JPS62184835A - Stopper forming device for drinking straw - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a stopper forming device to automatical form stoppers by a method wherein hook-shaped tips of a plurality of stopper forming working pieces are held in spread state and a straw and a straw end holding tube are made approachable and separable so as to narrow the hook-shaped tips when they approach. CONSTITUTION:First, a straw end holding tube 17 receives the end of an outer straw 2 so as to hold it. Secondly, a cam member 35 advances against the elastic force of a spring 36 so as to act to narrow the tip hook-shaped parts 32 of working pieces 31 in coaction with the rear end slope 37 of the working pieces 31 in order to form stoppers 8 and 8 on the outer straw 2. Thirdly, the straw end holding tube 17 retreats to its original position and the straw 2, on which the stoppers 8 are formed, is handed over to a straw lead-out device. Because the straw, which is held by a holding member, and the straw end holding tube 17 are made approachable and separable and, in addition, the hook-shaped tip 32 is made to narrow by means of cam action, the automatic forming of the stoppers can be realized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a stopper forming apparatus for drinking straws.

(Prior Art) A straw attached to a beverage container needs to be longer than the depth of the container so that it does not fall into the container during drinking. With the known single straw straw, even if the straw is stuck into the container, only a small portion comes out of the container, making it difficult to drink the beverage in the container.

In order to solve this problem, we created a double-walled straw that can be expanded and retracted so that when the straw is attached to the container, it is short (but when it is stuck into the container, it is long, and when it is stuck, the part that sticks out from the container is long). A straw was developed.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, this single straw draw consists of a thin inner straw 1 and a thick outer straw 2, and the inner straw 1 is inserted into the outer straw 1-tJ-2. The inner straw 1 is made longer than the outer straw 2 so that the inner straw 2 protrudes from the tip of the outer straw 2. The tip of the inner straw I is cut diagonally so as to form a sharp point 3 so that it can be conveniently pierced into a container. When the inner straw 1 is pulled out from the outer straw 2 and extended, the inner straw ■
In order to prevent the straw from being pulled out from the outer straw 2, a reduced diameter part 4 is formed at the tip of the outer straw 2, and an enlarged diameter part 5 is formed at the proximal end of the inner straw 1. The diameter portion 4 and the enlarged diameter portion 5 are designed to engage with each other. A tapered portion 6 is formed at the tip of the reduced diameter portion 4 to prevent wobbling at this engaging portion when the straw is extended. Furthermore, as shown in the drawing, a reduced diameter portion 7 is also formed on the proximal end side of the outer straw 2 to prevent the inner straw 1 from being pulled out from the proximal end side of the outer straw 2. At the same time, a stopper 8 protrudes inward at a position near the reduced diameter portion 4 of the outer straw 2.
is formed, and with the double straw extended, this S)7 par 8 and the enlarged diameter part 5 of the inner long draw 1 engage, and the inner straw 1 contracts again into the outer string J-2. I hope this doesn't happen.

Although it is easy to produce the double straw constructed as described above by hand punching, it is extremely difficult to mechanically mass-produce or automatically produce the straw.

However, the applicant has developed a basic manufacturing device for double straws that makes it possible to mechanically automate the production of double straws, and has already proposed it as Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 197215/1983. .

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) With the above-mentioned known double straw manufacturing device, it is possible to mechanically and automatically produce a large amount of double expandable straws, but the Forming a stopper to prevent the straw from shrinking into the outer straw cannot be done by automatic machinery. Unless this stopper can be mechanically and automatically formed, it is impossible to mass-produce double telescopic straws with a stopper.

In view of the above points, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel stopper molding device that automates the molding of a stopper.

(Means for Solving the Problems) For this purpose, the present invention includes a holding member that holds a straw, a straw end holding portion facing the straw held by the holding member, and a straw end holding cylinder. It consists of a plurality of stopper forming actuating pieces that are supported on the outside and have hook-shaped tips that are positioned so as to slightly protrude from the tip of the straw end holder, and these plural stopper forming actuating pieces are supported on the outside. The piece is supported so that its tip hook-shaped part is held in an expanded state, and the straw supported by the holding member and the straw end holding part are moved toward and away from each other, and when they approach each other, a cam action causes the straw to move away from the straw. It is characterized in that the tip hook-shaped portion is narrowed.

(Example) The present invention will be described in detail below using examples shown in the drawings.

