JPH07300192A - Detector of inner stopper in cap - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect the presence or absence of the inner stopper in a cap preliminarily equipped with an inner stopper. CONSTITUTION:A star wheel, rotated intermittently, brings caps C one by one to position and stops. Over this stopping position a first engaging member 54 which when lowered can engage with an inner stopper N is placed. A cylindrical supporting member 46 which is lifted and lowered by an air cylinder 48 supports the first engaging member 56 in a manner that the first engaging member 56 can be lifted and lowered relatively in relation to the cylindrical supporting member 46. On the periphery of the first engaging member 56 a second engaging member 56 is fitted, which can be lifted and lowered in relation to the first engaging member 56 and when lowered engages with the body of the cap C. A proximity switch 60 for detecting the relative heights of the first engaging member 54 and the second engaging member 56 is provided. Therefore, the height of the first engaging member 54 in relation to the second engaging member 56 differs depending on the presence or absence of the inner stopper N and it can be found out whether the inner stopper N is present or absent.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inner plug detecting device for a cap with an inner plug, which detects the presence or absence of the inner plug of an inner cap having an inner cap previously mounted therein. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a kind of a stopper for sealing the inside of a container such as a bottle, a cap with an inner plug, in which a plastic inner plug (inner cap) is mounted inside the cap, is used. This cap with inner plug is usually supplied by the cap maker with the inner plug already mounted inside, but the cap maker may miss the installation of the inner plug, or may drop during the process of supplying it to the capper. In some cases, there is no inner plug inside the cap when capping. If such a cap is capped on the container as it is, it becomes a defective product. Therefore, conventionally, before capping, the presence or absence of the inner plug in the cap is confirmed by a detection means such as a sensor, and the defective cap without the inner plug is removed before being supplied to the capper. ing.

A conventional inner stopper detecting device for a cap with an inner stopper is as follows.
A non-contact type detection means such as a photoelectric tube is generally used. For example, when only caps in a certain direction are sorted by a cap sorter and supplied to the capping head of the capper via a chute, a reflective sensor is arranged in the middle of the chute, and an inner plug installed in the cap is installed. It is already known to detect the presence or absence of.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the conventional inner plug detection device for a cap with inner plug, the plastic inner plug mounted inside the cap is translucent, and there is little difference in color and reflection. Further, since this inner plug is generally thin and may not be a perfect circle, it is difficult to perform stable detection. Moreover, since the inside plug detection device is usually provided in the middle of the chute, various conditions such as the speed of dropping the cap in the chute, the pressing state between the front and rear caps and the inclination of the cap are not constant. Therefore, there are drawbacks such that detection is impossible, and there is a risk of malfunction during detection.

The present invention has been made in order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and is an inside plug detecting device which is not affected by the color or shape of the inside plug, and has less malfunction and can be reliably detected. It is intended to provide.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An inner plug detecting device for a cap with an inner plug according to the present invention includes a cap holding means for holding a cap having an inner plug mounted therein with its inner side facing upward, and this cap. The engaging means is disposed above the cap held by the holding means and is capable of engaging with the inner plug in the cap, the elevating means for raising and lowering the engaging means, and the lowered engaging means in the cap. And a detection means for detecting a difference in height between when the plug is engaged and when it is not engaged.

[0007]

In the inside plug detecting device of the above cap with inside plug, the height of lowering of the engaging means differs depending on whether the inside plug is mounted inside the cap or not. Since the difference is detected, it is possible to reliably detect the presence or absence of the inner plug without the risk of malfunction.

[0008]

The present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a cap supply device in which an inner plug detection device (generally indicated by reference numeral 1) for a cap with an inner plug according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided midway. In the figure, 2 is a chute, and a large number of caps C (see FIG. 5, which will be described later) in which inner plugs (inner caps) N have been previously mounted inside the chute by an unillustrated parts feeder (inner plug N). (The side where is attached) is aligned and thrown in so that it faces upward, and it continuously falls. An inner plug detecting device 1 according to the present embodiment is provided at an intermediate portion of the chute 2 for detecting the presence or absence of the inner plug N in the cap C and mounting the inner plug N. If there is no cap C, remove it. It should be noted that sensors 4 and 6 are provided upstream of the position where the inner plug detection device 1 of the chute 2 is provided, and control the amount of the cap C supplied to the inner plug detection device 1. ing.

