JPH10100274A - Molding machine for locking portion of straw cylindrical member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To mold a locking portion of a straw cylindrical member which is continuously fed. SOLUTION: The molding machine 49 for a locking portion of a straw cylindrical member fastens the member 40 made of thermoplastic material which is continuously fed between sandwiching rollers 102 and 103 to deform it in an elliptical shape. When molding implements 105 provided on a periphery of a rotating mold 104 are pushed in contact with an elliptical area of the member 40, only the portions pushed by the implements 105 heated by a heater 115 are thermally deformed without large deflection at the periphery and the locking portion is thermally molded partly or on the overall periphery in a circumferential direction. Strain deformation of the member 40 is corrected by correction rollers 118 disposed at a tail flow side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a straw cylinder member formed of a thermoplastic material and having a locking portion formed on a straw cylinder member running continuously in the longitudinal direction and fed to a next step such as a cutting step. The present invention relates to a locking part forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a method and an apparatus for producing a drinking straw are described in which a long hollow molded member is molded by using an extruder using a resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene as a raw material, and the hollow molded member is cut into a predetermined length. Is known in which a straw member is cut into a straw member and the cut straw member is stored in a storage portion (for example, see Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-79222). In the conventional drinking straw manufacturing apparatus, the hollow molded member has a double straw structure in which the inner pipe is slidably inserted into the outer pipe, and the length of the straw itself is lengthened and used for drinking and the like. May be manufactured for telescopic straws. In this case, as shown in the telescopic straw shown in FIG. 7, a locking portion 121 is formed near one end of the outer tube 120 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction. When the outer tube 120 and the inner tube 122 are assembled in a nested manner,
1 is engaged with the enlarged end 123 of the inner tube 122. Therefore, the locking portion 121 prevents the inner tube 122 from falling out of the outer tube 120.

[0003]

However, since straws are consumed in large quantities on a daily basis, it is necessary to reduce the cost by continuously producing straws in large quantities. From this point of view, the straw member obtained by cutting the straw cylinder member is temporarily housed in a case, and the locking portion is formed on the straw member that is sequentially fed out when assembling the extendable straw. In this case, the forming speed of the locking portion is slow, and the forming device of the locking portion is complicated, so that it is difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost of the straw. Therefore, in the production of drinking straws,
A kneaded product obtained by heating and melting a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene as a raw material is extruded by an extruder, and then formed into a predetermined cross-sectional shape with respect to a high-speed running straw cylinder member, that is, a straw member. If the locking portion can be formed on the straw tube member that travels at a high speed in a continuous or long state before being cut into pieces, the forming speed of the locking portion matches the manufacturing speed of the straw tube member. Although speed can be achieved, such a specific proposal has not been made so far and remains as a problem to be solved.

[0004] Further, in order to form the locking portion with respect to the straw cylinder member, generally, a method of plastically deforming the molding tool by pressing it against a predetermined portion of the straw cylinder member is used. However, when the forming tool is pressed against the straw cylinder member ratio, a wide area including a portion to be the locking portion on the straw cylinder member side may bend as a whole and escape to the forming tool. . In such a state, the stress of the straw cylindrical member generated by the pressing of the forming tool does not reach the stress causing the plastic deformation, and the locking portion is not formed, or even if the forming is performed, it is insufficient. It will be. The straw hardness may be required to be sufficiently soft, which is difficult to plastically deform with a molding tool.In addition, in order to withstand normal use, it is not possible to use a material having an excessively low plastic deformation stress as a straw material. . Therefore, when the forming tool is pressed, the deformation resistance of the straw cylindrical member is increased, so that the straw cylindrical member is less likely to escape from the forming tool, and the forming operation by the forming tool is easily performed. It is required to be.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a straw cylinder for forming a locking portion by pressing a forming tool by deforming a locking portion forming portion of a straw cylinder member in advance. The deformation resistance of the member is increased to reduce the escape from the molding tool, and as a result, it is easy to heat-mold the locking portion by the molding tool with respect to the running thermoplastic straw member for continuous use. An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for forming a locking portion of a straw tubular member, which can reduce the manufacturing cost in the production of a straw.

According to the present invention, there is provided a pair of rotatably supported straw-shaped tubular members for continuously deforming the straw-shaped tubular member running in the longitudinal direction so as to squeeze the straw-shaped tubular member. In order to heat-mold the clamping portion in the transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal direction at a predetermined interval with respect to the pressing roller and the straw cylinder member, the elliptical long elliptical region of the straw cylinder member has The present invention relates to a device for forming a locking portion of a straw cylindrical member, comprising a locking portion forming device provided with a forming tool for forming a locking portion.

