest container) is left open and dropped by its own weight onto a container transport device.

In such prior art, if the container group is firmly fitted, the ring or lowest container cannot be separated from the container group by its own weight alone.

Therefore, it has been difficult to always achieve a reliable supply of containers.

In addition, as a representative example of other prior art, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
There is one shown in No. 15221.

This sucks the lowest container from below and guides it onto the container transport device. However, even in this conventional technique, the fitting force of the container group is strong.

In addition, it is difficult to reliably separate the lowest container due to a decrease in suction power, and depending on the suction power, not only the lowest container but also the containers above it may be separated and transported. There are problems such as supplying it to the device.

Furthermore, in this prior art, the lower end of the container supply device is fixedly positioned within the chamber, and
Since the container suction device is also installed inside the chamber, the chamber, which has limited space, becomes narrower, making it difficult to install and repair these devices.
Moreover, it has become a complicated structure that is prone to failure.

The present invention was devised in view of these problems, and ensures separation of the lowest container and supply to the container conveyance device, and has a simple structure.

Therefore, the technical problem is to provide a container feeding device that is easy to assemble and repair.

[Means to solve the problem]

Therefore, the present invention comprises a fixed side 2 having at least one pair of holding pieces 4 and a movable side 3 having one separating piece 6 and a supply piece 7.

At least one pair of the holding pieces 4 on the fixed side 2 are located opposite each other,
The lower surface of the lowest container C flange f of a container group g, which is a plurality of containers C having flanges r fitted and stacked in the vertical direction, is locked by the locking part 5 to hold the container C group g. A periodic opening operation is performed to release the lock from the lower surface of the C flange f.

At least one pair of separation pieces 6 on the movable side 3 are movable up and down, and are positioned opposite to each other between the holding pieces 4, and when the separation pieces 6 are moved up and down, the inner surface goes over the outer peripheral end of the lowest container C flange f.

During downward displacement, the lower end presses the upper surface of the flange f of the lowest container C downward to separate the lowest container C from the container group g. The supply piece 7 has two separation pieces 6 integrally assembled together, and has a placement part 8 on which the flange f of the separated lowest container C is placed below the two separation pieces 6, and the bottom container C is placed thereon. and sandwich it with separation piece 6.

After being displaced downward to just above the container transport device 10, an opening operation is performed to open the lowest container C and supply it onto the container transport device 10.

The opening operation of the holding piece 4 is performed when the one-separation piece 6 is displaced downward to separate the lowest container C.

Further, in order to be compatible with all kinds of containers C, it is preferable that the intervals between the fixed-side holding pieces 4 and the intervals between the movable-side supply pieces 7 can be changed according to the size of the container C.

In addition, a container C that is suspended from one end and supplied to the container conveying device 10
It is preferable to provide a shutter 9 in order to avoid floating. In that case, when the movable side 3 reaches its lower limit, the shutter 9 is pressed by the movable side 3 to form an open state that is an interval through which the container C can pass, and a state in which the movable side 3 is displaced upward. In this case, it is assumed that a closed state is formed in which the container C cannot pass through one interval. Then, it is assembled to the container transport device 10 in such a manner that at least a gap is formed between the container C flange f and the upper surface of the container transport device 10 so that the container C flange f can enter into the position.

Furthermore, in order to sterilize the inside of the apparatus 1, it is preferable that the vertical movement of the movable side 3 can be stopped in the operating state.

[Effect]

The operation of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

In Figures 1 and 2, the moving side 3 is on the way up,
This figure shows the state immediately before the separation piece 6 climbs over the lowest container flange f of the container group g held by the fixed side holding piece 4. When the moving side 3 further rises from this state, the separation piece 6 climbs over the container flange f, and the flange f is located between the separation piece 6 and the supply piece placement part 8. That is, the flange r of the lowest container C of the container group g held by the holding piece 4 is held between the supply piece 7 and the separation piece 6.

Next, the moving side 3 begins to move downward, and the lower end of the separation piece 6 presses the upper surface of the flange f downward. At this time.

The holding piece 4 on the fixed side 2 is opened and the container group g is temporarily closed.
After opening, it forms a closed state again, and during this time the lowest container of container group g (therefore, the second container from the bottom) falls.
The container group g is held by being engaged with the lower surface of the flange f. Meanwhile, the flange f of the lowest container C released from the holding piece 4
is displaced downward while being held between the supply piece 7 and the separation piece 6. As a result, the lowest container C is separated from the container group g.

The lowest container C is sandwiched between the supply piece 7 and the separation piece 6 on the moving side 3 and separated from the container group g.

