JPH1035617A - Transfer method and device of container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently and securely charge materials like foodstuffs into a container opened at the upper side. SOLUTION: Containers are continuously transferred at a certain constant speed C by a conveyor. And the containers are transferred at a faster speed A than the speed C in a distance D in the transferring direction of the conveyor and thereafter, they are suspended for a time T. In these A, C, D, T, the following relation is given; D/C>=D/A+T. A fast transfer and suspension area of containers in which the containers are further transferred at the faster speed A, after the suspension, is provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for transporting containers which are continuously conveyed by a conveyor and stopped at predetermined positions one by one.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when filling a food material into an open-top container, the container is manually filled while continuously transporting the container by a conveyor. In this case, if you try to increase the processing speed by increasing the conveyor speed,
There is a limit to the speed at which the food material is manually supplied, so that the speed at which the containers are transported is naturally quite low. Therefore, if all manual operations are mechanized, the conveyor speed can be increased in accordance with the filling speed of the machine, and the number of fillings per unit time can be increased. That is, the filling processing efficiency can be dramatically improved. Also, labor saving can be achieved. However, when a plurality of food ingredients are mechanically filled, there is a problem that, depending on the type of the food ingredients, the food ingredients adhere to a filling port or the like of a filling device, and the ingredients are clogged or cannot be quantitatively filled. . For this reason, it is difficult to mechanize the entire filling operation, and at present, a part of the filling operation is replaced with a machine. In this case, since a manual filling operation is involved, the conveyor running on the production line has to operate at a low speed corresponding to the manual operation. For this reason, the filling device installed on such a production line can perform filling work at a speed faster than humans, but a long waiting time occurs in the filling process, and as a result, labor saving due to partial mechanization. However, the efficiency of the filling process could not be improved in accordance with the filling speed of the filling device.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 59-209597 discloses a connection device using a star wheel for transporting containers. However, this publication does not suggest that the container being transported be stopped at a predetermined position by a star wheel.

[0004]

In the conventional method, if the conveyor speed is increased to increase the filling efficiency, it becomes difficult to manually supply the food material. It is desirable to increase the filling efficiency while ensuring the supply of food materials by hand.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for filling an open-top container or the like, which is continuously conveyed by a conventional conveyor, with a manual operation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for transporting a container capable of efficiently and surely filling an article such as a food material into an upper open container or the like.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a container is continuously conveyed at a constant speed C by a conveyor, and a distance D is sent to the conveyance path at a rapid delivery speed A higher than the speed C in the conveyor conveyance direction. Thereafter, the container is stopped for a time T, and the container has a relationship of D / C ≧ D / A + T, and after the stop, a container rapid transport stop area for transporting the container at a rapid transport speed A is provided. . The second invention is a conveyor that continuously conveys containers at a constant speed C, and a distance D in the conveyor conveyance direction, in which a distance D is sent at a rapid delivery speed A higher than the speed C, and then the containers are stopped for a time T. A container transport device having a relationship of D / C ≧ D / A + T, and further provided with a container rapid transport stop device for transporting the container at a rapid transport speed A after stopping. According to the present invention, there is an effect that an article such as a food material can be efficiently and reliably filled in an upper open container or the like.

[0007] A third invention is characterized in that the above-mentioned container emergency stop device includes a star wheel. With such a configuration, there is an effect that the container can be surely sent, stopped, and sent quickly. A fourth invention is characterized in that an air nozzle for ejecting air in substantially the same direction as the rotation direction of the starwheel is provided at the container introduction point of the starwheel. With this configuration, the container can be reliably and smoothly transported to the stop position of the container without the container being caught between the star wheel and the guide rail of the conveyor when the star wheel rotates. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the container rapid delivery stopping device includes a screw transport device having a groove formed so as to perform rapid forwarding / stopping / rapid forwarding. With this configuration, the container does not fall even when the rapid transportation in the container rapid transportation stop device is performed at high speed,
This has the effect that the container can be quickly sent, stopped, and sent quickly. A sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the container rapid delivery stopping device includes a sub-conveyor that is arranged substantially in parallel with the conveyor and performs high-speed conveyance and stopping. With such a configuration, there is an effect that the container can be quickly sent, stopped, and sent with a simple structure.

