JPH1024902A - Capping equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To position a cap at a fixed place accurately without adjustment work for positioning the cap at the fixed place. SOLUTION: A chute 11 is placed on the upper part of a container carrying path. A cap L is positioned by a cap suction member 23 at a fixed position where the tip end part of the cap L is projecting downward from the chute 11. The mouth part of a container to be carried fits the tip end projecting part of the cap L to pull out the cap L from the chute 11 and then the cap L pulled out covers the mouth part of the container.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to, for example, a capping apparatus for capping a continuously conveyed bottle or cup-shaped container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An apparatus of this type includes a chute disposed above a container transport path and positioning means for positioning a cap at a fixed position where the tip of the cap projects downward from the chute. The positioning means is composed of a pair of strip-shaped leaf spring positioning pieces disposed so as to be opposed to each other with the fixed position sandwiched between the left and right sides, and the mouth of the container to be conveyed engages the tip projecting portion of the cap. It is known that the cab is pulled out from a chute so that the drawn-out cap is put on the mouth of the container.

[0003]

[0005] If the cap is not correctly positioned in place, poor capping occurs.
If the cap is too far from the home position, the cap will be pinched between the chute and the container and damaged, and if the cap is pulled too far from the home position, the mouth of the container will not engage the tip of the cap.

[0004] The cap is positioned at a fixed position by adjusting the distance between the two positioning pieces, but the adjustment is performed by manually bending the positioning piece, and the adjustment work is easy. Was not. In addition, the positioning piece was worn by long-time use, and the cap could not be accurately positioned at a fixed position.

An object of the present invention is to provide a capping device that can accurately position a cap at a fixed position without performing an adjusting operation for positioning the cap at a fixed position.

[0006]

A capping device according to the present invention comprises: a chute disposed above a container transport path; and positioning means for positioning a cap at a fixed position where the tip of the cap projects downward from the chute. Wherein the mouth of the conveyed container is engaged with the tip projecting portion of the cap to draw out the cap from the chute, and the drawn cap is placed over the mouth of the container. Wherein the positioning means comprises a cap suction member.

In the capping apparatus according to the present invention, since the positioning means comprises the cap suction member, the cap conveyed in the chute is stopped and positioned by the cap suction member. Therefore, the cap can be accurately positioned at the fixed position without performing an adjusting operation for positioning the cap at the fixed position.

[0008] The lower end of the chute is directed obliquely downward on the downstream side of the container transport path, the cap suction member is disposed so as to cover the fixed position from above, and a suction hole is formed in the cap suction member. It is preferable to have a lower end opening facing the position from above.

Since the top of the cap is sucked by the suction hole, the suction and release of the cap can be performed smoothly and reliably.

[0010] A plurality of caps are accommodated in the chute so that adjacent ones are in contact with each other, and the suction force of the suction hole is less than the cap withdrawal force by the container.
It is preferable that the pressure be equal to or greater than the pressing force of the cap other than the cap acting on the fixed position cap due to its own weight.

[0011] Further, the chute is provided with a cap conveying air ejection hole, and a plurality of caps are accommodated in a state in which adjacent ones are in contact with each other in the chute. May be less than the cap withdrawal force of the cap, and may be equal to or greater than the press force obtained by adding the transport pressure by the air ejection holes to the press force of the cap other than the cap acting on the fixed position cap by its own weight.

Since there is no fear that the cap will come out of the home position too much or pull in too much, there is no fear of poor capping.

[0013] The suction hole has a plurality of lower end openings,
Preferably, a plurality of lower openings are so arranged at the distal end of the cap in place.

Since the plurality of openings simultaneously suck the cap, the stop positioning operation is stabilized.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, a row of cylindrical containers C having an open top and a bottom which is conveyed forward by an arrow in FIG. 1 by a conveyor (not shown), and a chute disposed above the container conveying path. 11 is indicated. In the chute 11, a plurality of caps L are arranged in a row so as to contact adjacent ones. The container C that has passed under the chute 11 is covered with a cap L.

The cap L has a circular flat top wall T substantially coincident with the opening of the container C, and a peripheral wall S suspended from the edge of the top wall T (FIG. 2). The peripheral wall S is formed in a tapered shape spreading slightly downward.

The chute 11 is formed so that the upper part is vertical and the lower end is directed obliquely downward and forward, and the upper and lower ends are connected by an arc.
And a strip-shaped top plate 22 closing the opening thereof, and a top plate 22
And an adsorbing member 23 provided in series with the front end of the main body.

At the bottom wall of the chute main body 21 in the middle of the length of the arcuate portion of the chute 11, three forward obliquely downwardly directed cap conveying air ejection holes 24 are provided in a line in the chute length direction. The inlet end side of the cap conveyance air ejection hole 24 communicates with the air supply header 25.

Referring to FIG. 2, the chute 11 has a thickness slightly larger than the height of the cap L. FIG.
, The chute 11 has a width slightly larger than the diameter of the cap L.

The tip of the bottom wall of the chute main body 21 is cut out, and a downward horizontal surface 31 is formed at the cutout portion. The horizontal plane 31 is opposed to the container transport path at a slight interval.

The tip of the top plate 22 is retracted from the chute main body 21 by a length substantially corresponding to the radius of the cap L.

