JPH0363942B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a stopper forming apparatus for drinking straws.

(Prior Art) A straw attached to a beverage container needs to be longer than the depth of the container so that it does not fall into the container during drinking. With a known single straw, even if the straw is stuck into the container, only a small portion comes out of the container, making it difficult to drink the beverage in the container.
To solve this problem, we created a double-stretch straw that is short when it is attached to the container, becomes longer when it is stuck into the container, and becomes longer when the straw sticks out from the container. It has been developed.

That is, this double straw is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.
As shown in the figure, the straw consists of a thin inner straw 1 and a thicker outer straw 2. It is longer than straw 2. The tip of the inner straw 1 is cut diagonally to form a sharp point 3 for convenience of sticking into a container. When the inner straw 1 is pulled out from the outer straw 2 and extended, in order to prevent the inner straw 1 from slipping out from the outer straw 2, a reduced diameter part 4 is formed at the tip of the outer straw 2, while the inner straw 1 is extended. An enlarged diameter portion 5 is formed on the base end side, and the reduced diameter portion 4 and the enlarged diameter portion 5 are configured to engage with each other. Further, a tip portion 6 is formed at the tip of the reduced diameter portion 4 to prevent wobbling at this engaging portion when the straw is extended. Further, as shown in the drawing, a reduced diameter portion 7 is also formed on the proximal end side of the outer straw 2 to prevent the inner straw 1 from slipping out from the proximal end side of the outer straw 2. A stopper 8 protruding inwardly is formed near the reduced diameter part 4 of the double straw, and when the double straw is extended, this stopper 8 and the enlarged diameter part 5 of the inner straw 1 engage with each other, and the inner straw 1 is opened again. This prevents the straw from shrinking into the outer straw 2.

Although it is easy to produce the double straw having the above structure by hand, it is extremely difficult to produce it mechanically in large quantities or automatically.

However, the applicant has developed a basic manufacturing device for double straws that makes it possible to mechanically automate the production of double straws, and has already published JP-A-59-
It is proposed as No. 197215.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) By the above-mentioned known double straw manufacturing apparatus,
Although it is possible to mechanically and automatically produce double-stretch straws in large quantities, it is possible to form a tapered part at the end of the reduced diameter part at the tip of the outer straw to ensure a stable extended state without wobbling when the straw is extended. Furthermore, automatic machines cannot perform the process of forming a stopper to prevent the inner straw from shrinking into the outer straw when the inner straw is in an extended state. Unless this stopper can be mechanically and automatically formed, it will not be possible to mass-produce double telescopic straws with stoppers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel stopper forming apparatus that automates stopper forming.

(Means for Solving the Problems) For this purpose, the present invention includes a holding member that holds a straw, a straw end holding cylinder that faces the straw held by the holding member, and an outer side of the straw end holding cylinder. It consists of a plurality of actuating pieces for forming a stopper that are supported and have hook-shaped tips that are positioned so as to slightly protrude from the tip of the straw end holding tube. The opposite end has a hollow female mold, the inlet of which has a slope corresponding to the slope of the reduced diameter part of the outer straw, and the inner deep part connected to this has a substantially right cylindrical shape, and the hollow part of the hollow female mold A core is provided, and the plurality of actuating pieces for forming a stopper are supported so that their tip hook-shaped portions are held in an expanded state, and the straw supported by the holding member and the straw end holding cylinder are brought close to each other and separated from each other. This feature is characterized in that the tip hook-shaped portion is pinched by a cam action when these are brought close to each other.

(Example) The details of the present invention will be explained below with reference to Examples shown in the drawings.

6 to 9 show a straw end forming apparatus 10 including the stopper forming apparatus of the present invention installed in a double straw assembly machine, and FIGS. As shown in FIG. This straw conveying device consists of a plurality of spiral rod bodies 1 provided in parallel.
2. A spiral groove 13 is formed in this spiral rod body 12, and the inner and outer straws 1 and 2 are positioned in this spiral groove 13, and the straws are fed by rotation of the spiral rod body 12.

In FIG. 8, 14 and 15 are guide plates that stand parallel to the spiral rod 12 and above the straw conveying surface, and are used to convey the straws 1 and 2 parallel to the conveying device 11, respectively. In particular, the guide plate 15 keeps the inner straw 1 slightly inserted into the outer straw 2 and feeds the outer straw 2 to the end forming device 10.

