JPH0526755A - Measuring apparatus for internal pressure of container - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To continuously measure the internal pressure of a container having a thick-walled cylindrical body part enhanced in internal pressure like an aerosol can while the container is moved without injecting a content liquid by directly pushing down a jet orifice and to reduce the irregularity of a measured internal pressure value. CONSTITUTION:A contact terminal 10a is arranged on one side of the moving passage C of a container A so as to protrude to the passage C and two contact terminals 6a, 6a are provided to the respective outward recessed parts 5 provided to the periphery of the turret 2 arranged on the other side of the moving passage at an equal interval. When the center of each of the recessed parts 5 comes to the position opposed to the contact terminal 10a by the rotation of the turret 2, three contact terminals are simultaneously brought into contact with the container body part under pressure in the circumferential direction thereof and the average value (1/3 value) of the max. value of the sum of the measured values shown by three pressure measuring devices is set to the measured value of the pressure in the container.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for press-contacting a contact terminal to a body of a hermetically sealed metal container and measuring an internal pressure by its reaction force.
The present invention relates to an internal pressure measuring device for an aerosol can, which has a positive internal pressure (hereinafter simply referred to as internal pressure) higher than atmospheric pressure at room temperature and has a thick, seamless cylindrical body.

[0002]

BACKGROUND ART Aerosol products are widely used in all fields such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and foods. Aerosol products are manufactured in accordance with aerosol product regulations (General High Pressure Gas Maintenance Regulation General Rule 12-27), The internal pressure of all manufactured products is measured and inspected, and the internal pressure is controlled.

An internal pressure measuring device for inspecting the internal pressure of all high internal pressure aerosol cans is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-45090. This is a device in which an aerosol can is pushed down in block units by an appropriate means and the internal solution is jetted to directly measure the internal pressure, which is suitable for a continuous production line in which rapid inspection is possible and mass production is performed.

However, in this case, since the content liquid is directly jetted to measure the internal pressure, there are some disadvantages. Even if a small amount of the content liquid is ejected together with the propellant, the ejection port and its vicinity are easily contaminated, and a device for cleaning and drying the content liquid attached after the measurement is required. Further, if the content liquid adheres to the pressure detection unit of the measuring device, accurate measurement may not be possible due to this. When the content liquid is stored as a product while remaining in the ejection port, the content liquid may be solidified in the ejection port during storage, causing ejection failure and losing commercial value. In addition, in the case of food, it is necessary to take measures against contamination so as not to spoil in the spout.

Such a disadvantage can be overcome by adopting a method of indirectly measuring the internal pressure by pressing the container body. Then, actually, the contact terminal of the measuring device is set in the circumferential direction 1 of the container body.
It is pressed against the body at 80 ° intervals and the internal pressure is indirectly measured based on the reaction force.
There is an internal pressure measuring device (impression cylinder type) for a two-piece container having a cylinder part.

[0006]

When this pressure drum type measuring device is applied to the measurement of the internal pressure of an aerosol can, it is not necessary to push down the jet outlet of the aerosol container by an appropriate means to jet the content liquid. The problem of can be solved all at once, but the variation in reaction force, which was small in the direction of the container for thin-walled cans, becomes considerably large for thick-walled cans (0.18 mm or more) (the effect of correcting the roundness of the can due to the internal pressure of the can). In contrast to a thin can, a thick can has no effect, which is considered to be one of the causes of variation due to the direction.), And it was found to be difficult to apply. That is, the internal pressure control for normal manufacturing is at 20 ° C. and the internal pressure of the can is at least 3 kg / cm.
² to 7kg / cm ² is managed, but
If controlled with a measurement accuracy that has a large variation, the internal pressure may exceed the prescribed internal pressure of 8 kg / cm ² according to the regulations, or conversely, it may become considerably lower than the minimum pressure and the content liquid may not be ejected to the end and the liquid may remain. There is a problem that some will come out. On the other hand, there is the idea of narrowing the control range for the upper and lower pressure limits, but it is not only difficult to adjust the gas supply to control the internal pressure, but it also causes a lot of loss (waste repelling) that is treated as a defective product even if it is a good product. There is a lack of practicality.