According to the apparatus for forming a locking portion of a straw cylinder member, the thermoplastic straw cylinder member running continuously in the longitudinal direction is rotated by a pair of rotatable supported pressure rollers. It is pinched and deformed into an elliptical shape. The elliptical long elliptical region of the straw cylindrical member has a large cross-sectional curvature, and has the same thickness as that of the straw cylindrical member having a small diameter, and has high resistance to local deformation. The forming tool provided in the locking part forming device acts on the elliptical long elliptical region of the straw cylindrical member, but when the forming tool presses the straw cylindrical member, the straw cylindrical member escapes from the forming tool. At least, the locking portion is immediately heat-formed in a desired region of the oblong region. Since the straw cylinder member is running, locking portions in the transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal direction are formed one after another at predetermined intervals, and the locking portions are circumferentially formed with respect to the straw cylinder member manufactured at high speed. It can be reliably and easily formed partially or entirely in the direction.

The engaging portion may be partially formed in the circumferential direction of the straw cylindrical member, or may be formed over the entire circumference thereof. Regardless of the locking part, by a single locking part forming device,
Alternatively, it can be formed by a plurality of locking portion forming devices arranged at a plurality of positions along the flow of the straw cylinder member.

Further, the locking portion forming apparatus includes a rotating body rotating in response to the traveling of the straw cylinder member, a forming tool provided on an outer peripheral portion of the rotating body, and a heating device for heating the forming tool. Means. According to the device for forming a locking portion of a straw cylinder member, by rotating the rotating body, the forming tool provided on the outer peripheral portion of the rotating body approaches the straw cylinder member running, Molding and separation are repeated. Since the heating device heats the forming tool, it is easy to form the locking portion with respect to the straw cylindrical member made of a thermoplastic material.

[0010] The pressing roller is composed of a plurality of pairs of pressing rollers arranged in the longitudinal direction of the straw cylindrical member, and is provided corresponding to the forming position of the locking portion by the locking portion forming device. The roller is formed to be thinner than other pinching rollers in order to avoid interference with the forming tool. With this configuration, the straw cylinder member is squeezed by a plurality of pairs of squeezing rollers arranged in the traveling direction.
The elliptical long elliptical region extends over a long range. In addition, since the pressing roller provided corresponding to the forming position of the locking portion is formed to be thinner than other pressing rollers, it acts on the straw cylinder member to form the locking portion. The interference between the forming tool and the pressing roller is avoided.

Further, in order to correct the straw cylinder member which has been deformed into an elliptical shape by the clamping roller, the straw cylinder member is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the clamping direction by the clamping roller. A pressing correction roller is provided. Most of the elliptical deformation of the straw cylinder member caused by being pinched by the pinching roller tends to return to the original, for example, circular shape for self-restoration, but a slight amount of elliptical deformation or distortion occurs. Significant deformation remains. The correction roller is to remove the residual deformation, and the straw cylindrical member is
When passing through the correction roller, since the correction roller presses the direction perpendicular to the pressure direction by the pressure roller, that is, the remaining elliptical long elliptical region, the straw cylinder member has almost the original cross-sectional shape. I will return.

A rotary cutter for cutting the straw cylindrical member is provided downstream of the pressure roller. The rotary cutter operates in synchronization with the locking portion forming device, and cuts the straw cylindrical member at a predetermined position from the locking portion to produce a straw member. Therefore, in the straw member manufactured by cutting, the locking portion is formed at a predetermined position, and the cut straw member is immediately
After being stored in the case, it is sent to the work of assembling the stretchable straw.

Further, in the apparatus for forming a locking portion of a straw cylinder member according to the present invention, a hollow molding member is formed from straw raw material with the aid of compressed air, and the hollow molding member is sized to produce a straw cylinder member. A stopper is formed at a predetermined interval on the straw cylinder member, and the straw cylinder member is cut to a predetermined length to produce a straw member. The present invention can be applied to a straw member manufacturing apparatus that sequentially stores straw members. That is, the locking portion is formed by the locking portion forming device before the straw member produced during sizing and traveling is cut into a predetermined length. Therefore, simply by incorporating the locking portion forming device into the straw production line, the locking portion can be formed continuously in advance with respect to the continuously running straw cylindrical member. High speed matching the production speed of the tubular member, and it is not necessary to adjust the speed of the device as compared with preparing another locking part forming device for each straw member, and the manufacturing cost of straw as a whole Is reduced.

[0014]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for forming an engaging portion of a straw cylinder according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of an apparatus for manufacturing a drinking straw to which the apparatus for forming a locking portion of a straw cylinder member according to the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG.

