JPS5855048B2 - Automatic filling device for vials, etc. - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention The present invention automatically inserts a cylindrical object such as a vial, which is intermittently fed horizontally by an intermittent feeding device, into a storage box horizontally. This invention relates to an automatic insertion device for storing and holding vials, etc.

Generally, when glass cylindrical objects such as vials are housed in a storage box, they are easily damaged, so they are held independently and horizontally so that they do not come into contact with each other.

For this reason, the storage box is equipped with a retainer that holds the stored item at a predetermined position in the storage box in order to prevent the stored item from moving due to transfer within the storage box, and to buffer and hold the stored item against external forces. A type with a section is used.

Various attempts have been made to develop devices for automatically inserting cylindrical objects such as vials into predetermined positions in a horizontal position into such storage boxes, but the problems include the fact that the objects are easily damaged and their shape is too small. Due to its special shape (cylindrical) and the need to insert it into a predetermined position (holding part) in the storage box, a satisfactory device has not yet been developed, and the storage of the stored items must be carried out manually. Currently, the insertion work is being carried out.

In addition, conventionally, as a device for automatically packing cylindrical items such as canned goods,
JP-A-52-60790 and JP-A-5391895
There are some methods disclosed in the above-mentioned publications, etc., but these involve stacking cylindrical objects in an upright position and packaging them in boxes. Therefore, it cannot be immediately applied when automatically inserting the above-mentioned vial etc. in a horizontal position.

The present invention has been made in view of this situation, and is an automatic method for storing vials, etc., which is capable of automatically and reliably inserting a cylindrical object such as a vial into a companion position of a storage box in a sideways state. It is intended to provide an insertion device.

That is, the present invention is an automatic insertion device that stores and holds a cylindrical object such as a vial by inserting it in a sideways state into a storage box having a holding part that holds the object, an intermittent feeding device that intermittently feeds the object to be stored in a sideways state; A chute having an inclined sliding surface that slides and guides an object to be stored in a sideways state fed from the chute toward a storage box; The conveying and pushing device is arranged above the storage box, and has a chute facing raised position facing the chute and a storage box facing the storage box. It is provided so as to be movable up and down between a lowered position facing the box and a lowered position facing the chute, and has a front opening that opens opposite to the lower end of the inclined slide/1 side of the chute in the raised position facing the chute, and has a front opening that opens opposite to the lower end of the inclined slide surface of the chute, and also A holding body made of an elastic material, which has an expandable groove-shaped bottom with a narrow groove formed therein, and is configured to hold and receive an object to be stored from a chute in a sideways state; An extrusion rod is provided facing the upper part of the body so as to be movable up and down, and pushes out the object held horizontally in the holding body from the groove-shaped bottom to the lower blade, and the holding body is connected to the chute. It is characterized by comprising a conveyance extrusion drive device that moves the extrusion rod up and down between a raised position facing the storage box and a lowered position facing the storage box, and that moves the extrusion rod up and down when the holding body is in a lowered position facing the storage box. It is something.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

1 to 6, reference numeral 1 denotes a conveyor belt that rotates intermittently in the direction of arrow A plurality of rows (five rows in the figure) are arranged in parallel in the width direction of the belt, and objects A such as vials in an upright state are guided in a vertical line by each column guide frame 2, and the objects A are arranged in parallel in the width direction of the belt. The feed is performed intermittently at a pitch equal to the feed width.

Reference numeral 3 denotes an elevating pedestal provided facing the end of the conveyor belt 1. The elevating cradle 3 communicates with the elevating rod 4 and moves up and down, and when the conveyor belt 1 rotates, the conveyor belt 1
When the conveyor belt 1 stops rotating, the conveyor belt 1 is lowered to be flush with the conveying surface of the conveyor belt 1, and the object A that has been pushed out from the end of the conveyor belt 1 is placed on top of it in an upright position. , is configured to intermittently feed the stored object A placed on top of the upright state upward.

Reference numeral 5 denotes 1 provided opposite to the elevated position of the elevating pedestal 3.
The base end of the foot sweep swing rod 5 is fixed to a support shaft 1 rotatably supported by a support portion 6, and the support shaft 7 has a swing rod. One end of the swinging rod 8 is fixed, and the other end of the swinging rod 8 is connected to a lifting rod 10 that moves up and down by a cam mechanism 9, and swings up and down together with the swinging of the swinging rod 8 caused by the vertical movement of the lifting rod 10. When it rotates downward, it uses the fork-shaped tip to scoop up the lower part of the object A placed upright on the pedestal 3 and roll it over so that the bottom of the object A is placed first. It is configured to push out the foot to the opposite side of the swinging rod 5 (to the side of the shooter 11, which will be described later).