While being held between the two, it is displaced downward to just above the container transport device 10. Then, after being displaced downward to just above the container transport device 10, the supply piece 7 is opened and the lowest container C is opened. The opened container C is.

It falls a short distance between the supply piece 7 and the container transport device 10, is locked with its flange ``lower surface in contact with the upper surface of the container transport device 10, and is supplied to the container transport device 10.

The moving side 3 that supplied the lowest container C onto the container transport device 10
The container conveying device 1 is moved up by 2 degrees, grips the next lowest container C, moves downward again, and then opens again.
The process of supplying it to 0 is repeated.

1. In the device I of the present invention, the intervals between the fixed-side holding pieces 4 and the moving-side supply pieces 7 can be changed freely, so by adjusting the distances depending on the size of the container C, any external It is possible to handle a container C with a diameter of

In addition, the device l of the present invention has a shutter 9 for preventing floating of the container C.
The function of the shutter 9 will be explained below.

- Depending on the operating speed, the container C that has been placed on the container transport device 10 may fall a short distance from the container transport device 10.
Since there is a possibility that the liquid may float due to the impact when it is supplied to zero, a device l is required to prevent this floating. The shutter 9 according to the present invention is installed in the container conveying device 10 so as to be located directly below the lowest container C that is supplied, and is pressed against the moving side 3 when the moving side 3 reaches its lower limit. This creates an open state, which is a gap through which the lowest container C can pass. By forming this open state, the lowest container C released from the moving side 3 supply piece 7 passes through the shutter 9 and is supplied onto the container conveying device 10. When the supply of the container C is completed and the moving side 3 moves upward, the pressure of the moving side 3 against the shutter 9 is released.

The shutter 9 thereby resumes its closed state, a distance through which the container C cannot pass.

When the shutter 9 is in the closed state, the interval is
Since the outer diameter of the flange r is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange r, and the container C cannot pass through it, when the container C suspended in the container conveying device 10 tries to float, its upper end surface is closed. Floating is prevented by contacting a certain shutter 9. Therefore, the container can be placed in a stable position on the container transport device 10 and transported smoothly.

Note that in the device 1 of the present invention, the moving side 3 can be stopped. That is, by making it possible to stop the vertical movement of the moving side 3, the container supply port 30 into which the lower end of the moving side enters is closed, and the inside of the chamber 43 can be sterilized and cleaned in a sealed state. Sterilization and cleaning is an important process necessary when changing the type of filling. In the present invention, when the movable side 3 is at the dead center of ascent, its vertical movement is stopped and the supply port 30 is closed, thereby keeping the inside of the chamber airtight. It has been possible to achieve thorough sterile cleaning.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

In this embodiment, two sets of fixed side 2 and moving side 3 are connected, so that two sets of container groups g can be handled at the same time.

First, the fixed side 2 will be explained.

The holding pieces 4 on the fixed side 2 are in the shape of an abbreviation, and a pair are positioned opposite each other. The spacing between the holding pieces 4 is such that the locking portion 5, which is the lower end thereof, locks on the lower surface of the container C flange f in the closed state, and such that it releases the locking with the lower surface of the flange f in the open state. It is set.

This opening/closing state of the holding piece 4 is achieved by the first cylinder 11. That is, the upper ends of the pair of holding pieces 4 are connected to the first and second connecting pieces 14, respectively, and both ends of the first and second connecting pieces 14 are slidably connected to the guide rod 18. ing. Then, the first installation piece 13 on the first cylinder 1I side is connected to the cylinder rod 12 and also connected to the first rack 15, and the tip of the first rack 15 is engaged with the second rack 17 via the pinion 16. It's matching.

Therefore, when the first cylinder 11 is actuated and the cylinder rod 12 is extended, the first installation piece 13 connected to the rod moves inward (rightward in Figures 1 and 3) and at the same time , the first rack 15 connected to the first installation piece 13 moves in the direction in which the rond extends, and the pinion 1
6 is rotated, and the second rack 17 meshing with the pinion 16 moves in the opposite direction to the first rack 15. Therefore, the second connecting piece 14 connected to the second rack 17
moves inward (leftward in Figures 1 and 3). by this.

The holding pieces 4 connected to the first and second connecting pieces 14 mutually move inward to form a closed state.

Conversely, the actuation of the cylinder causes the cylinder lot 12 to
When the rod contracts, the first connecting piece 13 and the first rack 15 move in the direction of rod contraction, and the second connecting piece 17 and the second connecting piece 14 move in the opposite direction, thereby causing the pair of holding pieces 4 to move. They move outward from each other to form an open state.