A beverage straw manufacturing apparatus to which the straw cylindrical member locking portion forming apparatus is applied is a kneaded material manufacturing process section 1 for adding an additive to a raw material of a straw, heating and dissolving the material, and forming a kneaded material. An extrusion process unit 2 for blowing a compressed air into the kneaded material to form a hollow molded member from the kneaded material;
Sizing and cooling step 3 for sizing and molding into a predetermined shape while cooling the hollow molded member to produce a straw cylindrical member, taking out the straw cylindrical member, and engaging with the straw cylindrical member 121 (FIG. 7) Forming and cutting to a predetermined length to form a straw member by forming and cutting a predetermined length, a locking portion forming and cutting process unit 4, a posture alignment process unit 5 for posture-aligning the manufactured straw member, and a posture-aligned process. The storage unit 6 is configured to store the straw member in the case.

As the straw raw material, a thermoplastic material is used, and a typical example thereof is polypropylene (hereinafter, referred to as PP). As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.
Stored in The amount of PP pellets in the raw material stocker 7 is monitored by the level sensor 8 so as to be always constant. When the vacuum pump 10 sets the negative pressure in the raw material hopper 9 through the suction pipe 11, the PP pellets are Is supplied to the raw material hopper 9 of the extruder 14 so as to be sucked out through the raw material pipe 12. The suction strength of the vacuum pump 10 that determines the supply amount of PP pellets is
It is controlled by a control signal output from the control panel 13 based on the level signal detected by the level sensor 8a in the raw material hopper 9.

In the lower part of the raw material hopper 9, a screw conveyor 16 is installed in the cylinder 15, and the screw conveyor 16 uses an electric motor 18 installed in a lower part of a machine base 17 of the extruder 14 to transmit a transmission device and a reduction gear. Driven through. The PP pellets fall from the raw material hopper 9 onto the screw conveyor 16 and are fed to the screw conveyor 16.
Is fed forward. The rotation speed control of the electric motor 18 is performed by an inverter. Additives to the raw material of the straw, such as pellets for coloring,
Is dropped onto a small screw conveyor from an additive case 19 provided in the vicinity of and mixed with PP pellets. The feed rate of the additive is controlled so that the ratio of the additive to the PP pellet is constant. In the extruder 14 as a kneaded product manufacturing apparatus, the mixed pellets are heated and melted by the heater while being uniformly mixed while being supplied by the screw conveyor 16, and are extruded to the front gear pump 20. Gear pump 20
Is driven by a gear pump motor 21. The gear pump 20 controls the molding head 22 at a constant and constant pressure.
To form a kneaded material into a hollow molded member. The rotation of the gear pump motor 21 that drives the gear pump 20 is controlled so as to match the production speed of the kneaded material with the molding speed of the hollow molding member by the molding head 22.

In the extrusion processing section 2, the molding head 22 is not shown, but may be, for example, a net breaker,
A downstream die and a nipple disposed therein are provided. Compressed air adjusted to a pressure slightly higher than the atmospheric pressure by a pressure regulator 24 from a compressed air supply source 23 composed of a compressor, a pressure tank or the like is discharged from an air nozzle provided at the center of the nipple. The kneaded material supplied to the cylindrical passage between the die and the nipple is
It is extruded from the second annular opening and molded into a hollow molded member 25. The hollow shaped member 25 formed by the forming head 22 is picked up by a pick-up roller 26 in the sizing and cooling section 3 and guided by a guide roller 27.

The sizing and cooling process section 3 includes a water tank 28 as a cooling tank in which a cooling liquid, preferably cooling water, is pumped, and the hollow shaped member 25 is made to pass through the cooling water. And cooled. The water tank 28 is entirely movable with respect to the machine base 30 by rollers 29,
The positional relationship with the extruder 14 is adjustable. By opening the water supply valve 31 appropriately, new cooling water is constantly supplied to the water tank 28 from a water supply system 32 including a water suction pump, a tank, a water supply pipe, etc., and water having a predetermined water level or higher is collected and treated. After that, it is circulated to the water supply system 32.
When the water temperature sensor 33 attached to the water tank 28 detects that the water temperature is too low, the heater 34 provided in the water tank 28 is heated, and the cooling water is controlled to an appropriate water temperature.