The non-defective cap C, which has been confirmed by the inner plug detection device 1 to have the inner plug N attached thereto, is conveyed further downstream by the chute 2, and is reversed by the cap reversing section 8 in the middle thereof. Then, the inside of the chute 2 is brought to the posture for capping and is sent to the cap outlet 10 at the tip (lower end) of the chute 2. Each cap C is taken out from this cap take-out port 10 by a picker provided in a capper (not shown), and is capped at the mouth of a container such as a bottle that has been separately supplied. It should be noted that the cap take-out port 10 may be placed directly on the mouth of the container for capping, instead of the structure in which the cap is taken out and capped.

Next, the configuration of the inner plug detecting device 1 for the cap with inner plug will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. The inner plug detection device 1 provided near the middle portion of the chute 2 includes an inner plug detection means 12 for checking the presence or absence of the inner plug N in the cap C, and a cap C for confirming this.
And a cap holding means 14 for holding the position and limiting the position thereof. First, regarding the cap holding means 14,
This will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, the cap holding means 14 is configured as an intermittent feeding device that intermittently conveys the caps C one by one.
The presence or absence of the inside plug N in the cap C is detected by the inside plug detecting means 12 during the stoppage during the intermittent conveyance of one by one.

The chute 2 has a bottom plate 2a on which the cap C slides, and a cap C above the bottom plate 2a.
Upper plate 2 fixed at an interval slightly larger than the height of
b and the lower surface of the upper plate 2b on both sides, the fixed guide plate 2 mounted at a distance slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cap C.
Each of the caps C has a bottom plate 2a, the inner side where the inner plug N is attached faces upward, and both sides are guided by the fixed guide plates 2c and 2d to continuously drop and convey. To be done. On the side of the chute 2, a star wheel 16 having a plurality of pockets 16a with which the cap C is engaged is provided rotatably on the outer peripheral surface at equal intervals. In this embodiment, the star wheel 16
Has eight pockets 16a formed at equal intervals on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and is intermittently rotated by one pitch, that is, by 45 degrees (360 degrees / 8) by the operation of the air cylinder 18 described below. .

On the lower surface side of this star wheel 16, 8
The ratchet wheel 20 having the individual cutouts 20a is fixed and rotates integrally. On the other hand, the piston rod 18a of the air cylinder 18 is connected to the other end of a lever 24, one end of which is connected to a lower end of a central shaft 22 arranged at the rotation center of the star wheel 16. A pin 26 is uprightly fixed to an upper portion of the lever 24 near the connecting portion with the piston rod 18a, and a pawl 28 is rotatably attached to an upper end of the pin 26 (same height as the ratchet wheel 20). Has been. A tension spring 30 is attached between the position of the lever 24 near the center axis 22 and the position of the claw 28 near the tip end portion thereof, and the tip of the claw 28 is constantly elastically contacted with the outer surface of the ratchet wheel 20. I am letting you.

Therefore, when the piston rod 18a of the air cylinder 18 advances from the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 to the position shown by the imaginary line, the lever 24 is rotationally moved about the central axis 22 and the tip of the pawl 28 is moved. Ratchet wheel 20
One notch 20a is rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 2 to engage with the next notch 20a. Then, when the piston rod 18a retracts and returns to the position shown by the solid line again, the pawl 28 moves via the lever 24, so that the ratchet wheel 20 and the star wheel 16 integrated with the ratchet wheel 20 correspond to one pitch. Rotate counterclockwise. As a result, one pocket on the star wheel 16
6a holds a cap C (reference C in FIG. 2).
Cap) indicated by ₁ is sent to the lower side of FIG. 2, the next cap C (cap C ₂ in FIG. 2) is held in the next pocket 16a of the star wheel 16, the position of the cap C ₁ Moving. By repeating this, the cap C continuously falling in the chute 2 is intermittently sent to the downstream side. The cap C stopped at the position C ₁ in FIG. 2 has an inner plug detecting means 1 described below.
The presence or absence of the inner stopper N is checked by 2. The ratchet wheel 20 is provided with eight locking holes 20b on the lower surface side at equal intervals.
According to the rotation of 0, the ball plungers 21 arranged below are sequentially locked in the locking holes 20b, whereby the ratchet wheel 20 and the star wheel 16 are engaged.
Are positioned (see FIGS. 2 and 4).