2. In this embodiment, it is assumed that two container groups g are handled at the same time, but in order to achieve simultaneous handling, a first series installation piece 13 with two sets of openings is provided at the tip of the first rack 15. At the same time, a second connecting piece 14 with two sets of openings is connected to the tip of the second rack 17. Thereby, the two sets of holding pieces 4 are opened and closed simultaneously by the operation of the first cylinder 11. It goes without saying that the number of container groups g is not limited to two as in the five container groups in the embodiment.

Next, the moving side 3 in this embodiment will be explained.

A pair of supply pieces 7 and a separation piece 6 on the moving side 3 are located opposite each other, and are fixedly assembled to a pair of opening/closing plates 27 located directly below the guide rod 18 and facing each other. and.

Each of the pair of opening/closing plates 27 has a second cylinder 26.
are connected. Both ends of the opening/closing plate 27 are connected to the lifting frame 24
It is slidably connected to a sliding shaft 25 installed horizontally.

Therefore, when the second cylinder 26 operates, the opening/closing plate 27 moves back and forth in opposite directions.

The supply piece 7 and separation piece 6 connected thereto move to form an open/closed state.

The separation piece 6 is located inside the supply piece 7, and its upper end is rotatably supported by the upper end of the supply piece 7. An elastic member (spiral spring) 49 is disposed between approximately the middle of the outer surface of the one-separation piece 6 and approximately the middle of the inner surface of the supply piece 7. The distance between the lower ends of the pair of separation pieces 6 is set to be approximately equal to the distance between the supply pieces 7 and the placement parts 8, and
The distance between the lower end of the separation piece 6 and the upper surface of the placement part 8 is set to be slightly larger than the wall thickness of the container C flange r, and the flange r is inserted into the container and held in position. It is assumed that it can be done.

The lifting frame 24 has a fixed shaft 35 at almost both ends of its side plates.
The lifting shaft 34 is attached to the middle portion of the lifting shaft 34 so as to be movable up and down. This elevating shaft 34 is moved up and down by a cylinder or the like.

Therefore, when the elevating shaft 34 moves up and down by a cylinder or the like, the opening/closing plate 27 connected to the elevating shaft 34. The supply piece 7 and separation piece 6 connected to the opening/closing plate 27 move up and down.

Next, adjustment of the spacing between the four holding pieces and the supply piece 7 in order to accommodate containers C having different outer diameters will be described.

First, the adjustment of the distance between the pair of holding pieces 4 will be explained.

A first handle 19 is provided as a structure for adjusting the interval between the holding pieces 4, and the rotation of the first rotating shaft 20 of the first handle 19 is transmitted to the second rotating ring 22 via a bevel gear 21. It is said that and.

A thread is carved into this second rotating shaft 22, and a movable piece 23 that is engaged with the thread and moves is attached to the first cylinder 11.
It is fixedly assembled to ゛. Therefore, when the first handle 19 is rotated, the first rotating shaft 20 rotates, and the rotation is transmitted to the second rotating shaft 22 via the bevel gear '21, and is engaged with the thread of the second rotating shaft 22. As the moving piece 23 moves, the first cylinder 11 moves.

Accordingly, the first series of installation pieces 13. First Rack 15. Pinion 16. No. 17. The second continuous piece 14 moves.

As a result, the holding pieces 4 move and widen or narrow the interval between them to form an open/closed state.

The spacing of the supply pieces 7 on the moving side 3 is achieved by means of the second handle 28 . This second handle 28 is assembled to the lifting frame 24, and a rotation shaft 29 extending from the second handle 28 is assembled with the lifting frame 24 horizontally disposed. A right-hand screw 31 and a left-hand screw 32 are screwed into the rotating shaft 29 at the front and back of the shaft 29, and reciprocating pieces 30 that are screwed into both the screws 31 and 32 are respectively assembled to the two second cylinders 26. has been done. Therefore, when the second handle 28 is rotated, the shaft 29 rotates one rotation, and the reciprocating pieces 30 screwed into both the left and right screws move back and forth in mutually opposite directions.

As a result, the pair of second cylinders 26, the opening/closing plate 27°, and the supply pieces 7 move in opposite directions, thereby adjusting the interval between the supply pieces 7.