6 to 9 show a straw end forming apparatus 10 including a stopper forming apparatus of the present invention installed in a double straw assembly machine. 8
As shown in the figure, it is arranged in the middle of the straw conveying device 11. This straw conveying device is composed of a plurality of spiral rods 12 arranged in parallel. This spiral rod body 12
A spiral groove 13 is formed in the spiral groove 13, and the inner and outer straws 1 and 2 are positioned in this spiral groove 13, and the straws are fed by rotation of the spiral rod 2.

Reference numerals 14 and 15 in FIG. 8 denote guide plates that stand parallel to the spiral rod body 12 and above the conveying surface of the straws, and are used to convey straws 1 and 2 in parallel to the conveying device 11, respectively. In particular, the guide plate 15 maintains the state in which the inner straw 1 is slightly inserted into the outer straw 2, and the outer straw 2
is sent to the end forming device 10.

The embodiment shown in the drawings shows a seven-part forming device of the present invention incorporated into the end forming device 10 described above.

This end forming device IO includes a straw holding drum 16 serving as a holding member 16 for holding a straw, and an outer straw serving as a straw end holding portion 17 of the device of the present invention.
2, the end diameter-reducing type 17, and the end diameter-enlarging type 1 of the inner straw l.
8 and a rubber heald 19 for fixing the straw to the holding drum 16. This end forming device IO is held by a rotating shaft 21 that is pivotally supported by an immovable machine frame 20.

The outer straw end diameter-reducing mold 17 and the inner straw end diameter expanding mold 18, which also serve as the straw end holding part I7 of the device of the present invention, are mounted on rotary plates 22 and 23 fixed to a rotating shaft 21 with a holding drum 16 in between. It is maintained so that it can be freely accessed and removed. The diameter-reducing mold 17 and the diameter-expanding mold 18 are opposed to a holding groove formed in the straw holding drum 16 for holding the straw, and rotate in synchronization with the rotation of the straw holding drum 16. That's what I do. Further, the diameter-reducing mold 17 and the diameter-expanding mold 18 are heated by electric heaters in order to facilitate forming the straw.

In FIG. 9, reference numeral 24.24 is an immovable cam member, and the cam follower 26 of the actuating piece 25 for the straw forming mold 17.18 is brought into pressure contact with the cam surface of the immovable cam member.
8 rotates these into the inner and outer spaces 1-11.7-1.
It is designed to engage and disengage from the end of 2. That is, the ends of the inner and outer straws 1, 2 are shaped when they are engaged, and the straws are released when they are disengaged.

The straw end diameter reducing mold 17 constituting an embodiment of the straw end holding part 17 of the device of the present invention has a hollow female mold 27 at the end opposite to the straw, and its population is connected to the outer straw 2.
The sloped or stepped shape 28 corresponds to the slope of the reduced diameter portion 4.
The inner part connected to this is the tapered part 6 of the outer straw 2.
It has a substantially right cylindrical shape 29 to correspond to the shape of. In the illustrated embodiment, a core 30 is placed in the hollow part of the hollow female mold 27.
This is provided.

Reference numeral 31 shown in FIGS. 4 to 4 is a stopper forming actuating piece which is a main part of the stopper forming apparatus of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, there are three actuating pieces. It has a hook-shaped portion 32 . The actuating piece 31 is a first
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 4, the tip end hook-shaped portion 32 is positioned facing the tip of the end diameter reducing die 17 forming the straw end holding portion 17, and is pivoted 33 on the holding tube 7. The plural tip hook-shaped portions 32 are normally kept in an expanded state by the spring 34. Furthermore, 35 in the figure is a spring 3 provided in the straw end holding part (end diameter reduced type) 17.
A cam member provided to differentially move with respect to the straw end holding cylinder (end diameter reducing type) 17 in response to the expansion elasticity of the straw end holding cylinder 6;
This cam member 35 pushes the rear end inclined portion 37 of the actuating piece 31, thereby narrowing the tip hook-shaped portion 32 and forming the stopper 8 on the outer straw 2.

FIG. 5 shows another preferred embodiment of the essential parts of the stopper forming apparatus of the present invention, and in this embodiment, the actuating piece 31'
is constituted by a linear spring, and its tip hook-shaped portion 32
It has a bulge 37' for cam operation, and a cam 35' which cooperates with the bulge 37' is arranged opposite to the cam 35'. The supporting structure of the actuating piece 31' is made by bending its base end 39 at 90 degrees, inserting it into a support hole 38 formed in the straw end holding part (end diameter reduced type) 17, and inserting it into a ring-shaped support metal It is supported by 40. And this actuating piece 3
1' is a vertical groove 4 formed in the straw end holding part 17.
or positioned in the slit.

