JPH04279500A - Changeover device of common use type vessel holder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To rapidly and accurately changeover a vessel holder in accordance with respective shapes of vessels, by transferring a vessel-holding member to a specified position by a grooved cam for positioning after the vessel-holding member is returned to the origin by a guide. CONSTITUTION:A holder 2 is provided with four auxiliary fingers 50 in addition to V-shaped fingers 4. Pins 54 are fitted on the front edge of the auxiliary fingers 50 respectively. By transferring of the pins 54, the auxiliary fingers 50 are turned to a specified position according to the vessel. A return guide 64 to the origin is wide at the upstream side and narrower as it goes to the downstream side. The pins 54 of both auxiliary fingers 50 rotating to the inner side of the V-shaped fingers 4 are fitted to the guide 64 and hence, the auxiliary fingers 50 are returned to the origin. The cam 66 for positioning is replaced every vessel. Since the pins 54 of the auxiliary fingers 50 are fitted to the groove, the auxiliary fingers 50 are rotated up to the specified position.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a container holder, usually called a "hakama," which fits and holds a container for positioning the container in various container processing processes such as filling and capping. In particular, the present invention relates to a switching device for a dual-purpose container holder, which allows the container holder to be used for other types of containers, and which switches the container holder to suit a specific container.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to facilitate orientation and centering of containers when performing various processes such as filling and capping on deformed containers having an oval cross-sectional shape, containers are placed in the container holder described above. The machine is inserted into the machine and placed on the processing line.

However, since this container holder generally has a resin body with a support hole adapted to a specific container shape, it is difficult to use it for different types of containers, and the cross-sectional shape of the container crosses the plane of the body. Even if a plurality of container support holes are formed in this manner, the reality is that the holes can only be used for two types of containers at most.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] With the above-mentioned conventional container holders, when handling a wide variety of containers, it is necessary to manufacture a large number of container holders, and it also takes time and effort to store them and load them into the line. There were many problems as well.

The present invention has been made to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and proposes a container holder that can be used for many types of containers, and furthermore, makes it possible to efficiently and efficiently adapt this container holder to various types of containers. An object of the present invention is to provide a switching device that can perform switching accurately.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A switching device for a dual-purpose container holder according to the present invention includes a holder body that accommodates a container, and a rotatable plurality of and a pin provided on the rotating end of each container support member, the pin engages on the conveyance path and the container holder moves. During this time, the origin return guide that returns the container support member to the origin engages with the pin at the origin,
A positioning guide member is provided to rotate the container support member to a predetermined position for each container while the container holder moves.

[0007]

[Operation] In the dual-purpose container holder switching device according to the present invention, after the container support member is returned to the origin by the origin return guide, the container support member is moved to a predetermined position by the positioning groove cam. Moreover, the container holder can be switched accurately.

[0008]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be explained below with reference to illustrated examples. 1 to 4 are plan views of a dual-purpose container holder used in a switching method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and B--B in FIG.
They are a cross-sectional view, a longitudinal cross-sectional view, and a side view taken along line B. This container holder includes a bottomed square cylindrical case 2 (holder main body), and a pair of V-shaped fingers 4 (container holding (members).

The rectangular cylindrical case 2 has a substantially octagonal shape with the four corners of a square cut into arc shapes, and supporting members 6 are fixed to two side walls 2a facing each other vertically in FIG. 1. Two upper and lower rods 8 and 10 are supported on the support member 6 in parallel with the side wall 2a. The upper rod 8 is a guide rod fixed to the support member 6, and the lower rod 10 is a screw rotatably supported by the support member 6.

A nut 12 is threaded onto the screw 10, and the nut 12 moves forward and backward along the guide rod 8 as the screw 10 rotates. Nuts 12 screwed onto the screws 10 on both sides, respectively.
A finger mounting body 14 having recesses formed on mutually facing surfaces is fixed to the holder, and the V-shaped fingers 4 are mounted within these recesses.

The V-shaped finger 4 is moved forward and backward toward the center of the rectangular cylindrical case 2 by means of forward and backward movement described below. The support member 6 has an upper portion extended in the opposite direction to the rods 8 and 10, and a rotation axis 1 perpendicular to the extended portion 6a.
6 (operating shaft) is supported. A bevel gear 18 is attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft 16 and meshes with a bevel gear 20 fixed to the end of the screw thread 10. Therefore, by rotating both rotating shafts 16, the two V-shaped fingers 4 can be moved forward and backward to approach and separate from each other.

