JPS5810332B2 - container storage equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a container storage device, and more particularly to a container storage device capable of temporarily retaining continuously transported containers at an appropriate position in a container processing line.

In order to operate the container processing line efficiently, it is desirable to provide a storage device capable of temporarily retaining a large amount of containers at an appropriate position in the container processing line as needed.

For example, a washing machine that washes containers, a filling machine that fills containers with liquid, a capper 1 that caps containers filled with liquid, and a caser that stores a predetermined number of capped containers in a case. When a failure occurs in the most downstream caser in the container processing line,
Previously, all processing lines had to be shut down.

However, if the above-mentioned storage device is installed between the caser and the capper, it is possible to stop only the caser and continue operation of each container processing machine on the upstream side. If there is a risk that the caser will be stopped for a long period of time beyond its capacity, the loading of new containers to the washing machine will be stopped, and containers that were previously introduced into the washing machine will be processed by the filling machine and capper. If this is completed, the washed containers and the containers filled with the filling liquid will not be left as they are for a long time, and sanitary operation can be achieved.

In addition, if the container processing line is a line that handles different types of containers, it is necessary to match the processing capacity of the filling machine and the processing capacity of the washing machine to match the various types of containers. If a washer is installed, even if the processing capacity of the washing machine exceeds that of the filling machine, the surplus containers can be temporarily absorbed by the storage device, so that the processing capacities of both can be accurately matched. The advantage is that it is not necessary.

Furthermore, it is desirable to dispose of high-temperature containers discharged from warmers or filling machines that fill with high-temperature filling liquid, or low-temperature containers discharged from coolers until they reach a temperature close to room temperature. can also be used for such requests.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a container storage device suitable for meeting the above-mentioned various needs, and which requires the terminal ends and starting ends of a plurality of horizontal conveyors having different heights. A first conveyor is connected by an inclined conveyor with an inclined angle to form the inflow side of the conveyor container, and a plurality of horizontal conveyors at different heights are connected to each other by a tilted conveyor and are opposed to each other and spaced apart from each other by a required distance from each of the horizontal conveyors. The first and second conveyors are connected by a slope conveyor that is inclined in the opposite direction to the slope conveyor to form a second conveyor serving as an outflow side of the conveyance container, and the first and second conveyors are opposite to each other. A storage conveyor that is wider than the first and second conveyors forming a conveyance path and that is driven to convey from the first conveyor to the second conveyor side connects the horizontal conveyors. It is characterized by this.

The invention will now be described with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view in which the space is widened in the vertical direction to make the figure easier to understand.

In particular, in FIG. 2, four storage conveyors 1, 2, 3.4, each horizontally arranged, are arranged one above the other, vertically spaced apart by at least the height of the containers.

A first transport conveyor 5 for transporting containers, a first horizontal part 5a disposed at the right end of the first storage conveyor 1 perpendicular to the container transport direction of the storage conveyor 1, and similarly, The second. Third. Fourth horizontal part 5b
.

It is equipped with 5c and 5d.

Furthermore, this first conveyor 5b is located between the tip of the first horizontal section 5a and the tip of the second horizontal section 5b, between the tip of the second horizontal section 5b and the tip of the third horizontal section 5c, The horizontal parts 5a to 5 are provided with inclined parts 5e, sf, and sg that respectively connect the tip of the horizontal part 5c and the end of the fourth horizontal part 5d.
d and the inclined portions 5e to 5g, the container is configured to be able to be transferred upward in a loop.

Further, the second conveyor 6 includes first, second, third, and fourth conveyors arranged in the same manner on the opposite side of the first conveyor 5.
Horizontal portions 6a, 6b, 6c.

6a, and inclined portions 6e and 6f connecting this horizontal portion.

6g, so that the container can be transported downward in a loop.

And each horizontal part 5a of each conveyor 5,6.

Storage conveyors 1 to 4 located between 6a...5d and 6d are
The containers are operated so as to be able to transport containers from the respective horizontal parts 5a to 5d of the first transport conveyor 5 to the respective horizontal parts 6a to 6d of the second transport conveyor 6, respectively.