In this embodiment, the star wheel 16 is used.
The guide plate 2c fixed to the opposite side of the
Is partially cut away, and a movable guide plate 32 is mounted in the cutout space. The movable guide plate 32 is integrally connected to the outer cover 34 and is rotatable about a fulcrum pin 36. Normally, the fixed guide plate 2 is fixed.
The lock 38 is arranged at a position continuous with c and is locked by the lock 38, and when the cap C without the inside plug N is detected by the inside plug detecting means 12 described later, this lock 38
And the movable guide plate 32 is opened together with the cover 34 (the both 32 and 34 are moved to the positions shown in the imaginary line in FIG. 2), and the defective cap C can be taken out from the chute 2. .

The shape of the cap C for which the presence or absence of the inner stopper N is confirmed by the apparatus of this embodiment is as shown in FIG.
The main body of the cap C has an upper surface (the surface which becomes the upper surface when capped in a container) Ca and a cylindrical portion Cb on the outer periphery thereof.
And a shaft-shaped portion Cc extending from the central portion of the upper surface Ca toward the inside, and the cylindrical portion Cb on the outer periphery and the central shaft-shaped portion Cc have substantially the same height. There is. Further, the inner plug (inner cap) N has a cylindrical portion Na fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft-like portion Cc of the cap C, and a flange portion Nb abutting on the upper surface Ca of the body of the cap C. . The tip of the cylindrical portion Na of the inner plug N (upper end in FIG. 5) is
The height of the cap C is slightly lower than the tip of the shaft Cc of the main body.

Above the position where the cap C is held in the pocket 16a of the star wheel 16 and stopped (the position of the cap C _{1 in} FIG. 2), the inner plug detecting means 12 for detecting the presence or absence of the inner plug N is provided. It is arranged. The structure of the inner plug detecting means 12 will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the chute 2 according to the present embodiment is inclined at a predetermined angle in order to drop the cap C, and the inner plug detection means 12 is also fixed while being inclined in a direction perpendicular to the chute 2. In FIG. 5, the chute 2 is horizontal and the inside plug detecting means 12 is vertical. Upper plate 2b of the inclined chute 2
A frame 40 of the inner plug detecting means 12 is fixed on the top of the chute 2 at right angles. A guide block 42 is fixed to the inner surface of the frame 40, and a tubular support member 46 is fitted in the guide block 42 via a bush 44 so as to be able to move up and down. An air cylinder 48 is fixed to the upper surface of the frame 40, and a piston rod 48 a of the air cylinder 48 has the cylindrical support member 46.
The cylindrical support member 46 is moved up and down in the guide block 42 by the operation of the air cylinder 48. One vertical groove 46a is formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical support member 46, and the guide member 42a fixed to the lower end of the fixed guide block 42 is fitted into the vertical groove 46a. Then, the tubular support member 46
It guides you up and down.

The upper portion of the rod 50 is inserted into the hole inside the cylindrical support member 46 and is supported so as to be vertically movable.
The rod 50 is constantly urged downward by a spring 52 interposed between the upper end surface of the rod 50 and the upper inner surface of the tubular support member 46. An inward stopper 46b is provided at the lower end of the cylindrical support member 46, and the step 50a formed on the outer surface of the rod 50 hits the stopper 46b, whereby the lower limit of the rod 50 is lowered. Regulated. At the lower end portion of the rod 50 protruding from the cylindrical support member 46, an annular engaging member 54 (having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the inner plug (inner cap) N mounted inside the cap C ( Hereinafter, referred to as a first engaging member) is attached to the inner plug N in the cap C when it descends toward the cap C held by the cap holding means (intermittent feeding device) 14. It can be engaged.

