JPH06127506A - Liquefied nitrogen filling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To fill without fail cans for canned drinks with liquefied nitrogen even though the speed for conveying the cans varies. CONSTITUTION:The title apparatus is equipped with a conveyance mechanism that conveys cans C for canned drinks to which liquefied nitrogen is dropped, a nozzle 1 that drops the liquefied nitrogen into the cans for canned drinks conveyed by the aforementioned conveyance mechanism, a valve 7 that opens and shuts the aforementioned nozzle, speed detectors 5 and 6 that detect the speed of the cans for canned drinks conveyed by the conveyance mechanism and a detector 10 provided on the upstream side of the nozzle for detecting the cans for canned drinks conveyed by the conveyance mechanism. A control device that calculates a delay based on the speed of conveyance detected by the speed detector 5 and a specified time from opening of the valve 7 to the start of dropping of the liquefied nitrogen through the nozzle 1, and makes the valve 7 open only on elapse of the delayed time after the can for canned drinks is detected by the detector 10 is provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid nitrogen filling apparatus for dropping liquid nitrogen into a beverage can.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a liquefied nitrogen filling device has a nozzle for dripping liquefied nitrogen, a conveyor for carrying a beverage can so as to pass directly under the nozzle, and a gear-like device attached to the rotary shaft of the conveyor. Encoder and a timing sensor that detects the teeth of the encoder. The passing time of the adjacent teeth of the encoder detected by the timing sensor is matched with the time when the adjacent beverage can conveyed by the conveyor passes directly below the nozzle, and if the conveyor speed is determined, the timing is determined. After a sensor detects an encoder tooth, the time at which the next encoder tooth is detected can be predicted. Then, while observing the positions of the beverage cans on the conveyor (arranged at predetermined intervals), the position of the timing sensor for detecting the teeth of the encoder is adjusted to detect the teeth of the encoder by this timing sensor. When this happens, the valve for opening and closing the nozzle is adjusted to open. This allows
By opening the valve quickly after opening the valve until the liquid nitrogen flows out from the nozzle,
When the beverage can is conveyed directly below the nozzle, liquid nitrogen is appropriately dropped into the beverage can.

[0003]

However, in the conventional liquefied nitrogen filling device, the valve is opened starting from the time when the teeth of the encoder are detected by the timing sensor,
Since the liquefied nitrogen is adjusted to be dripped into the beverage can from the nozzle when the beverage can comes directly below the nozzle,
There is a problem that the position adjustment of the timing sensor with respect to the teeth of the encoder becomes delicate and complicated. When this adjustment is inadequate, the position of the beverage can with respect to the conveyor is displaced, therefore, the timing for opening the valve for each beverage can is displaced, and the liquid can drops at a position where the beverage can is displaced from directly below the nozzle. As a result, there is a problem that the filling amount of liquid nitrogen in all beverage cans is insufficient and low pressure cans are obtained. Further, even if the timing sensor is adjusted accurately, there is a problem that the low-pressure can becomes the same as described above even when the transport speed of the beverage can changes.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, does not require delicate and complicated adjustment, and accurately fills a beverage can with liquefied nitrogen even when the transport speed of the beverage can changes. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquefied nitrogen filling device that can be used.

[0005]

The liquefied nitrogen filling apparatus of the present invention has a carrier mechanism for carrying a beverage can into which liquefied nitrogen should be dropped, and the liquefied nitrogen drops into the beverage can carried by this carrier mechanism. A nozzle, a valve for opening and closing the nozzle, a speed detecting means for detecting the conveying speed of the beverage can by the conveying mechanism, and a beverage can for detecting the beverage can conveyed by the conveying mechanism provided on the upstream side of the nozzle. Detecting means, calculating the delay time based on the conveying speed detected by the speed detecting means and a predetermined time until the liquefied nitrogen flows out from the nozzle after opening the valve, and the beverage by the beverage can detecting means A control means for opening the valve after the delay time has elapsed after the can was detected.

[0006]

According to the liquefied nitrogen filling apparatus of the present invention, the transport mechanism is provided with the speed detecting means for detecting the transport speed of the beverage can, and the transport speed detected by the speed detecting means and the valve are opened and then the Since the delay time is calculated based on a predetermined time until the liquefied nitrogen flows out from the nozzle, the valve can be opened after the delay time has elapsed after the beverage can is detected by the beverage can detecting means, When a change occurs in the transport speed of the beverage can in the filling step, the delay time calculated from the transport speed and the predetermined time changes, the delay that has changed since the beverage can was detected by the beverage can detecting means. After a lapse of time, the valve can be opened and liquefied nitrogen can be added dropwise. That is,
Liquefied nitrogen can be dropped accurately into the beverage can by changing the opening timing of the valve in response to the change in the transfer speed.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A liquid nitrogen filling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The liquefied nitrogen filling device of this embodiment comprises a dropping injector 2, a conveying mechanism (conveyor) 3 for conveying a beverage can C, and a seamer 4 for caulking a can lid of the beverage can C onto which liquefied nitrogen has been dropped. With.