As can be understood from FIGS. 1 and 3, the horizontal portions and inclined portions of each conveyor 5, 6 are constructed from independent conveyors, and containers are transferred between the conveyors by being fixed to the turntable 7. This can be done using the guide 8.

Note that this fixed guide 8 is of course arranged so that containers do not fall off from each transport conveyor 5, 6 and each storage conveyor 1 to 4, and also from each storage conveyor 1 to 4 and each storage conveyor. A connecting plate 9 (see FIG. 3) is provided at the connection with the conveyors 5 and 6 to smoothly transfer the containers.

With the above configuration, when a container is transported by the transport conveyor 5, the container is transported to the first horizontal part 5a, the first inclined part 5e, the second horizontal part 5b, the second inclined part 5f, and the second inclined part 5f of the transport conveyor 5. It is conveyed upward in a loop through the third horizontal section 5e, the third inclined section 5g, and the fourth horizontal section 5d, and is fed onto the fourth storage conveyor 4 and twisted.

Then, the containers sent to the fourth storage conveyor 4 are delivered from there to the fourth horizontal section 6d of the second conveyor 6, and then further transferred to the third inclined section 6g, the third horizontal section 6c, and the second inclined section 6f.
, second horizontal portion 6b.

It is conveyed downward in a loop through the first inclined part 6e and the first horizontal part 6a, and is carried out to the outside.

While containers are being conveyed continuously in this manner, for example, if the container processing machine downstream of the second conveyor 6 breaks down and only that machine is stopped, the machine will be stopped due to the machine stopping. As subsequent containers contact and stop one after another, the row of containers retained on the transport conveyor 6 in a slipping state gradually extends upstream.

When the end of the container retained on the conveyor 6 extends to the connecting part between the first horizontal section 6a and the first storage conveyor 1, the container at the end is affected by the frictional force between the following container and the conveyor 6. However, since the storage conveyor 1 pushes the containers back to the first horizontal portion 6a, the containers are not retained on the storage conveyor 1.

This also applies to the other horizontal parts 6b16cm6d and the storage conveyors 2, 3.4, so that the containers actually stay only on the second transport conveyor 6, and their ends gradually move towards the second transport conveyor 6. The fourth horizontal portion 6 is the end of 6.
It extends to d.

When the end of the storage container extends to the fourth horizontal section 6dK, the subsequent container is then stored on the fourth storage conveyor 4.

Since the storage conveyor 4 has a sufficiently wider width than the transport conveyors 5 and 6, a large amount of containers can be retained on the storage conveyor 4.

When the top of the fourth storage conveyor 4 is filled with the retention container, the end of the retention container then extends to the fourth horizontal portion 5d of the first conveyor 5, and further extends from the third inclined portion 5g to the third horizontal portion 5c. Extends to.

Subsequent containers are then continuously pushed out from the third horizontal section 5c onto the third storage conveyor 3 and transported forward by this storage conveyor 3.

However, the second conveyor 6 located in front of it
Since containers are already accumulated in the third horizontal section 6c, the containers conveyed by the storage conveyor 3 are stored in the third horizontal section 6c.
It comes into contact with the upper container and is stopped, and is retained on the storage conveyor 3.

When the storage conveyor 3 is thus filled with the retention containers, the containers are subsequently similarly divided into the second inclined section 5f, the second horizontal section 5b, the second storage conveyor 2, the first inclined section 5e, and the first
Horizontal part 5a.

They are stored in the order of the first storage conveyor 1.

Incidentally, if the operation of the container processing machine is resumed while the containers are retained through the above-described process, the transportation of the containers will of course be restarted.

However, when applying the container storage device shown in the above embodiment to an actual container processing line, it is of course possible to make appropriate design changes as necessary.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, containers from the first horizontal section 5a are forced into the first storage downstream of the connection between the first horizontal section 5a of the first conveyor 5 and the first storage conveyor 1. A cylinder device 10 or a solenoid device or the like is provided to introduce the container into the conveyor 1, and when the container processing line is normal, the first horizontal section 5
a, 6a, operating the first storage conveyor 1 and protruding the rod 10a of the cylinder device 10 to short-circuit the containers from the first horizontal section 5a via the storage conveyor 1 to the other first horizontal section 6a; It can be conveyed.