The cap suction member 23 has a substantially triangular vertical cross section, and is a front-down inclined suction surface flush with the inner surface of the top plate 22.
41, and a horizontal pressing surface 42 extending forward from the front edge thereof. The suction surface 41 is a cap L
Has a length in the front-rear direction corresponding to the diameter of the chute 11 and has a width equal to the width of the chute 11. The pressing surface 42 has a length in the front-rear direction slightly shorter than the transport pitch of the container C and a width equal to the width of the chute 11 and is substantially at the same level as the upper end of the container C.

A suction hole 51 is formed on the top surface of the cap suction member 23. The suction hole 51 is located almost directly above the intersection of the suction surface 41 and the pressing surface 42 and has a bottom surface parallel to the suction surface 41 and a substantially rectangular peripheral surface long in the left and right directions. Six small holes 52 are formed in the bottom wall of the suction hole 51 in a penetrating manner. In a state where the entire top wall of the cap L is superimposed on the suction surface 41, the cap L is arranged at predetermined intervals in an arc shape centered on the center of the cap L so as to be arranged along the tip of the top wall at that time. I have. A piping connection connector 54 is attached to the upper opening edge of the suction hole 51 via a packing 53.

Slits 61 are respectively formed on both side walls of the chute main body 21, and thin portions 62 are respectively formed in portions ahead of the slit 61. A pair of leaf spring band-shaped guide pieces 63 are arranged so as to face the thin portion 62. An L-shaped bent portion 67 is provided at the base of the guide piece 63. The bent portion 67 is passed through the slit 61 and is engaged with the outer surface of the rear side wall. The interval between the base portions of the guide pieces 63 is equal to the interval between the side walls of the chute main body 21 other than the thin portion 62. The portion from the middle of the length of the guide piece 63 is bent in a substantially arc shape so as to gradually narrow the interval. Thin part
A guide piece spacing adjusting screw 64 is screwed through the center of the length of the length 62. A locking nut 65 is fitted to the screw 64.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the tip of the top wall T of the lowermost cap L in the chute 11 is positioned immediately below the small hole 52, the cap L is sucked by the small hole and stopped / positioned. You. In this state, a part of the peripheral wall S of the cap L protrudes into the container transport path.

When the opening of the container C which is moving forward engages with the protrusion of the peripheral wall S of the cap L, and the container C moves forward as it is,
The cap L is pulled out of the chute 11 by the mouth, and the drawn cap L is gradually pressed down by the pressing surface 42, so that the cap L is put on the mouth of the container C.

When one of the caps L is pulled out from the chute 11, the cap L that has been waiting on one of the caps L falls due to the pressing force acting thereon.
The pressing force acting on the falling cap L is the same as the cap L
This is the pressing force obtained by adding the transfer pressure due to the air pressure ejected from the transfer air ejection hole 24 to the pressing force due to the weight of the cap L other than the cap L.

The falling cap L is guided toward the center in the left-right direction in the chute 11 by the guide piece 63, and when the tip reaches the small hole 52, the suction is stopped by the small hole 52.

The suction force of the small hole 52 is set so that when the mouth of the container C is engaged with the cap L and the container C pulls out the cap L, the cap L is smoothly pulled out. Also, one cap C is pulled out and the next cap L
When the player falls inside the chute 11, the pressing force of the cap L in the chute 11 at that time causes the top cap L
The suction force of the small holes 52 is set such that the small holes 52 do not jump out beyond the small holes 52.

[0031]

According to the present invention, the cap can be accurately positioned at the fixed position without performing an adjustment operation for positioning the cap at the fixed position.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a capping device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Chute 23 Cap adsorption member 51 Suction hole C Container L Cap

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Mitsuhiro Nishitani Ten No. 10 Taro, Yasu, Taro, Kitajima-cho, Itano-gun, Tokushima Prefecture Inside Shikoku Kakoki Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Michio Ueda Kitajima-cho, Itano-gun, Tokushima Prefecture Taro Yasushi character West No. 10 1 Shikoku Kakoki Co., Ltd.

Claims (5)

[Claims] An apparatus has a chute disposed above a container conveyance path, and positioning means for positioning a cap at a fixed position where a tip portion of the cap projects downward from the chute. The cap engages with the tip projecting portion of the cap to pull out the cap from the chute, and the drawn-out cap is placed over the mouth of the container. A capping device, characterized in that: 2. A lower end of the chute is directed obliquely downward on the downstream side of the container transport path, a cap suction member is disposed so as to cover a fixed position from above, a suction hole is formed in the cap suction member, and the suction hole is provided. 2. The capping device according to claim 1, wherein the capping device has a lower end opening facing a fixed position from above. 3. A plurality of caps are accommodated in a state in which adjacent ones are in contact with each other in a chute.
3. The capping device according to claim 2, wherein the suction force of the suction hole is less than the cap withdrawal force by the container and is equal to or greater than the pressing force of the cap other than the cap acting on the fixed position cap by its own weight. 4. A chute carrying air ejection hole is provided in the chute, and a plurality of caps are accommodated in a state in which adjacent ones are in contact with each other in the chute.
3. The suction force of the suction hole is less than the cap withdrawal force by the container and is equal to or greater than the pressing force obtained by adding the conveying pressure of the air ejection hole to the pressing force of the cap other than the cap acting on the fixed position cap by its own weight. A capping device as described. 5. The suction hole according to claim 2, wherein the suction hole has a plurality of lower end openings, and the plurality of lower end openings are so arranged at the tip of the fixed position cap. Capping device.