The guide rod 118 that supports and guides the descent of the container group g is 9. It is composed of eight rod pieces, and the spacing between them can be adjusted freely.By doing this, the outer diameter of the container C
When handling the holding piece 4, mochi and supply piece 7
Adjust the interval between. The distance can be adjusted to 5 depending on the case, allowing the handling of two containers of any outside diameter.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the shutter 9 for preventing floating of the upper container C of the container transport device 1.0 includes four swinging pieces 37 and connecting pieces 38. It is mainly composed of a pair of control pieces 39. The swinging piece 37 is connected to the container conveying device 10
The rollers 40 are tilted upwardly inwardly in a position protruding from the top and facing each other, and a rotatable roller 40 is pivotally supported at the upper end to reduce frictional resistance when the movable side 3 comes into contact with the rollers 40. Along with doing.

The connecting piece 38 hangs down from the axis approximately in the middle (or at the rear end). A spring 41 is in elastic contact with the outer surface of the connecting piece 38, and a control piece 39 is connected to the lower end thereof. , and the control/door piece 39 is positioned parallel to the container conveyance device 1i0. This) shunter 9 is transferred to the container conveying device 10. It is fixedly assembled.

In the jack 9 with this configuration, the movable side 3
When the lowermost container C is opened and fed onto the container conveying device 10 by the downward displacement, the lower surface of the moving side 3 (in this embodiment, the opening/closing plate 27) presses the upper surface of the roller 40. As a result, the swing pieces 37 rotate about the shaft, and the connecting pieces 38 expand outward from each other, and the control pieces 39 are brought into an open state to form an interval through which the container C can pass.

After the container C passes and is supplied onto the container conveying device 10, the moving side 3 is displaced upward, and the pressure of the opening/closing plate 27 against the roller 40 is released. As a result, the connecting piece 38 returns to its original closed state under the action of the elastic force of the spring 41. In this closed state.

Since the spacing between the control pieces 39 is set to such an extent that the container C cannot pass through, if the container C that has been supplied onto the container transport device 10 tries to float due to the pressure inside the chamber 43, the container C will not be able to pass through. The upper surface comes into contact with the lower surface of the control piece 39, thereby preventing floating, and the container conveying device 10
You will be in a stable position at the top.

In addition, when changing the filling, it is necessary to sterilize and clean the ring and the inside of the chamber 43, and in this case, it is necessary to keep the chamber 43 in a sealed state to prevent invasion of germs and leakage of cleaning liquid. It is.

Therefore, it is necessary to close the container C supply port 36 that communicates with the chamber 43 from the device 1 of the present invention. Since the lower end of the moving side 3 of the apparatus l of the present invention is inserted into the container C supply port 36, it is necessary to stop the moving side 3 in order to close the container C supply port 36. It is.

As a means for this purpose, 1, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the opening/closing plate 27 and the lifting shaft 34 are not fixedly assembled, but 2, the opening/closing plate 27 is simply placed on the upper surface of the lifting shaft 34.

It is preferable to keep the opening/closing plate 27 lifted by the third cylinder 50. As a result, the movement of the lifting shaft 34 is not transmitted to the moving side 3, so that the lower end of the moving side 3 is connected to the container supply port 3.
Therefore, it is possible to perform sterilization cleaning with the container supply port 36 closed and the inside of the chamber 43 in a sealed state.

Note that the means for stopping the vertical movement of the moving side 3 is as follows.

It is not limited to what is described above. That is, it is sufficient to release the assembly between the opening/closing plate 27 and the elevating shaft 34 and stopping the opening/closing plate 27 at its upper limit. for that purpose.

For example, instead of using the third cylinder 50 described above, a locking member for stopping the opening/closing plate 27 at its upper limit may be inserted into the chamber 43.

Any means can be considered, such as suspending the opening/closing plate 27 from above.

FIG. 8 shows an example of how the device 1 of the present invention is used.

This is assembled into the container sterilizer 42. The container C, which is separated from the apparatus 1 of the present invention and is supplied in a suspended manner from the rail 51, is moved by being pressed by a pushing plate 48 that moves by an endless chain 47, and the sterilizer is inserted from the sterilizer insertion port 44. Sterilization and drying are accomplished by ultraviolet rays emitted from the ultraviolet irradiation device 45 and hot air blown out from the hot air supply duct 46, and the containers are transported to a filling machine connected to the container sterilizer 42.

〔Effect of the invention〕

In this way, the present invention allows the lowest container C to be removed from a stacked container group g by the cooperation of the fixed side 2 having the holding piece 4 and the moving side 3 having the supply piece 7 and the separation piece 6. Rather than relying solely on the weight of the container C, it is separated into individual pieces by mechanical force.

And after being held and transported to just above the container transport device 10.