A seventh invention is characterized in that the conveyor is a placement type conveyor, and the sub-conveyor is a sandwich type. With this configuration, there is an effect that the container can be reliably sent, stopped, and sent without falling down even if the container is stopped at a high speed. An eighth invention is characterized in that the conveyor is a placement type conveyor, and a star wheel capable of intermittent rotation is provided on the sub-conveyor. With such a configuration, there is an effect that the container can be surely sent, stopped, and sent quickly. Ninth
The invention is characterized in that an air nozzle for introducing and / or discharging a container to and from the container emergency stop device is provided near the container emergency stop device. With this configuration, the container can be reliably and quickly introduced into the container emergency stop device, and the container can be reliably discharged from the container emergency stop device, and the rapid transportation in the container emergency stop device can be speeded up. It has the effect that can be.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A container transport device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the container transport device 1 has a conveyor 4 and a star wheel 6 disposed above the conveyor 4. Conveyor 4
Each container 5 is transported at a constant speed of, for example, 3.9 m / min so that the container 5 can be filled manually. Guide rails 8 are provided on both sides of the conveyor 4, and a first leaf spring guide 12 and a first fixed guide for introducing the container 5 into the recess 10 of the star wheel 6 are provided on the upstream side of the conveyance near the star wheel 6. 14 are provided. A second leaf spring guide 18 and a second fixed guide 20 for guiding the container 5 from the concave portion 10 of the star wheel 6 to the conveying path of the conveyor 4 are symmetrically positioned on the downstream side near the star wheel 6 with the upstream side. It is provided with.
An air jet nozzle 26 for jetting high-pressure air to the container 5 is disposed near the first fixed guide 14, and an air jet for discharging the container 5 to the conveyor 4 is provided at a discharge point of the star wheel 6. A nozzle 30 is provided. Further, immediately before the star wheel 6, a photoelectric sensor (a) for confirming that the container 5 has been conveyed to the star wheel 6 is provided. In addition, a photoelectric sensor (b) and a photoelectric sensor (c) are also arranged at the container introduction point of the star wheel 6 and the container discharge point of the star wheel 6, respectively. Star wheel 6
Rotates intermittently by the following control method.

The control of the container transport device 1 is as follows. When the photoelectric sensor (a) confirms that the container 5 has been transported immediately before the star wheel 6, the signal is transmitted to a microcomputer (not shown). . At this time, if it is confirmed by the photoelectric sensor (b) that there is no container at the container introduction point of the star wheel 6, the air jet nozzle 26
, High-pressure air is injected into the container 5, and the container 5 is introduced into the recess 10 of the star wheel 6. At about the same time, a signal confirming that the container 10 has completely entered the recess 10 is transmitted from the photoelectric sensor (b) to the microcomputer, and the presence of the container at the container discharge location of the star wheel 6 is confirmed by the photoelectric sensor (c). If no container is present at the container discharge point, the microcomputer drives a step motor (not shown) to move the container 5 in the recess 10 to the stop position 42 by 7.8 m.
/ Min. This moving area is referred to as a dispatch area E. In this case, since the star wheel 6 rotates at a higher speed than the conveyor speed as described below, the container rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation of the star wheel 6, and jumps out of the star wheel 6, and the container is guided by the star wheel 6 and the conveyor. It may be caught between the rails 18.

Therefore, at the same time as the rotation of the star wheel 6, air is jetted from the air jet nozzle 26 in substantially the same direction as the rotation of the star wheel, and the container is smoothly and reliably stopped at the stop position so that such biting does not occur. To 42. Further, at the same time as the air jet from the air jet nozzle 26, the air is jetted from the air jet nozzle 30 to smoothly discharge the container filled with the raw material and the like from the star wheel 6 to the conveyor 4 at the stop position. Since the first leaf spring guide 12 located at a position facing the first fixed guide has elasticity, the above-described biting prevention effect can be further enhanced. Regarding the transport of the container 5, in the conveyor transport direction, the transport speed of the conveyor 4 is C (m / min), and the moving speed as viewed from the transport speed of the conveyor 4 in the rapid transport area by the star wheel 6 is A.
D / C ≧ D / A + T, where (m / min), D is the moving distance of the conveyor 4 in the rapid transport area E as viewed from the transport speed, and T (min) is the stop time of the container 4 at the stop position. . By doing so, the containers conveyed by the conveyor 4 are successively conveyed to the filling device without stagnation in front of the rapid delivery area, so that the filling process in the container conveying device can be performed efficiently and reliably.

