Sealing device

Abstract

The invention provides a sealing device which can be miniaturized as a whole and can reduce manufacturing cost. A sealing device used for sealing an opening part of a container comprises a supporting part used for supporting the container and a sealing force applying part used for applying sealing force to the container. And a moving mechanism between a position (first position) where the sealing force applying part and / or the container is separated from the container placed by the placing part at a predetermined distance and a position (second position) where the sealing force applying part applies a predetermined amount of force on the cover body placed on the container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an invention of a sealing device for closing a container by bonding a lid to the container. Background Art

[0002] Sealing devices are widely used in scenarios where a lid is sealed to the opening of a container. For example, stores such as supermarkets provide foods such as beverages and cooked foods (hereinafter simply referred to as "goods", "contents"). When a store provides goods, instead of directly delivering the goods to the purchaser, the goods are placed in a container, and the opening of the container is sealed with a lid and then provided. The traditional method of providing goods adopted by stores is to pre-display the goods already placed in the container on the shelf, and the purchaser selects and buys the displayed goods. In this method of providing goods, the store places the goods in the container and seals the opening of the container with a lid. In recent years, in addition to this method of providing goods, a new method has become popular, that is, the purchaser places the goods in the container and seals the opening of the container with a lid. This method of providing goods is currently often adopted when convenience stores provide beverages such as coffee.

[0003] There are many ways to seal the opening of a container. One of them is a method of bonding a lid to the edge formed around the mouth of the container. In this case, the lid is bonded to the edge of the container. Therefore, a sealed state is formed inside the container. There are various methods for bonding the lid, for example, a heat sealing method in which the container and the lid are heated and bonded together, or an ultrasonic fusion method in which ultrasonic waves are applied to the container and the lid to bond the container and the lid body together. Hereinafter, the process of bonding the lid to the container will be referred to as "sealing the lid on the container".

[0004] So far, one of the known methods for sealing a container is to use a sealing device (also called a closing device). Sealing devices exist in various forms due to various requirements such as their placement position and the frequency of sealing the container. An example of one such sealing device is the sealing device disclosed in Patent Document 1. This sealing device is equipped with a container support base for supporting the container. The container support base is structurally designed to be able to accommodate the container. This sealing device also has a moving mechanism designed such that the container support base can move between an external position and an internal position of the sealing device. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3152023 Gazette Summary of the Invention

[0006] As described above, the sealing device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a moving mechanism for moving the container support seat, so it is prone to become structurally complex with a large number of parts, resulting in a relatively high manufacturing cost. In addition, due to the complex structure, traditional sealing devices tend to be large in size. The large size of the sealing device does not pose a major problem in places such as factories where it is easy to provide installation space. However, in recent years, there has been an increasing number of cases where sealing devices are installed in stores. Generally speaking, it is more difficult for stores to provide the space required to install the sealing device compared to factories. Therefore, the sealing devices installed in stores are more expected to be miniaturized.

[0007] In view of the above situation, the present solution aims to provide a sealing device that can be miniaturized as a whole and reduce the manufacturing cost.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] The present invention relates to the abstracts of the following key points (1) to (17). (1) A sealing device for sealing a container opening with a lid, comprising a support for supporting the container, a sealing force application part for applying a sealing force with the lid, and a moving mechanism between the first position at a specific distance between the sealing force application part and the container on the support and the position for applying a specific force when the lid is applied to the container. (2) A sealing device for sealing a container opening with a lid, comprising a support for supporting the container, a sealing force application part for applying a sealing force with the lid, and a moving mechanism between the first position at a specific distance between the sealing force application part and the container on the support and the position for applying a specific force when the lid is applied to the container, and the sealing force application part releases the sealing force on the container when specific conditions are met. (3) The specific condition refers to the sealing force applied by the sealing force application part reaching a specific magnitude, such as the sealing device described in (2). (4) The specific condition refers to after a specific time has elapsed since the sealing force applied by the sealing force application part reached a specific magnitude, such as the sealing device described in (2). (5) When the container is placed on the support, there is a holding part for holding the container in a specific position on the support, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). (6) The energy at least includes thermal energy, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). (7) The container and the lid have corresponding docking parts, there is a resin material on the docking parts, and the sealing force application part provides at least thermal energy that exceeds the softening temperature of the resin material, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). (8) The sealing force application part provides pressure energy in addition to thermal energy, such as the sealing device described in (7). (9) When placing the container on the support, there is a holding part for holding the container in a specific position on the support, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). (10) When the holding part holds the container, there is a positioning part for positioning the container in a specific position on the support, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). (11) The holding part is used to hold the main body part of the container, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). (12) The holding part is designed to be able to accommodate a variety of containers of different sizes, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). (13) The holding part is designed to be able to accommodate a variety of containers of different shapes, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). (14) The moving mechanism has an operation part controlled by the user and is configured to move between a first position and a second position through the operation of the user, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). (15) The moving mechanism has a moving force application part for moving the sealing force application part located at the second position between the first position and the second position, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). (16) The support is located below the sealing force application part, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). (17) When placing the container on the support, below the sealing force application part and above the upper end of the container, there is a lid guiding part for guiding the insertion of the lid, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). (18) When the sealing force application part is in the second position, it applies a first energy as the energy to at least a part of the contact surface formed on the facing surface part of the container and the lid body, and applies a second energy smaller than the magnitude of the first energy to the non-contact surface opposite to the contact surface, such as the sealing device described in (1) or (2). Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, first, the container is supported at its main body part. Therefore, when the sealing force is applied by the sealing force application part, the protruding part at the top of the container is more likely to maintain a deformable state as a whole. Therefore, even when the container is subjected to the sealing force applied by the sealing force application part, not all of the applied sealing force is completely borne by the protruding part, but only a specific magnitude of force is received, and the other forces can be released. Therefore, when sealing the container with the lid, the operation is more convenient.