Therefore, the present applicant conducted various experiments,
As a method of measuring the internal pressure of an impression cylinder type in which the variation of the reaction force is small and it is not necessary to inject the content liquid, the contact terminals of the pressure measuring instrument are pressed into contact at three or more locations in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body,
An internal pressure measuring method was developed in which the average value indicated by each of the pressure measuring devices was used as the can internal pressure measured value, and a patent application was previously filed for this method (Japanese Patent Application No. 1-318287).

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide an internal pressure measuring device which can apply the above-mentioned patent internal pressure measuring method to a continuous production line.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The above problem is caused by moving a metal container having a positive internal pressure and a cylindrical body,
The contact terminals of the pressure measuring device were pressed simultaneously at three locations in the circumferential direction of the body, and the maximum value of the sum of the measured values continuously obtained from each of the three pressure measuring devices during the pressing time was determined. 1
In a container internal pressure measuring device in which the value of / 3 is taken as the can internal pressure measured value, the position measuring fixed first rotatable contact terminal that is disposed on one side of the container moving passage as the pressure measuring device and protrudes into the passage. A first pressure measuring device including: a concave portion having an outward opening, which is disposed on the other side of the passage, has a center at a position facing the first contact terminal, and is provided around the center at regular intervals. Second and third contact terminals installed in each of the recesses of the rotating disc having and contacting the body together with the first contact terminal when the center of the recess reaches a position facing the first contact terminal. And a second and a third pressure measuring device each having the above, and while the three internal pressure measuring devices are in pressure contact with the body of the container, the sum of the measured values obtained from each measuring device is continuously calculated. It is solved by holding the mechanism.

[0010]

Since the container internal pressure measuring device of the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, the cylindrical body of the container moving in the moving passage has the first contact terminal capable of rotating while being received in the recess of the rotating disk. Proceeding to the location, the first contact terminal and the second and third contact terminals provided in the concave portion of the rotary disk are pressed into contact with each other at three places, and during that time, the first contact terminal and the second and third contact terminals generated by the pressure contact. The sum of the repulsive forces of the three contact terminals is detected and measured moment by moment, and the average value (1/3 value) of the maximum values among them is taken as the internal pressure measurement value.

The internal pressure detection is performed while the container in the recess is in pressure contact with the first contact terminal, and after the detection is completed, the container continues to move in the moving passage and is sent to the next step.

[0012]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an internal pressure measuring device for an aerosol container according to this embodiment, in which A is an aerosol container having a sealed metal seamless body, and 1 is a driving part (not shown) of the measuring device. No.) is built in, and a turret 2 and a disk 3 which is located below the turret 2 and on which the container A is placed are provided on the frame 1, and a hollow protruding from the frame 1. The turret 2 and the disk 3 are continuously rotated together by the rotary shaft 4 of the.

Around the turret 2, there are four recesses 5, 5, 5, 5 outwardly arcuate at equal intervals (90 ° in this example).
Are formed.

B shows a measurement position (inspection station) for measuring the internal pressure of the container which is continuously transferred, and is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2 and a sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. The structure around the recess 5 of the turret 2 will be further described with reference to FIG.

The recess 5 is provided with second and third pressure measuring devices 6, 6 at 120 ° intervals with respect to the center 5a of each recess, and each pressure measuring device 6 has a cylindrical shape of the container A. It has a contact terminal 6a with a spherical tip, which comes into contact with the body at a height of 1/2 of the body. Each pressure measuring device 6 has a contact sensor 6 with a terminal sensor (load cell) 6b interposed therein.
The lead wire 6d of the terminal sensor 6b is connected to a computing unit (described later) through the hollow portion of the rotary shaft 4 from the wiring hole 6e.

Although not shown in this example, the pressure measuring devices 6 and 6 are screwed so that the distance from the recess center 5a can be finely adjusted.

On the other hand, the out guides 7a and 7b are arranged outside the turret 2 at a constant distance in a concentric pattern with the turret 2 (FIG. 1), and define a moving passage C for the container A.

In the inspection station B, a fixed first pressure measuring device 10 facing the moving passage C is provided, and a cross-section staggering type projecting into the moving passage C from between the out guides 7a, 7b toward the recess center 5a. The rotatable contact roll 10a is arranged as a first contact terminal.