Since the temperature of the hollow molded member 25, which has just been molded from the kneaded material, is still high and in a soft state, sizing, that is, a process of adjusting the external dimensions to a predetermined one, is performed at an early stage where cooling does not proceed. Is done. The sizing device 35 has a passage having an inner diameter larger than the outer shape of the hollow molded member 25 inside. In the illustrated example, six pipes 38 are branched from a suction pipe 37 extending from a water-sealed vacuum pump 36 installed at the lower part of the machine base 30, and each branch pipe 38 is an internal passage of the sizing device 35. It is connected to the. Each branch pipe 38 has a negative pressure control valve 39.
(Only one portion is denoted by a reference numeral), and the negative pressure adjusting valve 39 adjusts the negative pressure acting on the internal passage. Since a negative pressure acts on the outer surface of the hollow molded member 25 that travels in the internal passage of the sizing device 35, the hollow molded member 2
In No. 5, the straw cylinder member 40 is manufactured by undergoing a sizing process in which the outer dimension is enlarged to the inner diameter dimension of the passage. A thin water film is formed between the internal passage of the sizing device 35 and the outer surface of the hollow molded member 25,
The running of the hollow shaped member 25 is made smooth. The operation of the vacuum pump 36 and the temperature of the cooling water are automatically controlled by a control signal from a control panel 41 provided in the sizing and cooling process unit 3.

After the sizing process, the straw cylinder member 40 further travels in the water tank 28 and is cooled to a predetermined hardness. At the outlet of the water tank 28, a drainer 42 for removing water attached to the outer surface of the straw cylinder member 40 is provided. The draining device 42 is supplied from a compressed air supply source 43 such as a compressor or a pressure tank and has a valve 44.
The air adjusted to a predetermined pressure and flow rate by the
5 and sprayed on the outer surface of the straw cylinder member 40,
This blows off water attached to the outer surface of the straw cylinder member 40. Next, the straw cylinder member 40 from which the attached moisture has been removed is sent to the locking part forming and cutting step part 4. The straw cylinder member 40 includes three sets of take-off rollers 4.
6 is evenly taken off. Guide means such as a traveling guide 47 are appropriately arranged in relation to the take-up roller 46, and smoothen the guide of the straw cylinder member 40 to the take-up roller 46.

Before cutting the taken-in straw member 40, the locking portion forming devices 49, 50 for heating and forming the locking portions 121 on the straw member 40 at predetermined intervals are provided with the most upstream take-up. It is installed immediately after the roller 46. The locking portion forming device 49 forms the locking portion 121 by performing processing on the straw cylinder member 40 from above and below, and the locking portion forming device 50 performs processing on the straw cylindrical member 40. The locking portion 121 is formed by processing from the left and right directions. The locking part forming devices 49 and 50 are structurally the same although the arrangement direction is different.
Only the locking portion forming device 49 will be described, and description of the locking portion forming device 50 will be omitted.

Next, the locking portion forming device 49 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the device for forming a locking portion of the straw cylinder member of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a diagram of the locking portion forming device of FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

The locking portion forming device 49 includes a guide path 101 formed straight in the running direction of the straw cylinder member 40.
And a plurality of pairs of squeezing rollers 102 (a central pair of rollers is denoted by 103) for squeezing the straw cylinder members 40 passing through the guide path 101 in pairs from the left and right directions to deform them into an elliptical shape. I have. The guide path 101 is formed by matching grooves, each having a semicircular cross section, with the opposing surfaces of the upper guide block piece 106 and the lower guide block piece 107 fixed to the machine base 54. The upper guide block piece 106 and the lower guide block piece 107 have a pressing roller 10 to be described later.
2, a cavity 109 for accommodating the pressing roller 103, and an opening 110 through which the rotating body 104 can pass. Guideway 1
The receiving side of the straw tubular member 40 of No. 01 has a tapered portion 111 to facilitate introduction of the straw tubular member 40. The pressing rollers 102 and 103 are connected to the guide path 10.
The rotation shafts are vertically aligned on both sides along 1 and are rotatably supported by the guide block pieces 106 and 107. The squeezing rollers 102 and 103 are partially disposed so as to slightly protrude into the guide path 101. Therefore, the squeezing rollers 102 and 103
The straw cylinder member 40 is deformed into a vertically long elliptical shape by squeezing it from the left and right with respect to 0 by the protruding amount.
The protrusion amount can be finely adjusted by changing the axial position of the pressing rollers 102 and 103.

The locking portion forming device 49 includes a pair of rotating bodies provided with a forming tool 105 for forming the locking portion 121 on the straw cylinder member 40 corresponding to the position where the central pressure roller 103 is provided. 104, 104 are provided. Rotating body 10
Reference numeral 4 denotes a rotary drive. In the illustrated example, four forming tools 105 are provided for one rotating body 104, but the number of forming tools provided on the rotating body 104 is not limited to this. Absent. The direction in which the molding tool 105 presses the straw cylinder member 40 is set to a direction that intersects with the direction in which the pressing roller 103 presses. Central pair of pressure rollers 1
03, the forming tool 105 of the rotating body 104 is moved by the opening 11 of the guide blocks 106 and 107.
0, and acts on the straw cylinder member 40 from above and below to the oblong region 116 to engage the locking portion 121 (FIGS. 8 to 10).
Molding).