The embodiment shown in the drawings shows the stopper forming device of the present invention incorporated into the end forming device 10 described above. This end forming device 10 includes a straw holding drum 16 as a holding member 16 for holding a straw, and a straw end holding cylinder 1 of the device of the present invention.
A reduced-diameter end mold 17 of the outer straw 2 and an enlarged-diameter end mold 18 of the inner straw 1 configured as 7;
It further includes a rubber belt 19 for fixing the straw to the holding drum 16. The end forming device 10 is held by a rotating shaft 21 that is supported by an immovable machine frame 20.

The outer straw end reduced diameter mold 17 and the inner straw end enlarged diameter part 18, which also serve as the straw end holding cylinder 17 of the device of the present invention, are both mounted on rotating plates 22 and 23 fixed to a rotating shaft 21 with a holding drum 16 in between. It is maintained so that it can be freely accessed and removed. The diameter-reducing mold 17 and the diameter-expanding mold 18 are opposed to a holding groove formed in the straw holding drum 16 for holding a straw, and are configured to rotate in synchronization with the rotation of the straw holding drum 16. There is. Further, the diameter-reducing mold 17 and the diameter-expanding mold 18 are heated by an electric heater to facilitate molding of the straw.

In FIG. 9, reference numerals 24 and 24 are immovable cam members, and the cam followers 26 of the actuating pieces 25 for the straw forming molds 17 and 18 are brought into pressure contact with the cam surfaces of the cam members, and the rotation of the straw forming molds 17 and 18 causes these cam members to be moved. are adapted to engage and disengage from the ends of the inner and outer straws 1 and 2. That is, when engaged, the inner and outer straws 1, 2
The ends of the straws are molded to release the straw upon removal.

The straw end diameter reducing mold 17 of the device of the present invention has a hollow female mold 27 at the end facing the straw,
The inlet has a sloped or stepped shape 28 to correspond to the slope of the reduced diameter part 4 of the outer straw 2, and the inner deep part connected to this has a substantially right cylindrical shape 29 to correspond to the shape of the tapered part 6 of the outer straw 2. It is as follows. A core 30 is provided in the hollow portion of the hollow female mold 27.

Reference numeral 31 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 indicates a stopper forming actuating piece which is a main part of the stopper forming apparatus of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, there are three actuating pieces, each of which is made of a metal plate with excellent thermal conductivity. It has a hook-shaped portion 32 . As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the actuating piece 31 is positioned such that its tip hook-shaped portion 32 faces the tip of the reduced diameter end portion 17 forming the straw end holding tube 17. A plurality of hooked tip portions 32 are normally supported by a spring 34.
is in an expanded state. Furthermore, 35 in the figure is differentially moved with respect to the straw end holding cylinder (end diameter reducing type) 17 due to the expansion elasticity of a spring 36 provided in the straw end holding cylinder (end diameter reducing type) 17. This cam member 3 is a cam member provided so as to
5 pushes the rear end inclined portion 37 of the differential piece 31, thereby narrowing the tip hook-shaped portion 32 and forming a stopper 8 on the outer straw 2.

FIG. 5 shows another preferred embodiment of the main part of the stopper forming apparatus of the present invention. In this embodiment, the actuating piece 31' is constituted by a wire spring, and its tip end hook-shaped part 32' is It is bent and formed.
It has a bulge 37' for cam operation, and a cam 35' which cooperates with this bulge 37' is arranged oppositely.
The supporting structure of the actuating piece 31' is the base end 39 of the actuating piece 31'.
Bend it at 90° and make a straw end holding cylinder (end diameter reduced type).
It is inserted into a support hole 38 drilled in 17 and supported by a ring-shaped support metal 40. The operating piece 31' is positioned in a vertical groove 41 or slit formed in the straw end holding cylinder 17.

In this embodiment, the tip hook-shaped portion 32' has a two-stage bending structure, but it may also have a one-step bending structure with the tip tapered, and in this case, it is formed into a straw. stopper 8
becomes dot-like.

Actuation piece 31 or 31' shown in FIGS. 1 to 5
is heated via the straw end holding cylinder (end diameter reduction type) 17 or by an electric heater independently,
This makes it easy to mold the stopper.

In addition, in FIGS. 6 and 7, 42 is an inner straw supply device, 43 is an outer straw supply device, and 44 is a straw delivery device.