The first engaging member 54 attached to the lower end of the rod 50 and the rod 5 connected thereabove.
A cylindrical second engaging member 56 is fitted to the outer peripheral side of the lower part of 0 so as to be movable up and down. The second engagement member 56 is constantly urged downward by a second spring 58 arranged between the upper surface of the second engagement member 56 and the lower surface of the tubular support member 46. The step portion 5 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical second engaging member 56.
6a is formed, and this step portion 56a is an outer step portion 54a of the connecting portion between the rod 50 and the first engaging member 54.
The lower limit of the second engaging member 56 is regulated by hitting. The outer diameter of the second engaging member 56 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the main body of the cap C, and when the second engaging member 56 descends, it can engage with the tubular portion Cb on the outer peripheral side of the main body of the cap C. ing. The upper plate 2 of the chute 2
A through hole 2e having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the second engaging member 56 is formed in b, and the first and second engaging members 54 and 56 are moved by the operation of the air cylinder 48. When lowered, these both 54, 56 are inserted into the chute 2 through the through hole 2e and engage with the cap C and the inner plug N inside thereof.

A first proximity switch 60 is provided on the upper outer surface of the rod 50 to which the first engaging member 54 is attached. The proximity switch 60 is fixed to the rod 50 through a mounting member 62 that extends to the outside through a vertically long slot 46c that penetrates the inside and outside of the tubular support member 46, and the first engaging member. Ascending / descending integrally with the rod 50 to which 54 is attached. A second proximity switch 64 is fixed near the lower part of the side wall of the frame 40. On the other hand, a first detected portion 66 is provided outside the cylindrical second engaging member 56 so as to be vertically aligned with the first proximity switch 60. A second detected portion 68 is provided outside the second engagement member 56 at a position facing the second proximity switch 64.

The operation of the inner plug detection device 1 having the above-mentioned structure will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the cap C having the inside plug N mounted therein is aligned with its inside facing upward, and is inserted into the inclined chute 2 from a parts feeder (not shown). Shoot 2
The caps C that have dropped inside are stopped by the cap holding means (intermittent feeder) 14 and are intermittently fed one by one. The star wheel 16 of this intermittent feeding device 14
With respect to the cap C held and stopped in the pocket 16a formed on the outer periphery of the inside, the inside plug detecting means 12 is operated and the presence or absence of the inside plug N is confirmed.

First, the operation of the non-defective cap C in which the inner plug N is mounted inside the cap C will be described. When one cap C is held by the cap holding means 14 and stopped, the air cylinder 48 of the inner plug detection means 12 provided above the cap C operates to lower the tubular support member 46. First engaging member 5
The rod 50 and the second engagement member 56 to which 4 is attached are urged downward by the springs 52 and 58 with respect to the tubular support member 56,
Until the second engagement member 56 hits the cap C stopped inside the chute 2, the tubular support member 46 and the rod 5
The 0 and first engaging members 54 and the second engaging member 56 descend while maintaining the relative vertical positional relationship shown in FIG. When the tip end (lower end) of the second engagement member 56 protruding most downward is engaged with the cylindrical portion Cb on the outer circumference of the cap C, the second engagement member 56 is restricted from further descending. The spring 58 on the upper side is bent to move up relative to the rod 50 to which the first engaging member 54 is attached and the tubular supporting member 46.

When the lowering of the second engaging member 56 is stopped, the second detected portion 68 attached to the upper end of the second engaging member 56 is stopped.
However, it stops at a position facing the front of the second proximity switch 64 (see FIG. 6), and it is confirmed that the main body of the cap C has been sent.

After the second engaging member 56 stops descending,
Further, when the tubular support member 46 and the rod 50 descend,
The first engaging member 5 attached to the lower end of the rod 50
4 engages with the cylindrical portion Na of the inner stopper N mounted inside the cap C. When the first engagement member 54 engages with the inner plug N, further downward movement is restricted, the spring 52 is bent, and the first engagement member 54 rises relative to the tubular support member 46.
This state is the case where the inner plug N is mounted inside the cap C as shown in FIG. 6, and in this case, the first engaging member 54 engages with the inner plug N and the lowering is performed. The first proximity switch 60 fixed to the rod 50 is attached to the upper end of the second engaging member 56 because it is stopped and only slightly descends relative to the outer second engaging member 56. The first detected portion 66 that is open does not approach a predetermined distance, and it is detected that the inside plug N is attached.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a defective cap C in which the inner plug N is not mounted inside the cap C is
When it is sent to the cap holding means 14, when the air cylinder 48 of the inner plug detecting means 12 is operated to lower the tubular support member 46, the second engaging member 56 is moved to the position shown in FIG. Similarly to the above case, the lowering is stopped by engaging with the cylindrical portion Cb on the outer periphery of the main body of the cap C, but the first engaging member 54 is engaged with the inner stopper even if further descending thereafter. Since N does not exist, the rod 50 is pushed by the spring 52 and descends largely relative to the second engaging member 56. As a result, the first proximity switch 60 approaches the first detected portion 66 within a detectable distance, and detects that there is no inside plug N in the cap C. When the cap C sent in this way is a defective product without the inner stopper N attached, the lock 38 is removed, the cover 34 and the movable guide plate 32 are opened, and the cap C is shot. It is taken out from inside 2 and eliminated so that the defective cap C is not supplied to the capper.