When the center 5a of the concave portion comes to a position facing the contact roll 10a, the contact roll 10a is placed at three positions in the circumferential direction of the body of the container A together with the other second and third contact terminals 6a and 6a. (In this example, 120 ° intervals in the circumferential direction) are pressed.

Reference numeral 10b is a terminal sensor for detecting the pressure received by the contact roll 10a via the supporting member 10C, and the supporting member 10c is a saddle member 11 (in this example, the saddle member 1).
1 is positioned at the lower end 11a so that the distance from the center 5a of the recess can be finely adjusted by the pedestal 12 and the screw 13. The terminal sensor 10b includes a holding plate 11b and a support member 1
It is sandwiched between 0c and fixed. Reference numeral 10d is a lead wire from a terminal sensor connected to an arithmetic unit (described later).

The pedestal 12 is moved up and down by a screw 14 in order to adjust the pressure contact height of the contact roll 10a.

FIG. 4 shows each pressure sensor 6 that presses the can body.
From b, 6b, and 10b, while the can body is being pressed, the detection signal emitted momentarily continuously processes the inspected value (internal pressure) of the container A passing through the inspection station B, and the total measurement is performed. The block diagram of the arithmetic unit 40 which displays a value is shown. This can be done by using a known arithmetic circuit. In this example,
A display of the measured value is connected, and a reject signal is output when a comparison is made with the appropriately input upper and lower limit pressures and the pressure deviates from the specified pressure. In the figure, 41 is a distortion amplifier, 42 is an adder, 43 is a maximum value detector of the sum of inspection values, 44 is a multiplexer, 45 is a computer,
46 is a display and 47 is a moving average display.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described.

The container A is transferred along the moving path C in the direction of arrow X by the conveyor belt 101, aligned by the timing screw 102, and sent to the supply turret 103. The container A fed from the supply turret 103 into the recess 5 of the turret 2 of the measuring device.
Is transferred to the inspection station B while being in contact with the second and third contact terminals, that is, while being placed on the disc 3 along the arc-shaped guide 7a by the turret 2.

The container A in the concave portion transferred to the measuring position B is contacted with the contact terminals 6a and 6a by the contact roll 10a projecting into the moving passage C, and is spaced by 120 ° in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body. It is pressed and supported simultaneously at three locations. Depending on the internal pressure of the supported container, the contact terminals 6a, 6a, 10
a receives a reaction force, and the reaction force is applied to each pressure sensor 6
b, 6b, 10b, a detection signal is sent to the arithmetic unit 40, and the average value (1/3 value) of the maximum values among the sums of the respective values is calculated, and is calculated by the display unit 46. It is displayed as the measured internal pressure.

It is to be noted that the arithmetic unit 40 makes a comparison judgment with the upper and lower limit pressures, and if the container is out of the preset internal pressure, it is discharged when it is moved to a predetermined position on the conveyor 101 by the discharge turret 104. The sheet is discharged to the discharge table 106 by a known discharge means such as the device 105.

Next, the case of measuring the internal pressure of a thick-walled aerosol can using the above-mentioned device will be described in comparison with the result of two-point measurement with the conventional device for the same can.

As a target can, an aluminum-made aerosol can container having a full-filled volume of 274 ml (diameter 50 mm, height 150 mm, body wall thickness 0.32 mm) is filled with 250 m of tap water.
After injecting 1 and crimping the mountain cap, pressurized nitrogen gas was pressed into the void and measured by a Bourdon tube internal pressure gauge (known method) to select only 8 kg / cm ² cans.

The target cans were supplied to the internal pressure measuring device of this example, and the turntable was rotated at 80 revolutions per minute (320 cans / min) to examine the variation (measurement accuracy) of the measured values of the internal pressure of 100 cans. As a result, the measured value is ± 0.5 kg
It was known that the value was within the range of variation of / cm ² and was sufficiently practical.

On the other hand, for comparison, with respect to 100 cans having the same thickness, the variation was investigated using a conventional two-point measuring device (impression cylinder type) used for a thin can. The result was ± 1.5 kg / cm ² .

As can be seen by comparing these two numerical values,
Regarding thick-walled aerosol cans, it is understood that the conventional pressure drum type two-point measuring device is hardly usable for practical use, whereas the device of the present invention is sufficiently usable.