When the container processing machine on the downstream side breaks down and the first storage conveyor 1 is filled with accumulated containers, the light is blocked by the detector 11, for example, for a predetermined period of time. At the same time, the rod 10a of the cylinder device 10 is retracted, and the other components 5b to 5g, 6b to 6g of the first and second conveyor 5.6 are detected by a phototube device or the like that outputs a detection signal. If the second to fourth storage conveyors 2 to 4 are operated all at once, subsequent containers can be stored in large quantities continuously.

Note that the cylinder device 10 may be controlled by detecting the stoppage of the downstream container processing machine during operation of the container processing line.

While the containers are still staying on the first storage conveyor 1, the containers staying on the first horizontal section 6a are urged in the forward direction by this, so they are pushed out toward the stopped first inclined section 6e. However, in order to reliably prevent this, a cylinder device that operates in synchronization with the cylinder device 10 may be provided on the first horizontal portion 6a side as well.

Further, when the detector 11 detects the retention state of the storage conveyor 1, the cylinder device 1 is connected to the second and third storage conveyors 2 and 3 in the same manner as described above.
0 and a detector 11 are provided, so that after the lower storage conveyor 1 is filled with retention containers, the containers are retained on the second storage conveyor 2, and after this is filled, the containers are transferred to the third and fourth storage conveyors 3 and 4. It is also possible to store the containers one after another.

Furthermore, a stopper mechanism is provided at the connecting portion between each of the storage conveyors 1 to 4 and each of the horizontal sections 6a to 6d of the second conveyor 6 to prevent the containers from being delivered from the storage conveyor to the horizontal section. The above-described cylinder device 10 may be provided in each of the horizontal portions 5a to 5c of the conveyor 5.

With such a configuration, for example, a high-temperature container from a container processing machine can be retained for a predetermined period of time to lower its temperature.

That is, after the containers are stored in the first, second, and third storage conveyors in sequence, the stopper mechanism of the first storage conveyor is released while the containers are stored in the fourth storage conveyor, and the containers downstream from there are processed. After the fourth storage conveyor 4 is filled with the storage containers and the first storage conveyor 1 is empty, the stopper mechanism of the first storage conveyor 1 is set to the operating position and the second storage conveyor 2 is moved. The stopper mechanism of is released, and the containers are introduced onto the first storage conveyor 1 by the cylinder device 10, and the containers of the second storage conveyor 2 are fed to the container processing machine.

By performing such control, for example, a container that is first introduced into the first storage conveyor 1, a subsequent container is
While the containers are sequentially introduced into the third storage conveyors 2 and 3, they are left on the first storage conveyor 1, and during this time the temperature of the containers can be lowered.

The stopper mechanism described above may employ a configuration in which small holes are formed in a row in the longitudinal direction of the span plate 9 and a comb-shaped stopper member is protruded from below.

Further, the stopper mechanism can also be provided on the first conveyor 5 side.

As described above, the present invention includes a conveyor for conveying containers and a storage conveyor having a width larger than that of the conveyor, and when the conveyance of containers is stopped or restricted downstream of the conveyor, Since subsequent containers can be retained on the storage conveyor, it is possible to efficiently operate various container processing lines equipped with the storage conveyor. It is possible to store containers by disposing them on the top, bottom, left and right sides of the transport conveyor without having to create a trench, and by selecting the width of the storage conveyor, it is possible to freely store desired containers.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the main part of FIG. 1. 1 to 4...Storage conveyor, 5.6...Transportation conveyor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 The terminal ends and starting ends of a plurality of horizontal section conveyors having different heights are connected by an inclined conveyor inclined at a required angle to constitute a first conveyor serving as the inflow side of the conveyance container, and each of the above horizontal section conveyors A plurality of horizontal conveyors of different heights facing each other and separated by a required distance are connected by an inclined conveyor inclined in the opposite direction to the inclined conveyor, thereby forming a second conveyor which serves as an outflow side of the conveying container. , and which one of the first and 29th conveyors is wider than the first and second conveyors that form the conveyance path, and is wider than the first and second conveyors forming the conveyance path. A storage device for containers, characterized in that the container storage device is connected by a storage conveyor that is driven to be transported from a transport conveyor to a second transport conveyor.