As described above, in the apparatus of this embodiment, when the inner plug N does not exist inside the cap C, the first engaging member 54 to which the first proximity switch 60 is attached is the first engaging member 54.
When the inner stopper N is inside the cap C when the cap C is greatly lowered with respect to the second engaging member 56 having the detection unit 66 of
Since it descends relatively small with respect to the second engaging member 56, the presence or absence of the inside plug N is detected by the difference in height between the two, which affects the color and shape of the inside plug N. It is possible to perform reliable detection with few malfunctions.

In the apparatus of the above embodiment, not only the presence or absence of the inner stopper N but also the cap C conveyed in the chute 2 is used.
This can be detected even when is upside down. Further, although the device for detecting the presence or absence of the inner plug N in the cap C in the linear chute 2 has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a rotary type high speed type cap supply device.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, the cap holding means for holding the cap having the inside plug installed therein with its inner side facing upward, and the cap held by the cap holding means. And an engaging means that is arranged above the cap and is engageable with the inner plug mounted in the cap, an elevating means for moving the engaging means up and down, and a case where the lowered engaging means engages with the inner plug. By providing the detecting means for detecting the height difference between the case where the inner stopper is not engaged and the presence of the inner stopper can be reliably detected regardless of the color and shape of the inner stopper.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an entire cap supply device including an inner plug detection device for a cap with an inner plug according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a cap holding means (intermittent feeding device) that constitutes the inside plug detection device of the above cap with inside plug.

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

4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an inside plug detecting means that constitutes the inside plug detecting device of the above cap with inside plug.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of the operating state of FIG.

7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing another example of the operating state of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

C Cap N Inner plug 14 Cap holding means (intermittent feeding device) 46 Support (cylindrical support member) 48 Elevating means (air cylinder) 54 Engaging means (first engaging means) for engaging the inner plug 56 Engaging means (second engaging means) that engages with the main body of the cap 60 Detecting means (first proximity switch) 64 Second detecting means (second proximity switch) 66 Detected part (first object) Detector)

Claims (3)

[Claims] Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A cap holding means for holding a cap having an inside plug mounted therein, the inner side facing upward, and a cap inside the cap, which is arranged above the cap held by the cap holding means. The engaging means that can be engaged with the elevating means, the elevating means that elevates and lowers this engaging means, and the height difference between when the descending engaging means engages with the inner plug in the cap and when it does not engage. Device for detecting the inside plug of the cap with the inside plug. 2. A second engagement means engageable with the main body of the cap is provided so as to be able to move up and down relatively with respect to the engagement means for the inner plug, and the second engagement means is the cap. The cap holding means detects that the cap holding means holds the cap by providing a detecting means for detecting a difference in height between the case where the cap is engaged and the case where the cap is not engaged. Inner plug detection device for the cap with the described inner plug. 3. An intermittent feed means for intermittently carrying a cap having an inner plug attached therein, and an intermittent feed means, which is arranged above a position where the cap is stopped by the intermittent feed means and lifted by a cylinder. And a first engaging means that is supported by the support so as to be capable of moving up and down relatively, and that is capable of engaging with the inner plug mounted in the cap when the support is lowered, and the first engaging means. Second engaging means that is supported so as to be able to move up and down relatively to the engaging means and that can engage with the main body of the cap when it descends; and a detected portion provided in the second engaging means, An inner plug detection device for a cap with an inner plug, comprising: a detection unit provided on the first engagement unit and configured to detect when the detected portion approaches.