For comparison, an aerosol can container under the same conditions as above except that the wall thickness is 0.1 mm,
When the variation was investigated using a two-point measuring device (impression cylinder type) and the device of the present invention, the former was found to have an internal pressure of 1.5 kg / c.
When 100 cans of m ² were measured, a value of ± 0.15 kg / cm ² and a value of ± 0.10 kg / cm ² were obtained for the latter.

The former is in a permissible range and is therefore considered to be at a practical level, but the latter is the best value, and if the device of this example is applied to a thin-walled aerosol can, the case of a thick-walled aerosol can is obtained. It was known that the internal pressure could be measured with far higher accuracy.

In this embodiment, the movement path C of the container is formed into an arcuate movement path which is transferred to the inspection station B by the turret 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the inspection station B is not limited to this. The same purpose can be achieved by using a linear moving path that passes through.

In the present embodiment, the intervals between the three contact terminals of each pressure measuring device in the circumferential direction are equal to 120 °, but within a range of 120 ± 40 °, the variation of the measured values is ( It was within ± 0.5 to 0.7 kg / cm ² ) and was found to be at a practical level.

That is, the angle formed by the second and third contact terminals is 80.
Variation For ° is ± 0.7 kg / cm ^2, then the variation be led to gradually expand to 160 ° A ± 0.7 kg / cm ^2, although both is acceptable, it When it comes off, for example, at 70 ° ± 1.2 kg /
cm ^{2 and} ± 1.3 kg / cm ² at 170 °, both of which were known to be inappropriate. Therefore, this angle is preferably 120 °, but 120 ° ± 40 °
Within the range, it is considered that there is no practical problem.

Further, regarding the height position of the contact terminal, in the present example, the height center of the container body is set.
Even if the vertical displacement is about 10 mm, the measurement accuracy is not affected.

[0039]

According to the device of the present invention, the contact terminals are pressed into contact with the cylindrical body at three positions in the circumferential direction, and in particular, the internal pressure of the high internal pressure aerosol container having the seamless thick body is directly applied. Without ejecting the content liquid from the ejection port, and suppressing the variation in the reaction force generated depending on the direction of the container,
It can be measured with high accuracy. Moreover, of the three contact terminals, two are provided on the turret provided on one side of the moving passage of the container, and the other one is provided on the opposite side of the moving passage, so that the container is continuously connected. It is possible to measure while moving, and it is possible to measure 100% quickly, which is effective for continuous production lines.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a container internal pressure measuring device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged plan view of the inspection station B position.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an arithmetic unit

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Frame of internal pressure measuring device 2 ... Turret 3 ... Disc 5 ... Recess 6, 10 ... Pressure measuring device 6a ... Second and third contact terminals 10a ... Contact roll (first contact terminal) ) 6b, 10b
...... Pressure sensor A …… Container B …… Measuring station C …… Move passage

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. While moving a metal container having a positive internal pressure and having a cylindrical body, the contact terminals of the pressure measuring device are simultaneously pressure-contacted at three locations in the circumferential direction of the body, and the pressure contact time is set. A container internal pressure measuring device that determines a value of 1/3 of the maximum value as a can internal pressure measurement value among the sums of the measurement values continuously obtained from each of the three pressure measurement devices. A first pressure measuring device provided on one side of the container moving passage and having a position-fixable rotatable first contact terminal protruding into the passage; and a first pressure measuring device provided on the other side of the passage. The rotary disk is provided in each of the recesses of the rotating disk having a center at a position facing the first contact terminal and having recesses of outward facing openings provided at equal intervals around the center, the center of the recess being the first A first contact terminal for pressing the body together with the first contact terminal when it comes to a position facing the contact terminal Second and third pressure measuring devices having second and third contact terminals, and further, while these three internal pressure measuring devices are in pressure contact with the container body,
A container internal pressure measuring device having a mechanism for continuously calculating the sum of measured values obtained from each measuring device. 2. The circumferential direction of the cylindrical body 120 ° ± 40 °
The container internal pressure measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the three pressure points are pressure contact points. 3. Cylindrical body with 3 at 120 ° intervals in the circumferential direction.
The container internal pressure measuring device according to claim 1, wherein a pressure contact point is provided at one place. 4. The container internal pressure measuring device according to claim 1, which is intended for a positive internal pressure aerosol can having a thick and seamless cylindrical body.