The rotating body 104 is supported by a cylindrical rotating shaft 113. The rotating shaft 113 is rotatably supported on a base (not shown) via a bearing unit 117 including an outer race, an inner race, and a rolling element. Rotating shaft 11
3 is driven from an electric motor 56 via a transmission mechanism (not shown) including a differential 58 and the like. The rotating bodies 104, 104 located at the top and bottom in the figure are supported so that they rotate in opposite directions and synchronously. A heater 115 is embedded in the rotating body 104 so as to extend in the circumferential direction. An electric wire 114 for a heater is inserted into the hollow portion 112 of the rotating shaft 113, and the electric wire 114 is connected to the heater 115 via connection terminals 114 a provided at both ends of the heater 115. Heat generated by the heater 115 is transmitted to the forming tool 105 via the rotating body 104. Heated mold 10
5, since the straw cylinder member 40 is heated and softened when the straw cylinder member 40 made of a thermoplastic material is pressed, the locking portion 121 can be formed on the straw cylinder member 40 by heating.

The pressing roller 103 is thinner than the pressing roller 102 so as not to interfere with the forming tool 105 entering the opening 110 with the rotation of the rotating body 104. In the locking portion forming device 49, the passing straw cylinder member 40 is squeezed from the left and right directions by the squeezing rollers 102 and 103 and deformed into an elliptical shape. The heated forming tool 105 acts on the oblong region 116 from above and below with respect to the straw cylinder member 40 to form the locking portion 121. The curvature of the long elliptical region 116 is larger than the curvature of the original straw cylindrical member. That is, the elliptical region 116 is
The straw tube member has the same thickness but a small diameter, and the deformation resistance of the straw tube member 40 is increased. Therefore, when the forming tool 105 acts in the direction of crushing the oblong region 116, the straw cylinder member 40 does not escape when pressed by the forming tool 105, and the straw cylinder member 40 is pressed by the forming tool 105. Is generated, the stress easily exceeds the plastic deformation strength, and the locking portion 121 is formed.

The force by which the molding tool 105 pushes the straw cylinder member 40 is determined by the tension between the straw cylinder member 40 and the pressing rollers 102, 10.
3 supported by the frictional force generated between the rotating members 104, 10
When the timing is set so that each of the molding tools 105 of FIG.
05 can cancel out the pressing forces acting on the straw cylinder member 40, and the frictional force generated between the straw cylinder member 40 and the pressing rollers 102, 103 can be reduced. The locking part forming device 50 is provided with the straw cylindrical member 40.
In contrast, the locking part forming device 49 additionally forms the locking part 121 from a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the locking part 121 is formed. Accordingly, the locking portion 121 is formed around the straw cylinder member 40 from the cross direction around the straw cylinder member 40.

Next, referring to FIGS. 8, 9 and 10,
The straw cylinder member 4 is formed by the locking part forming devices 49 and 50.
The shape of the locking portion 121 formed into 0 will be described.
FIG. 8 shows the locking portion 12 over the entire circumference of the straw cylindrical member 40.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which 1A is molded, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which locking portions 121B having the same depth are partially formed in the straw cylindrical member 40, and FIG.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where locking portions 121C having different depths are partially formed at 0.

Due to the design of the straw, the locking portion 121
Various structures can be employed. The locking portion 121
Any shape may be used as long as it is formed in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the straw cylinder member 40. For example, an inwardly projecting projection having a shape such as a point, a straight line, an arc, and an entire circumference may be used. In some cases, after cutting, one side of the cutting may be pushed in. In addition, the locking part forming devices 49 and 50 may be paired as necessary.
It can be increased or decreased in a plurality of pairs.
21 patterns can be realized. For example, when the locking portion 121A (FIG. 8) is formed over the entire circumference of the straw cylindrical member 40, each of the pair of forming tools 105 has a shape such that it extends over the straw cylindrical member 40 halfway. If it is, it can be formed only by the locking portion forming device 49.
Further, if each forming tool 105 presses a range of 90 degrees around the straw cylinder member 40, the locking portions 121A provided on the entire circumference are shared by the locking portion forming devices 49 and 50. Can be molded. When the locking portions 121B (FIG. 9) and 121C (FIG. 10) are partially formed around the straw cylindrical member 40, the locking portions may be formed by the locking portion forming device 49 that is disposed independently, or Like the stopper forming devices 49 and 50, the stopper forming devices 49 and 50 are formed so as to be shared by a plurality of locking portion forming devices 49 and 50 arranged differently in the circumferential direction of the straw cylinder 40 along the flow of the straw cylinder 40. You may.