The above-mentioned elevating and lowering table 3, foot sweep swinging rod 5, etc. constitute an intermittent feeding device that intermittently feeds the stored object A by laying it on its side.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a chute provided on the opposite side of the foot sweep swinging rod 5 in the raised position of the lifting pedestal 3, and the chute 11 has a width approximately equal to the diameter (or width) of the object A to be accommodated. and the upper end is continuous with the upper surface of the lifting platform 3 in the raised position,
It consists of an inclined guide surface 12 whose lower end extends obliquely toward the storage box B in which the stored object A is stored, and side plates 13 and 13 provided on both sides of the inclined guide surface 12. It is provided so that the stored object A pushed out by the rod 5 and lying on its side can be slid toward the storage box B.

On the other side of the chute 11, the storage box B is held in place, and the stored object A is received from the chute 11 in a sideways state, transported to the top of the storage box B, and the stored object A is transferred to the storage box B. A conveying/extruding device 14 is provided at a predetermined position of the conveyor/extrusion device 14, which is inserted in a horizontal position.

That is, 15 is the shooter 11 above storage box B.
It is a holding body in the shape of a pair of half-tubes made of elastic material such as plastic or leaf spring material, which are provided opposite to each other at the lower end of the chute 11, as shown in detail in FIG. It has a front opening 15a that opens opposite the lower end, the rear part is partially closed to prevent the stored object A from escaping, and the upper part has a through hole 21a at the tip through which an extrusion rod 16, which will be described later, can pass through. It is supported by the support rod 21, and the bottom part 15b is opened in the shape of a groove and is formed to be expandable. Object A lying on its side while being received and held
is formed so that it can be extruded downward from the bottom.

Further, 16 is a plate-shaped extrusion part 1 facing the upper part inside the holding body 15.
6a at the lower end, the upper half of which protrudes upward through the through hole 21a of the support rod 21, and moves up and down to support the rod held in the holding body 15 in a sideways state. The object to be stored A is pushed out from the groove-shaped bottom portion 15b of the holding body 15 to the lower blade.

Furthermore, 17 is a main swinging rod fixed to the support shaft 18, and the main swinging rod 17 is fixed to the support shaft 18 through a connecting rod 20 fixed to the support shaft 18 as the lifting rod 19 moves up and down. The angle is rotated by a predetermined angle θ + α (i.e., a predetermined angle from the angle θ at which the support frame 21 (described later) is rotated to lower the holding body 15 from the position facing the chute to the position facing the storage box) as the support shaft 18 rotates. The supporting body 15 is attached to one end of the supporting shaft 18.
A support rod 21 supporting the is rotatably supported at its intermediate portion.

The support rod 21 has a through hole 21a at one end (holding member support portion) through which the extrusion rod 16 passes, and the support rod 21 has a through hole 21a through which the extrusion rod 16 passes, and the support rod 21 has a hole 21a on the outer periphery of the pivot portion where the holding member 15 extends downward from the chute opposing raised position facing the chute 11. The holding step portion 21b is locked to the fixed stopper 22 when the holding body 15 is rotated by an angle θ to
have.