In this embodiment, the tip hook-shaped portion 32' has a two-stage bending structure, but it may also have a one-step bending structure with the tip tapered.
The stopper 8 formed in this case is dot-shaped.

The actuating piece 31 or 31' shown in Figs. .

In addition, 42 in FIGS. 6 and 7 is an inner straw supply device, 43 is an outer straw supply device, and 44 is a straw delivery device.

In the device configured as described above, the inner straw
1 and outer straw 2 are transferred from the conveying device 11 to the straw holding drum 16, respectively. Therefore, these straws move as the holding drum L6 rotates, and are held down by the rubber belt 19 midway so that they do not move. At the same time, with the rotation of the holding drum 16, the rotary plate 22 that holds the straw end holding part 17 which also serves as a diameter reducing mold for the end of the straw constituting the straw tube forming apparatus of the present invention also rotates. - B One end holding cylinder 17 and cam member 35 are connected to the cam member 2
4 and the actuating piece 25, the actuators are sequentially actuated as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

That is, first, as shown in FIG. 2, in the embodiment shown in which the straw end holder 17 receives and holds the end of the outer straw 2, the straw end holder 17 has a straw end diameter reducing mold 17. (Since this receiver forms the tip part 6 and the reduced diameter part 4 of the outer straw 2 when inserted),
Next, the cam member 35 advances against the elasticity of the spring 36, and works in conjunction with the rear end slope 37 of the stopper forming actuating piece 3I to narrow the tip hook-shaped portion 32 of the actuating piece 31, A stopper 8.8 is formed on the outer straw 2 (as shown in the third figure). Thereafter, the straw end holding cylinder I7 returns to its original position as shown in FIG.

In the embodiments described above, the stopper forming device is incorporated into the end diameter reducing device of the straw, but it may be configured separately from the end diameter reducing device.

In addition, although this embodiment is constructed in the form of a rotary drum, it can also move linearly.

(Effects of the Invention) The device of the present invention has a holding member that holds a straw, a straw end holding portion that faces the straw held by this holding member, and a support provided on the outside of the straw end holding cylinder. It consists of a plurality of actuating pieces for forming a stopper, each having a hook-shaped tip whose tip slightly protrudes from the tip of the straw end holder and is positioned facing the tip. The tip hook-shaped portion is supported so as to be held in an expanded state, and the straw supported by the holding member and the straw end holding portion are brought close to each other and separated, and when they approach each other, the tip hook is moved by a cam action. Since the shape is narrow, the stopper of the straw can be automatically formed by mechanical means, which has a great effect that makes it possible to mass-produce double straws with a stopper. It achieved its intended purpose.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment in which the stopper forming apparatus of the present invention is incorporated into a straw end forming apparatus, and FIGS. 1 to 4 are partially cutaway front views thereof, showing the order of operation. Fig. 5 is a cutaway front view showing the main parts of another embodiment, Fig. 6 is a front view of a double straw assembly machine incorporating the device of the present invention, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same assembly machine. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a part of the apparatus according to the present invention of the assembly machine, and FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway front view of the entire apparatus according to the present invention, taken along the line IX--IX in FIG. 1st
Figures 0 and 11 show an example of a double straw formed into a stopper by the apparatus of the present invention; Figure 10 is a diagram in a contracted state, and Figure 11 is a sectional view in an expanded state. ■--Inner draw 2--Outer draw 8--Stopper 16---Holding member 17--Straw end holding part 31--Stopper molding Actuation piece 32------
- One end hook-shaped part 33 - - - - Pivot 34 - -
・-Spring 35--Cam member 37
−・− Rear end slope

Claims (1)

[Claims] A holding member that holds a straw, a straw end holding cylinder that faces the straw held by the holding member, and a straw end holding cylinder that is supported on the outside of the straw end holding cylinder and has a tip slightly protruding from the tip of the straw end holding cylinder. It consists of a plurality of actuating pieces for forming a stopper having a tip hook-shaped portion positioned facing the tip, and supports the plurality of actuating pieces for forming a stopper so that the tip hook-shaped portion is held in an expanded state. A drinking straw, characterized in that a straw supported by a holding member and a straw end holding cylinder are brought close to each other and separated from each other, and when these come close to each other, the hooked end portion is narrowed by a cam action. Stopper forming equipment