Immediately after the engaging portion 121 is formed by the forming tool 105, the straw cylinder member 40 is subjected to a force that is deformed into an elliptical shape by the latter half pressure roller 102. In order to correct the deformed straw cylinder member 40 to a predetermined shape, a pair of upper and lower correction rollers 118 are provided downstream of the locking portion forming device 50. That is, on the downstream side of the guide blocks 106 and 107, the straw cylindrical member 40 is provided.
An opening 119 is formed in the vertical direction which is the same direction as the elliptical direction of the ellipse deformed by the pressure rollers 102 and 103.
7 protrudes into the guide path 101. Correction roller 1
When the straw 18 presses the straw cylinder member 40 lightly, elliptical deformation can be removed to a considerable extent. The axial position of the correction roller 117 can be adjusted, and the degree of correction of the straw cylinder member 40 can be finely adjusted. Further, a roundness adjuster 48 for improving the roundness of the straw cylinder member 40 is disposed downstream. The perfect circle adjusting unit 48 is a rotatable roller in which a plurality of sets of perfect circular adjustment rollers are appropriately arranged along the traveling direction of the straw cylinder member 40, and presses the straw cylinder member 40 to substantially cross-section. Adjust to a circle.

Next, the straw cylinder member 40 with the locking portion 121 formed thereon is guided by the guide 51,
It is cut by the rotary cutter 52 and the straw member 53 is cut.
Becomes The rotary cutter 52 rotates around a rotation axis parallel to the running direction of the straw cylinder member 40, and has a predetermined number of rotary blades 54 on the outer periphery. Immediately before the rotary cutter 52, a fixed blade (not shown) for cutting the straw cylinder member 40 with the rotary blade 54 therebetween is provided.
At the moment when the rotary cutter 52 cuts the straw tube member 40, the straw tube member 40 is restrained by the rotating blade 54 and the fixed blade. At this moment, the straw cylinder member 40 is continuously fed by the take-up roller 46, but the soft straw cylinder member 40 is slightly bent in the gap of the guide 51 having a margin larger than its outer diameter. By doing
The feed misalignment of the straw cylinder member 40 is absorbed.

Usually, a rotary type is used as the driving type of the forming tools of the locking portion forming devices 49 and 50. Therefore, the driving of the take-up roller 46 and the rotating body 104 is performed by one of the This is performed by the electric motor 56. The output of the electric motor 56 is appropriately reduced via the transmission, and each take-up roller 46 rotates at the same rotational speed. Further, when the rotating body 104 has a plurality of forming tools 105 on the outer periphery, a constant rotation speed is set so that the peripheral speed of the forming tool 105 corresponds to the peripheral speed of the take-up roller 46, that is, the take-up speed. Rotated in relationship.
The electric motor 56 is provided with an inverter, and within the range limited by the production speed of the straw member 53, that is, the conditions such as the properties of the raw material of the straw, the outside diameter and the thickness of the straw, and the like, the optimum drawing out that matches the production plan. The rotation speed of the electric motor 56 is adjusted so as to achieve the speed. The inverter control of the electric motor 56 is performed by operating a control panel 82 provided on the machine base 55. The control panel 82 also manages a tachometer and counts straw members.

The length of the straw member 53 is changed by changing the speed ratio of the transmission 57 and increasing / decreasing the rotation speed of the rotary cutter 52 with respect to the take-up roller 46 taking up the straw cylinder member 40. Can be changed. If the rotational speed of the rotary cutter 52 is shifted in a direction to increase relative to the take-up speed, the length of the straw member 53 becomes shorter, and conversely, the rotational speed of the rotary cutter 52 becomes relative to the take-up speed. When the speed is changed in the direction of deceleration, the length of the straw member 53 becomes longer. The rotary cutter 52 is operated in synchronization with the locking portion forming devices 49 and 50, and cuts the straw cylinder member 40 at a predetermined distance from the locking portion 121 formed on the straw cylinder member 40. .