In the apparatus configured as described above, the inner straw 1 and the outer straw 2 are each transferred from the conveyance device 11 to the straw holding drum 16. Therefore, these straws move as the holding drum 16 rotates, and are held down midway by the rubber belt 19 to prevent them from moving. At the same time, with the rotation of the holding drum 16, the rotary plate 22 that holds the straw end holding cylinder 17, which also serves as a diameter reducing mold for the end of the straw, which constitutes the stopper forming apparatus of the present invention, also rotates, and the straw end holding cylinder 17 and The cam member 35 is sequentially operated as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 by the cam action of the cam member 24 and the actuating piece 25.

That is, as shown in FIG. (because the tapered part 6 and the reduced diameter part 4 of the outer straw 2 are formed during this reception), the cam member 35 advances against the elasticity of the spring 36, and the stopper forming actuating piece 31 is moved. In cooperation with the rear end slope 37, it operates to narrow the tip hook-shaped portion 32 of the actuating piece 31, thereby forming stoppers 8, 8 on the outer straw 2 (as shown in the third figure). Thereafter, the straw end holding cylinder 17 returns to its original position as shown in FIG.
Passed to 4.

In the embodiments described above, the stopper forming device is incorporated into the straw end diameter reducing device, but it may be configured separately from the end diameter reducing device. Further, although this embodiment is constructed in the form of a rotating drum, it can also move linearly.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the device of the present invention includes a holding member that holds a straw, a straw end holding cylinder that faces the straw held by the holding member, and a tip that is supported on the outside of the straw end holding cylinder. and a plurality of actuating pieces for forming a stopper each having a hook-shaped tip slightly protruding from the tip of the straw end holding tube and facing the tip, and the straw end holding tube has an end facing the straw. A hollow female mold is provided in the hollow female mold, and the inlet thereof is inclined in a shape corresponding to the slope of the reduced diameter portion of the outer straw, and the inner deep portion connected to this is formed into a substantially right cylindrical shape, and a core is placed in the hollow portion of the hollow female mold. Further, the plurality of actuating pieces for forming a stopper are supported so that their tip hook-shaped portions are held in an expanded state, and the straw supported by the holding member and the straw end holding cylinder are moved close to each other and separated from each other. Since the tip hook-shaped portion is narrowed by the cam action when they approach each other, a tapered portion is formed at the end of the reduced diameter portion at the tip of the outer straw to ensure stable extension without wobbling when the straw is extended. In addition, the stopper of the straw can be automatically formed by mechanical means, and it has the great effect of making it possible to mass-produce double straws with a stopper.
It was successful in achieving its intended purpose.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment in which the stopper forming apparatus of the present invention is incorporated into a straw end forming apparatus, and FIGS. 1 to 4 are partially cutaway front views thereof, showing the order of operation. FIG. 5 is a cutaway front view showing the main parts of another embodiment, FIG. 6 is a front view of a double straw assembly machine incorporating the device of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a plan view of the same assembly machine, and FIG. The figure is a plan view showing a portion of the apparatus according to the present invention of the assembly machine, and FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway front view of the entire apparatus according to the present invention, showing the upper line in FIG. 8. 1st
0 and 11 show an example of a double straw formed into a stopper by the apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a diagram in a contracted state, and FIG. 11 is a sectional view in an expanded state. 1...Inner straw, 2...Outer straw, 8
... Stopper, 16 ... Holding member, 17 ... Straw end holding cylinder, 31 ... Stopper forming actuation piece, 32 ... Hook-shaped tip, 33 ... Pivot, 34 ...
...Spring, 35...Cam member, 37...Rear end slope.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A holding member that holds a straw, a straw end holding cylinder that faces the straw held by this holding member, and a straw end holding cylinder that is supported on the outside of the straw end holding cylinder and has a tip slightly protruding from the tip of the straw end holding cylinder. The straw end holding cylinder has a hollow female mold at the end facing the straw, and its entrance is connected to the outside straw. The shape is inclined to correspond to the inclination of the reduced diameter part of the hollow female mold, and the inner part connected thereto is formed into a substantially right cylindrical shape, and a core is provided in the hollow part of the hollow female mold. The tip hook-shaped portion is supported so as to be held in an expanded state, and the straw supported by the holding member and the straw end holding cylinder are moved closer to each other and separated from each other, and when they approach each other, the tip is opened by a cam action. A stopper forming device for a drinking straw, characterized in that a hook-shaped portion is narrowed.