The dropping injector 2 has a tank 9 for storing liquefied nitrogen, a nozzle 1 provided at the bottom of the tank 9, a valve 7 for opening and closing the nozzle 1, and a solenoid for driving the valve 7. 8 and a beverage can detecting means 10 for detecting the beverage can C transported by the beverage can transport mechanism 3.

The seamer 4 has a gear-shaped encoder 5 fixed to its rotating shaft and having a tooth-to-teeth passage time equal to a beverage can conveyance interval time, and a proximity switch 6 facing the encoder 5. With. The encoder 5 and the proximity switch 6 constitute speed detecting means for detecting the rotational speed of the rotating shaft of the seamer 4, that is, the transport speed of the beverage can.

Further, a delay is made based on the conveying speed detected by the speed detecting means 5 and 6 and a predetermined time (a discharge specific delay time) until the liquefied nitrogen flows out from the nozzle 1 after the valve 7 is opened. There is provided control means for calculating a time (delay time) and opening the valve 7 after the delay time (delay time) has elapsed after the beverage can was detected by the beverage can detecting means 10.

Next, the operation of the liquefied nitrogen filling apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

First, every time the rotating shaft of the seamer 4 rotates by a predetermined angle, a speed detection signal as shown in FIG. 3 is obtained.

Next, the control means subtracts the ejection specific delay time t1 from the pulse interval ΔT of the speed detection signal to calculate the delay time (delay time) T.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2A, every time the beverage can C is detected by the beverage can detecting means 10, a beverage can detection signal as shown in FIG. 3 is obtained. This beverage can detection signal is, of course, the interval Δ of the speed detection signal.
It is the same as T.

When the delay time (delay time) elapses after the beverage can detection signal is detected, as shown in FIG.
As shown in (b) and FIG. 3, power is supplied to the solenoid 8 to open the valve 7. Then, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the liquefied nitrogen stored in the tank 9 flows into the nozzle 1.

After the discharge characteristic delay time t1 has elapsed since the valve 7 was opened, liquefied nitrogen is dripped from the nozzle 1 as shown in FIG. 2 (d). At this time, the beverage can C is transported to just below the nozzle 1 during the discharge specific delay time t1, and liquefied nitrogen is dripped into the beverage can C.

Here, if the transport speed of the beverage can C changes during the filling process, the interval ΔT of the speed detection signal changes. Therefore, the delay time (delay time) calculated by subtracting the discharge peculiar delay time from this interval ΔT (this is a peculiar constant value if the drop ejector internal pressure, the nozzle flow path length, etc. are constant). Change. Therefore, the liquefied nitrogen is dropped by opening the valve after a delay time that has changed since the beverage can was detected by the beverage can detecting means 10. That is, by changing the opening timing of the valve in accordance with the change in the transport speed, when the beverage can C comes directly under the nozzle 1, the liquefied nitrogen can be dropped accurately into the beverage can.

[0019]

As described above, according to the liquefied nitrogen filling apparatus of the present invention, the transport mechanism for transporting the beverage can into which the liquefied nitrogen should be dropped, and the liquefaction in the beverage can transported by this transport mechanism. A nozzle for dropping nitrogen, a valve for opening and closing the nozzle, a speed detecting means for detecting the conveying speed of the beverage can by the conveying mechanism, and a beverage can conveyed upstream by the nozzle and conveyed by the conveying mechanism. Beverage can detecting means for detecting, the transport speed detected by the speed detecting means and a delay time is calculated based on a predetermined time until the liquefied nitrogen flows out from the nozzle after opening the valve, and the beverage can. With the control means for opening the valve after the delay time has elapsed after the beverage can is detected by the detection means, there is no need for delicate and complicated adjustment,
Further, even when the transport speed of the beverage can changes, the beverage can can be filled with liquefied nitrogen accurately.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a liquefied nitrogen filling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the operation of the liquefied nitrogen filling device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a time chart showing the operation of the liquefied nitrogen filling device of FIG. 1.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Nozzle 3 Conveying mechanism 5 Encoder (speed detecting means) 6 Proximity switch (speed detecting means) 7 Valve 8 Solenoid 10 Beverage can detecting means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A transport mechanism for transporting a beverage can into which liquefied nitrogen is to be dropped, a nozzle for dropping liquefied nitrogen into the beverage can transported by this transport mechanism, a valve for opening and closing this nozzle, and the transport mechanism. By means of a speed detecting means for detecting the conveying speed of the beverage can, a beverage can detecting means provided upstream of the nozzle for detecting a beverage can conveyed by the conveying mechanism, and a conveying speed detected by the speed detecting means. And after calculating the delay time based on a predetermined time until the liquid nitrogen flows out from the nozzle after opening the valve, after the delay time has elapsed after the beverage can is detected by the beverage can detecting means, A device for filling liquefied nitrogen, comprising a control means for opening a valve.