Further, an auxiliary swinging rod 23 consisting of a parallel link supporting the extrusion rod 16 at one end is rotatably pivoted at an intermediate portion of the bracket portion 21c protruding from the upper part of the pivot portion of the support rod 21. One end of the auxiliary swinging rod 23 (extrusion rod support part)
The portion between the pivot point and the pivot point is connected to the main swing rod 17 via a link 24, and the other end of the auxiliary swing rod 23 (on the opposite side of the extrusion rod support section to the pivot point) is connected to the main swing rod 17 via a link 24. ) is connected to the other end of the support rod 21 via a spring 25,
When the main swinging rod 17 rotates downward at an angle θ from its top dead center (the position opposite to the raised position of the holder 15 facing the chute), the support rod is rotated through the auxiliary swinging rod 23 and the spring 25. 21 are rotated together, and the main swing rod 17 is rotated downward by an angle θ from the top dead center (a position corresponding to the lowered position of the holding body 15 facing the storage box), and further downward by an angle α. When moving, the support rod 21 is prevented from rotating by the engagement of the engagement step 21b with the fixed stopper 22, and only the auxiliary swing rod 23 is angled downward against the spring force of the spring 25. When the holding body 15 supported by the support rod 21 is lowered to the lowered position facing the storage box, the ejection rod 16 is moved up and down by the swinging of the auxiliary swing rod 23, and the ejection rod 16 is moved up and down. Due to the movement, the object A held horizontally in the holding body 15 is pushed out from the groove-shaped bottom 15b of the holding body 15 by the extrusion part 16a, and the holding part of the storage box B is held at a predetermined position← A conveyance extrusion drive device is provided that is inserted in a sideways state between the holding part b1 that holds the head part of the object A and the holding part b2 that holds the bottom part, and these holding bodies 15, extrusion The rod 16 and the conveyance extrusion and drive device constitute the conveyance extrusion device 14.

Next, to explain the operation of the above embodiment, a cylindrical object A such as a vial in an upright state that is intermittently conveyed by the conveyor belt 1 is transported 1 minute from the end of the conveyor belt 1.
After being transferred to an upright state on the elevator cradle 3 and transferred upward by the rise of the elevator cradle 3, the elevator cradle 3
At the raised position, the swinging swinging rod 5 causes the swinging lever 5 to lie on its side with the bottom facing forward, and is pushed out into the inclined guide 12 of the shoe 11.

The stored object A, which has been slid from the chute 11 and lies on its side, is cushioned and held by the holding body 15 made of an elastic material while remaining in the sideways state. It is held elastically by the elastic force of 15b and will not be damaged.

Thereafter, by the swinging of the main swinging rod 17, the support rod 21 and the auxiliary swinging rod 23 are rotated downward by an angle θ, and the holding body 15 is moved from the raised position facing the chute to the lowered position facing the storage box. Then, only the auxiliary swinging rod 23 is further rotated downward by an angle α, so that the ejecting rod 16 is lowered and held in a sideways state within the holding body 15 at the lowered position opposite to the storage box. The stored object A is gently extruded from the groove-shaped bottom 15b of the holding body 15 by the extrusion rod 16 against its elastic force, and the object A is pushed out of the holding part b1 of the storage box H without causing any breakage 4-14.
After that, the storage box B containing the stored object A is transferred by the conveyor C, and an empty storage box B or a new storage box B is placed between the chute 11 and the conveyance/extrusion device 14. After that, the same operation as above is repeated.

In the above embodiment, an operation is performed in which a plurality of (5) objects A are placed in parallel and automatically inserted into one storage/+1゛IB at the same time.

In the past, cylindrical objects A that were easily damaged, such as vials, etc.
Since the storage box B can be automatically and reliably stored and held in a horizontal position in the holding portion at a predetermined position of the storage box B without being damaged, automation and labor saving can be achieved.

Further, the conveying and pushing device 14 can lower the holding body 15 from the position facing the chute to the position facing the storage box and push out the pushing rod 16 with a single driving force, so the structure is simple. In addition, it is possible to ensure reliable operation and improve stability.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and includes various other modifications.For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the stored object A is placed on its side and fed intermittently. As an intermittent feeding device, we used one consisting of a lifting platform 3 facing the end of the conveyor belt 1 and a foot-sweeping swinging rod 5. Various known intermittent feeding devices can be used,
These devices may be connected to the shooter 11.

Further, in the above embodiment, the holding body 15 and the extrusion rod 16 are constituted by a main swinging rod 17, a support rod 21, an auxiliary swinging rod 23, etc., as a driving device for the conveyance and extrusion device 14, and are configured to drive the holding body 15 and the extrusion rod 16. However, various other modifications are possible, and the key is to move the holding body 15 up and down between a raised position facing the chute and a lowered position facing the storage box, and at the same time, the holding body 15 is lowered to a lowered position facing the storage box. Any means may be used as long as it moves the ejecting rod 16 up and down to push out the object lying on its side in the holder from the bottom of the holder and insert it into a predetermined position in the storage box.

Furthermore, in addition to the above-mentioned vials, the objects to be accommodated to which the present invention is applied include cylindrical objects of various shapes (including cylinders and rectangular tubes) and objects of similar shapes, such as columnar objects (
(including cylinders and prisms) or pyramids (cones, pyramids,
(including truncated cones, truncated pyramids, etc.).