The ingredient filling line 50 using the above-described container transporting apparatus is an apparatus for filling a plurality of kinds of ingredients in a predetermined amount into a container, and fills the contents of each container with a packaging container such as a pouch. Fill. As shown in FIG. 2, the ingredient filling line 50 manually transfers a container washer 52 and a highly adhesive raw material X (not shown) that is difficult to be mechanically filled to a substantially endless conveyor 4 along the transport direction. A first filling section 54 for filling with a container, a component material filling and filling apparatus 66 (second filling section) for filling a raw material Y (not shown) provided with the above-mentioned container emergency stop device,
Like the raw material X, a third filling section 56 for manually filling a highly adhesive raw material Z (not shown) and a pouch filling machine 58 for transferring the ingredients filled in the container to a pouch are arranged. In front of the first filling section 54 and the third filling section 56, the worker 6
0 and an operator 62 are arranged. In front of the workers 60 and 62, a raw material X and a raw material Z, and an ingredient table 68 on which a scale for measuring these raw materials are placed are arranged. In the ingredient filling line 50, the conveyor 4 operates while maintaining a constant speed so that ingredients can be manually filled. The ingredient measuring and filling device 66 is provided with a container emergency stop device, and the container is transported at a speed higher than the conveyor speed. As a result, even if a part of the manual filling operation is replaced with a machine for the purpose of labor saving,
Since a filling operation suitable for the filling speed of the filling device can be performed, the efficiency of the filling process can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 3, the container transporting apparatus of the second embodiment is of a screw transporting type, in which a screw 100 and a driving device for rotating and driving the screw 100 at a constant speed above the conveyor 4. 102 and a guide plate 10 for guiding the container 5 in the direction of the screw 100
4 are arranged. On the upstream side of the screw 100,
An air jet nozzle 26 for smoothly introducing the container 5 into the screw 100 is provided. The screw groove of the screw 100 includes an introduction portion A having a relatively small pitch from the upstream side, a first high-speed portion B having a large pitch, a stop portion C having a pitch 0, that is, a groove in a plane orthogonal to the axis,
The second high speed section D has a large pitch, and the discharge section E has a relatively small pitch. Screw 1 by guide plate 104
The container 5 guided in the groove of 00 is first conveyed at a medium speed by the introduction section A, conveyed at a high speed by the first high speed section B, substantially stopped by the stop section C, and substantially stopped by the second high speed section D. At a high speed, and is supplied onto a downstream conveyor 4 from a discharge section E at a medium speed. As shown in FIG. 4, the container transport device of the third embodiment is of a belt sandwiching transport type, and pulleys 200, 20 are provided above the conveyor 4.
2, an endless belt 206 that moves and stops in the same direction as the transport direction of the conveyor 4, and a driving device 2 that moves and stops the endless belt 206 at high speed.
10 and a pressing plate 212 for pressing the container 5 against the endless belt 206. If desired, the container 5 is placed between the endless belt 206 and the holding plate 212.
Is disposed toward the transfer start position of the present container transfer device. An opto-electronic switch 230 is provided at the transfer start position, and when the opto-electronic switch 230 detects the container 5,
The air valve 221 operates and the air jet nozzle 22
0 blows high-pressure air to the container 5 and introduces the container 5 between the endless belt 206 and the pressing plate 212.
At the same time, the endless belt 206 is operated, and the container 5 is quickly sent to a stop portion of the container.

As shown in FIG. 5, a container conveying device according to a fourth embodiment comprises a sub-conveyor 30 arranged in parallel with a conveyor 4.
8 is provided with a star wheel 310 capable of intermittent rotation. The sub-conveyor 308 operates at a higher speed than the conveyor 4 and rotates at the same or slightly higher speed as the star wheel 310. On the upstream side of the sub-conveyor 308, guide guide plates 300 and 302 for ensuring that the containers transfer from the conveyor 4 to the sub-conveyor 308 are arranged, and on the opposite side of the star wheel 310, a guide guide plate 313 is arranged. On the downstream side of the sub-conveyor 308, guide guide plates 304 and 306 for ensuring that the containers transfer from the sub-conveyor 308 to the conveyor 4 are arranged.

[0015]

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a method and an apparatus for transporting a container capable of efficiently and reliably filling an article such as a food material in an upper open container.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural explanatory view of a container conveying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an ingredient filling line including the container transport device of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a structural explanatory view of a container transport device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a structural explanatory view of a container conveying device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a structural explanatory view of a container transport device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container conveyance apparatus 4 Conveyor 5 Container 6 Star wheel 10 Concave part 12 1st leaf spring guide 14 1st fixed guide 18 2nd leaf spring guide 20 2nd fixed guide 26 Air jet nozzle 30 Container confirmation photoelectric sensor 40 Microcomputer 42 Stop position E Rapid delivery region

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Yamamoto 5-22 Chasenba-cho, Akashi-shi, Hyogo

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A container is continuously conveyed by a conveyor at a constant speed C, and a distance D is sent to the conveyance path at a rapid delivery speed A higher than the speed C in the conveyor conveyance direction, and then the container is stopped for a time T. D / C ≧ D / A + T The container transport method, wherein a container rapid transport stop area for transporting the container at the rapid transport speed A after the stop is provided. 2. A conveyor for continuously transporting containers at a constant speed C; and a distance D in the conveyor transport direction, which is disposed in the transport path.
And a container emergency stop device that stops the container for a time T after that, and has a relationship of D / C ≧ D / A + T, and further transports the container at the emergency speed A after the stop. A container transport device, comprising: 3. The container transport device according to claim 2, wherein the container emergency stop device includes a star wheel. 4. The container transporting device according to claim 3, wherein an air nozzle for jetting air in substantially the same direction as the rotation direction of the star wheel is provided at the container introduction point of the star wheel. 5. The container emergency delivery stopping device according to claim 1, wherein
3. The container conveying device according to claim 2, further comprising a screw conveying device having a groove formed so as to perform rapid transport. 6. The container conveying device according to claim 2, wherein said container rapid transport stopping device includes a sub-conveyor which is arranged substantially in parallel with said conveyor and performs high-speed conveying and stopping. 7. The container conveying device according to claim 6, wherein the conveyor is a placement type conveyor, and the sub-conveyor is a sandwich type. 8. The container emergency stop device includes a sub-conveyor arranged at substantially parallel to the conveyor and conveyed at a high speed, and a star wheel capable of intermittent rotation is provided on the sub-conveyor. The container transport device according to claim 2. 9. The container transport device according to claim 2, wherein an air nozzle for introducing and / or discharging a container to and from the container emergency stop device is provided near the container emergency stop device.