A leaf spring 22 is fixed to the upper surface of the support member 6. The tip of this leaf spring 22 is curved upward, and a circular hole 22a having a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rotating shaft 16 is formed in this curved portion. The upper end of the rotating shaft 16 passes through the circular hole 22a of the leaf spring 22, and the leaf spring 22
In its natural state (facing upward), the inner surface of the circular hole 22a engages with the side surface of the rotating shaft 16 to prevent the rotating shaft 16 from rotating, and when the tip of the leaf spring 22 is pushed down, the rotating shaft 16 is free. It can be rotated to

This holder is provided with four auxiliary fingers 50 in addition to the V-shaped fingers 4 described above. The configuration of this auxiliary finger 50 will be explained. A pair of vertical shafts 52 are inserted through each finger mount 14 with their heads projecting upward. An O-ring 53 is fitted onto the top of the vertical shaft 52 to prevent it from rotating. Auxiliary fingers 5 are attached to the upwardly protruding portions of these vertical shafts 52.
The base of 0 is fixed. Pins 54 are attached to the tips of the auxiliary fingers 50, and by moving the pins 54, the auxiliary fingers 50 are rotated to a predetermined position depending on the container. A gear 56 is fixed to the lower end of each vertical shaft 52. Two intermediate shafts 58 are provided between the paired vertical shafts 52 of each finger mounting body 14, and a gear 60 is also fixed to the lower end of the intermediate shafts 58. The gears 60 of the intermediate shaft 58 are sequentially meshed.

[0014] Next, a method of type change, that is, a method of switching when the container holder is used for containers of different sizes and shapes will be explained. The changeover takes place on a separate changeover route connected to part of the normal container processing line, including filling machines, capping machines, etc. FIG. 4 shows an example of this. Normally, a container is inserted into a container holder in an unscrambler 26, processed sequentially in a filling machine 28, a capping machine 30, etc., and then taken out in a case 32. The empty container holder is then packed in a box and placed in the unscrambler 2 again.
Sent to 6. Further, during the mold change, the container holder is sent to the mold change route 34 which is off the normal line. First, at the origin return station 36 on the model change route 34,
Insert the servo driver 38 (see Fig. 3) into both rotating shafts 16 and rotate it, and move the V-shaped finger 4 to the origin (the reference position when adjusting the V-shaped finger; in this embodiment, the V-shaped finger 4 is the most retracted position) position). Return to the origin is confirmed by detecting the end of the V-shaped finger 4 with a proximity sensor 40 (see FIG. 1; however, other sensors such as a contact type may also be used) provided at the station 36. Next, at the automatic type change station 42, the servo driver is rotated by a preset number of rotations depending on each container, and both V-shaped fingers 4 are advanced to a position where the container can be fitted with a slight margin. let

Next, a method for positioning the auxiliary finger 50 will be explained with reference to FIG. A guide 64 for returning the auxiliary finger 50 to its origin and a grooved cam 66 for positioning the auxiliary finger 50 are provided on the conveyor 62 of the model change route 34.

The origin return guide 64 is widest on the upstream side (upper part of FIG. 6) and gradually becomes narrower toward the downstream side.
The pins 54 of both auxiliary fingers 50, which had been rotated inward of the shape finger 4, engage with this guide 64, so that the auxiliary fingers 50 return to their origin (the position of the upper auxiliary fingers 50 in FIG. 6).

The positioning groove cam 66 (guide member) is
Each container is exchanged, and the upstream end has the narrowest interval (origin position), and the interval gradually widens toward the downstream side. Therefore, the auxiliary finger 50
By engaging the pin 54 in this groove, the auxiliary finger 50 is rotated to a predetermined position. Note that the V-shaped fingers 4 in this embodiment are positioned in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

Since the V-shaped fingers 4 support the container at four points, it is difficult to hold a square container etc. with only the fingers 4, but the four auxiliary fingers 5
By providing 0, any container can be held securely. 7 to 10 show cases in which containers of various shapes are held. In this example, the center of the container holder (O1) and the center of the container (O
2) It can be held reliably even if it is eccentric.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, a container holder that can be used for many types of containers can be quickly and accurately switched according to the shape of each container.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a container holder applied to a switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the container holder.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the container holder.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a container processing line using the container holder.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of a mold changing device.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a state in which the container is held by the container holder.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a state in which the container is held by the container holder.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a state in which the container is held by the container holder.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a state in which the container is held by the container holder.

[Explanation of symbols]

2　　　　Holder body 50 Container support member 52 Fulcrum shaft 54 pin 64 Return to origin guide

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A holder main body that accommodates a container, a plurality of container support members disposed within the holder main body and rotatable with one end supported by a fulcrum shaft, and a plurality of container support members provided on the rotating end of each container support member. The pin is engaged on a path for conveying a container holder having a pin, and the pin at the origin is engaged with an origin return guide that returns the container support member to the origin while the container holder is moving; 1. A switching device for a dual-purpose container holder, comprising a positioning guide member that rotates a container support member to a predetermined position for each container while the container holder moves.