As explained above, according to the present invention, a cylindrical object such as a vial that is intermittently fed in a sideways state is automatically and damaged when it falls on its side at a predetermined position in a storage box. Since the object can be inserted reliably without any trouble, it greatly contributes to automation and labor saving of the work of inserting the object into the storage box.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention, and FIG.
■Top view showing the connection part with the intermittent feeding device in the process, 2nd
The figure is a side view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the main part, Fig. 4 is a view taken along the ■-IV line in Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a side view of the main part, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the main part. 5 is a view taken along the line VI-■ in FIG. 5; FIG. 1... Conveyor belt, 2... Column guide frame, 3... Elevating platform, 4... Elevating rod, 5... Legs Swinging rod, 6...Support part, 7...Spin shaft, 8...Swinging rod, 9...
...Cam mechanism, 10... Lifting rod, 11...
... Shooter, 12 ... Inclined guide surface, 1
3... Side plate, 14... Conveyance extrusion device,
15... Foam holder, 15a... Front force opening part, 15b... Grooved bottom, 16...
Extrusion rod, 16a...Extrusion part, 17...
King swinging rod, 18... Support shaft, 19... Lifting rod, 20... Linking rod, 21... Supporting rod, 21a... ...Through hole, 21b...Engagement step part, 21c...Bracket part, 22...
...Fixed stopper, 23...Auxiliary swinging rod, 21
・・・・・・Link, 25・・・Spring, A
...Contained object, B...Storage box, bl
v b2...Holding section, C...Conveyor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An automatic insertion device that stores and holds a cylindrical object such as a vial by inserting it in a sideways state into a storage box having a holding part for holding the object. , an intermittent feeding device that intermittently feeds the workpiece in a horizontally laid state; A chute having an inclined sliding surface that slides and guides an object in a sideways state fed from a feeding device toward a storage box; The conveying and pushing device 6 receives the stored object and inserts it into the holding part of the storage box in a sideways state. It is provided to be movable up and down between a storage box facing lowered position facing the box, and has a front opening that opens opposite to the lower end of the inclined sliding surface of the chute in the chute facing raised position, and has a front opening that opens opposite to the lower end of the inclined sliding surface of the chute, and also has a a holding body made of an elastic material, which has an expandable groove-like bottom portion formed with a groove whose width is smaller than the diameter thereof, and which holds and receives an object to be stored from a chute in a sideways state; an extrusion rod that is vertically movable opposite to the upper part of the holding body and pushes out an object held horizontally within the holding body from a groove-shaped bottom; It is characterized by comprising a conveyance extrusion drive device that moves the extrusion rod up and down between a raised position facing the chute and a lowered position facing the storage box, and moves the extrusion rod up and down when the holding body is in a lowered position facing the storage box. Automatic insertion device for vials, etc. 2. The conveyance and extrusion drive device has a main oscillation device that moves up and down with a swing angle θ + α that is larger by an angle α than the rotation angle θ, which corresponds to the vertical movement of the holding body between a raised position facing the chute and a lowered position facing the stored object. a movable rod, a support rod rotatably supported at an intermediate portion on a support shaft of the main swing rod, supporting a holding body at one end and having an engaging portion on the right; A nationally specified stopper that engages with the engaging portion when the body rotates downward by an angle θ from the raised position facing the chute to prevent further downward rotation of the support rod; is freely pivotally connected, supports an extrusion rod at one end, and is connected to the main swing rod via a link at one end side of the pivot portion;
and an auxiliary swinging rod whose other end is connected to the other end of the support rod via a spring and swings up and down at a swinging angle α when the holding body is lowered to a lowered position facing the storage box. An automatic insertion device for vials, etc., according to claim 1, which is constructed by: 3. The intermittent feeding device has an elevating cradle whose upper surface is continuous with the upper end of the inclined slide surface of the chute in the raised position, and a lifting pedestal that moves up and down intermittently with the object placed thereupon in an upright state. an L-shaped foot-sweeping swinging rod that is disposed on the opposite side of the chute and swings so as to scoop up the lower part of the upright object on the pedestal, overturn it, and push it toward the shoe rack; Claim 1 comprising:
An automatic insertion device for vials, etc., as described in Section 1 or 2.