The locking part forming devices 49 and 50 are provided with a differential 58
Is driven through. Since the structure of the differential 58 is well-known prior to the filing of this application, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.
By adjusting the differential 58, the locking portion forming device 4
The molding position of the straw cylinder member 40 molded at 9 and 50 and the cutting position by the rotary cutter 52 are adjusted. In a state where the gear ratio setting of the transmission 57 and the position adjustment by the differential 58 have been completed, even if the rotation speed of the electric motor 56 is changed to increase the take-up speed of the straw cylindrical member 40 by the take-up roller 46, The relative relationship between the position of the locking portion 121 formed on the straw cylinder member 40 and the cutting position of the straw cylinder member 40 by the rotary cutter 52 does not change. Therefore, the production speed of the straw can be changed without changing the length of the straw member 40.

The straw member 53 cut by the rotary cutter 52 is sent to the posture aligning section 5 with the upper and lower portions sandwiched by a catch roller 60. The catch roller 60 has a configuration in which a plurality of pairs of rollers are densely arranged as shown in the example of the drawing. The peripheral speed of the catch roller 60 is made faster than the take-up speed of the straw cylinder member 40 to prevent interference with the subsequent straw member 53. The electric motor 59 is an electric motor that drives the catch roller 54. The straw member 53 sent from the catch roller 60
Are guided by a guide plate 61 and are transported by a conveyor 62.
Passed to. The transport conveyor 62 is composed of a transport belt 63 having projections, and a vacuum table 64 having a large number of suction holes on the transport surface and connected to a negative pressure source. The straw member 53 passed to the conveyor 62 is
Since the straw member 53 is sucked by the suction holes of the vacuum table 64, the straw member 53 is seated and transported in a posture aligned parallel to the bottom between the projections so that the length direction of the straw member 53 is orthogonal to the traveling direction of the transport conveyor 62. The conveyor 62 is driven by an electric motor 66 provided on a machine base 65.

The straw member 53 is transferred from the transport conveyor 62 to the transport drum 71. Between the transport conveyor 62 and the transport drum 71, a standby station 67 for temporarily suspending the straw member 53 fed from the transport conveyor 62 is provided. Is provided. Standby station 67
A holding plate 68 whose one end is rotatably supported;
9. It is composed of a small conveyor 70. In the standby station 67, a considerable number of the straw members 53 fed from the transport conveyor 62 are stored, and even if a transport speed difference occurs between the transport conveyor 62 and the transport drum 71, the speed difference is absorbed. This prevents the straw member 53 from being chipped or jammed.

On the outer periphery of the transport drum 71, straw holding portions 72 are formed at regular intervals. The straw holding portion 72 is a groove extending in the axial direction of the drum, and has a suction hole connected to the negative pressure source 75 at the bottom thereof. Although the cross section of the groove is shown as U-shaped, it is not limited to this shape as long as the straw member 53 can be stably held. The straw members 53 stored in the standby station 67 are sequentially replaced with straw members 53 one by one.
And transported while being sucked by the suction holes. The straw members 53 transported by the transport drum 71 are sequentially transferred to the subsequent transport drum 73. On the outer periphery of the transport drum 73, straw holders 74 are arranged at equal intervals. Further, the straw holding part 74 is also a straw holding part 72.
Similarly to the above, a suction structure for sucking the straw member 53 is provided. The transport drum 73 functions to feed the straw member 53 through a hopper 77 into a cartridge type case 76 provided above the transport drum 73.

The straw member 53 caught by the straw holding section 74 of the transport drum 73 is moved from the outlet of the transport drum 73 to the cylindrical inlet 7 of the hopper 77 in the storage section 6.
When it reaches 9, it is taken out of the straw holding part 74 when guided and guided by the fixed guide plate 80, and is forcibly fed into the hopper 77. The straw member 53 has already been placed in the hopper 77 and, in some cases, in the case 76.
Is deposited, it is necessary to push the straw member 53 against the weight of the deposited straw member 53 in order to feed it. Therefore, the straw member 53 is fed into the hopper 77 and further into the case 76 without being disturbed in posture by air resistance or the like as seen when the straw member 53 is thrown in from above. The accumulated straw members 53 may form a bridge due to static electricity generated when the straw members 53 rub against each other. An eccentric roller 78 is provided in the hopper 77, and the eccentric roller 78 rotates to stir the straw member 53. Due to the stirring action of the eccentric roller 78, the bridge of the straw member 53 is immediately destroyed, even if formed. Therefore, the straw member 53 moves smoothly into the case 76. Straw member 53
The case 76 filled with is removed from the hopper 77 and can be sent to, for example, the next stage of assembling a stretchable straw.

The transport drums 71 and 73 are rotated by an electric motor 81 provided below the machine base 65 so as to have the same peripheral speed, and have the same transport speed of the straw member 53 by the transport conveyor 62. The rotation is controlled as follows. Accordingly, the material supply speed, the forming speed of the hollow forming member 25, the rotation speed of the take-up roller 46, the forming speed of the locking portion forming devices 49 and 50, the conveying speed of the catch roller 60, the conveying conveyor 62 and the conveying drum 71 , 73
Are controlled so as to be synchronized so that the process from supply of the raw material to storage of the straw member in the case is continuously performed without interruption or clogging.