Since the container is supplied by dropping onto the container transport device 10, zero separation can be achieved reliably.

Feeding onto the container transport device 10 can also be achieved precisely.

In addition, in the present invention, since the interval between the holding piece 4 and the supplying piece 7 is freely changeable, it is possible to accommodate containers C of any outer diameter, and is particularly suitable for filling machines that fill a wide variety of products in a short period of time. This saves the trouble of replacing the container C supply device 1 every time the filling is changed, and greatly contributes to productivity.

At the same time, a guide rod 1 for supporting and guiding containers C group g
No. 8 also allows the interval to be freely adjusted, so it can immediately respond to changes in the container C.

Furthermore, by providing the shutter 9 directly above the container transport device 10, the containers C are prevented from floating.

As a result, the containers C can be transported more accurately, and a stable supply of the containers C can be achieved.

Furthermore, since it is possible to stop the vertical movement of the moving side 3, the inside of the chamber 43 can be sterilized and cleaned, especially when changing the filling, in a sealed state with the container C supply port 36 closed. , it is possible to prevent the invasion of germs and leakage of cleaning fluid, and achieve more effective sterilization and cleaning, making it extremely hygienic.

1. Since the device of the present invention is to be assembled outside the chamber 43, its installation and removal are difficult.

It also exhibits many excellent effects, such as being able to easily perform repairs in the event of a failure without disassembling the chamber 43.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, and is a front view showing the main parts thereof, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the main parts thereof. 3 is a plan view of essential parts, FIG. 4 is a front view showing the shutter according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a side view thereof, and FIG. 6 is a plan view,
FIG. 7 is a front view showing the moving-side lifting/lowering movement stopping means, and FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the use of the device of the present invention. Explanation of symbols 1: Container supply device, 2: Fixed side, 3: Moving side. 4: Holding piece, 5: Locking part, 6: Separation piece. 7: Supply piece, 8: Placement section, 9: Shutter. 10: Container conveyance device, 11: First cylinder-112 cylinder rod, 13: First installation piece. 14: second continuous piece, 15: first rack. 16: Pinion, 17: Second rack, 18: Guide rod. 19: first handle, 20: first rotation axis. 21: bevel gear, 22: second rotating shaft, 23: moving piece. 24: Lifting frame body, 25: Sliding shaft. 26: No. 2 cylinder - 927: Opening/closing plate. 28: Second handle, 29: Rotating shaft. 30: Retractable piece, 31: Right-hand thread, 32: Left-hand thread. 33 guide rod, 34: lifting axis, 35: fixed axis. 36: Container supply port, 37: Swing piece, 38: Connection piece. 39: control piece, 40: roller, 41 spring. 42: Container sterilizer, 43: Chamber. 44: Disinfectant insertion port, 45: Ultraviolet irradiation device. 46: Hot air supply duct, 47: Endless chain. 48: Push plate, 49: Bullet material, 50: Third cylinder. 51: Rail, c: Lowermost container, [: Flange. g: container group.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of container groups (g) having vertically fitted and stacked flanges (f) are separated into single units, and the separated containers (
c) to a container conveyance device (10),
The lowermost container (c) of the container group (g) is locked with the lower surface of the flange (f) by the locking portion (5).
), and at least a pair of holding pieces (
4) and the holding piece (4), which is movable up and down, and is located opposite to the holding piece (4). During displacement, the lower end of the lowermost container (c
) is integrally assembled with a separation piece (6) that presses the upper surface of the flange (f) downward to separate the lowest container (c) from the container group (g), and The flange (f) of the separated lowest container (c) is below the separation piece (6).
has a placing part (8) on which the lowest container (c) is placed;
At least one pair of supply pieces ( 7), and the opening operation of the holding piece (4) is performed when the separating piece (6) is displaced downward to separate the lowest container (c). A container supply device (1) consisting of: (2) Space between fixed side holding pieces (4) and moving side supply pieces (
2. The container feeding device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the interval between the steps 7) and 7) can be changed depending on the container (c). (3) When the moving side (3) reaches the lowering limit, the moving side (3)
) to form an open state, which is an interval through which the container (c) can pass, and when the moving side (3) is displaced upward, a closed state, in which the container (c) cannot pass through the interval, is formed. The shutter (9) to be formed is assembled to the container transport device (10) in such a manner that a gap is formed between the shutter (9) and the top surface of the container transport device (10) so that the container flange (f) can enter the position. A container feeding device (1) according to claim 1 or 2. (4) The container feeding device (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the vertical movement of the moving side (3) can be stopped.