[0041]

As described above, the apparatus for forming a locking portion of a straw cylinder member according to the present invention is constructed as described above, so that the thermoplastic straw cylinder member running continuously in the longitudinal direction rotates. It is squeezed by a pair of squeezing rollers freely supported and deforms into an elliptical shape. The elliptical long elliptical region of the straw cylindrical member has high resistance to local deformation, and when the forming tool presses the elliptical long elliptical region of the straw cylindrical member, the straw cylindrical member is formed. There is little escape from the tool, that is, the molding die, and it is heated and deformed in the long elliptical region, and the locking portion is formed immediately. After the engagement portion is formed on the straw cylinder member, the straw cylinder member is cut into a predetermined length to be formed on each straw member, but the engagement portion is formed from the end of the straw member by a predetermined length. Set to be the distance. Further, according to the straw cylinder member locking portion forming apparatus, the locking portions are sequentially formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction with respect to the traveling straw cylinder member manufactured at high speed. It can be heat-formed accurately and easily around the entire circumference.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing one embodiment of a beverage straw manufacturing apparatus to which a straw cylinder member locking portion forming device according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view showing an embodiment of an apparatus for forming a locking portion of a straw cylindrical member according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the straw cylindrical member shown in FIG. 4, in which the rotating body of the locking portion forming device is removed and partially cut away.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a locking portion is formed on a straw member constituting the outer tube of the double straw.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a locking portion is formed on the entire circumference of the straw cylindrical member.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a locking portion having the same depth is partially formed in the straw cylinder member.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which locking portions having different depths are partially formed in the straw cylinder member.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 Locking part forming and cutting process part 22 Forming head 25 Hollow forming member 40 Straw cylinder member 46 Take-up roller 49, 50 Locking part forming device 52 Rotary cutter 53 Straw member 59, 60 Locking part forming device 62 Transport Conveyors 71, 73 Conveying drums 102, 103 Nipping roller 104 Rotating body 105 Molding tool 115 Heater 116 Long elliptical area 118 Correction roller 121, 121A, 121B, 121C Locking part

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masami Abe 1-3-15 Miyagi, Adachi-ku, Tokyo Toyo Cap Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A pair of clamping pressures which are rotatably supported to deform a thermoplastic straw tubular member running continuously in the longitudinal direction into an elliptical shape and which clamps the straw tubular member. In order to heat-mold a locking portion in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction at a predetermined interval with respect to the roller and the straw cylinder member, the locking is performed on the elliptical long elliptical region of the straw cylinder member. An engaging part forming apparatus comprising a forming tool for forming a part, and an engaging part forming apparatus for a straw cylindrical member. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is formed partially or entirely in a circumferential direction of the straw cylindrical member. 3. The locking part forming device includes: a rotating body that is rotating in response to the travel of the straw cylinder member; the forming tool provided on an outer peripheral portion of the rotating body; and the forming tool. 3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising heating means for heating. 4. The pressure roller includes a plurality of pairs of the pressure rollers arranged in a longitudinal direction of the straw cylindrical member,
The pressing roller provided corresponding to the forming position of the locking portion by the locking portion forming device is formed to be thinner than other pressing rollers in order to avoid interference with the forming tool. The device for forming a locking portion of a straw tubular member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein 5. In the downstream of the squeezing roller, in order to correct the straw cylinder member that has been deformed into an elliptical shape by the squeezing roller, a direction perpendicular to a squeezing direction by the squeezing roller is used. The locking part forming device for a straw cylinder member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a correction roller for pressing the straw cylinder member. 6. A rotary cutter, which is provided downstream of the pressure roller and cuts the straw cylinder member, operates in synchronization with the locking portion forming device and is predetermined from the locking portion. The locking part forming apparatus for a straw cylinder member according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the straw cylinder member is cut at a position to produce a straw member. 7. A hollow molding member is formed from a straw raw material with the aid of compressed air, and the hollow molding member is sized to produce the straw cylinder member, and the straw cylinder member is locked to the straw cylinder member at a predetermined interval. The straw member is formed by cutting the straw cylinder member to a predetermined length while forming a portion, and the straw member is manufactured, and the straw member is aligned in a posture by a conveying means, and is sequentially stored in a case from a lower entrance. The device for forming a locking portion of a straw tubular member according to claim 6, which can be applied.