[0010] In addition, according to the present invention, since the container is directly placed on the support, there is no need to provide a holding device for use on the upper part of the container or a driving mechanism for moving in the front-rear direction as in the conventionally known sealing devices, etc., which can simplify the overall structure of the sealing device. Therefore, the sealing device according to the present invention can not only significantly reduce the number of components, achieve miniaturization and light weight, but also significantly reduce various costs such as manufacturing costs. In particular, in recent years in stores, in consideration of more effectively using the limited storefront space, it is desired that the installed equipment be more miniaturized and lightweight. Therefore, the sealing device according to the present invention can easily achieve significant miniaturization, so that even for small stores that need to emphasize space efficiency more, such as convenience stores and fast food restaurants in recent years, etc., it can provide solutions more efficiently. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]

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Figure 12

[0012] The specific implementation forms of the sealing device related to the present invention are as follows. The following is a detailed description of the structure and the like of the sealing device related to the present invention. The following description is made with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description is an explanation of an example of the specific form of the sealing device related to the present invention, and the content of the sealing device of the present invention is not limited only to the scope described below. Therefore, for the sealing device related to the present invention, changes can be appropriately made without departing from the intention of the present invention.

[0013] The following description is for convenience of description and relates to the directions of front and back, left and right, up and down. However, the content of the present invention is not limited to these directions. In the following description, the Z-axis direction represents up and down, the X-axis direction represents front and back, and the Y-axis direction represents left and right. Figures 1 to 12 The size relationships such as the dimensions and thicknesses of the sealing device and each component shown in Figures 1 to 12 are only for convenience of description, and the actual size relationships and ratios are not limited by this.

[0014] [First Embodiment]

[0015] As Figures 1 to 3 shown, the sealing device 1 according to this embodiment includes a main device 2 and a cover body 3. When provided for user use, the main device 2 is in a state covered by the cover body 3. The main device 2 includes a box body 4, a support portion 5, a cover body positioning portion 6 (hereinafter also referred to as a holding portion), a sealing force providing portion 7, a moving mechanism 8, and an operation portion 9.

[0016] The housing 4 is composed of a bottom plate 10, a right side plate 11, a left side plate 12, an upper plate 13, and a rear plate 14, and these components form the outer frame of the device body 2. The bottom plate 10 is a plate-like component at the lower part of the device body 2. The bottom plate 10 is provided with a support portion 15 for placing the container 501. The support portion 15 is formed on the surface of the bottom plate 10. In the present embodiment, the support portion 15 is planar, and it can also be made concave or in the form of a groove according to the shape of the bottom of the container 501. The right side plate 11 is vertically provided from the right end along the left-right direction (X-axis direction) of the bottom plate 10. In addition, the left side plate 12 is vertically provided from the left end along the left-right direction (X-axis direction) of the bottom plate 10. The right side plate 11 and the left side plate 12 are longitudinal plate-like components extending in the height direction (Z-axis direction). In addition, the right side plate 11 and the left side plate 12 are provided with rail fixing portions 16 for fixing the rails constituting the moving mechanism 8. The rail fixing portions 16 only need to be able to fix the rails on the right side plate 11 and the left side plate 12, and their shapes can be determined arbitrarily. In addition, the right side plate 11 and the left side plate 12 are also designed to be able to mount various components constituting the sealing force applying portion 7. As Figure 2 shown, a structure capable of mounting various components constituting the sealing force applying portion 7 is formed above the right side plate 11 and the left side plate 12, and a rail fixing portion 16 is formed below them.

[0017] The upper plate 13 is a plate-like component, the right end in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) is fixed to the right side plate 11, and the left end in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) is fixed to the left side plate 12. Various components constituting the sealing force applying portion 7 are mounted on the upper plate 13.

[0018] The rear plate 14 is a plate-like component that is installed at the rear end in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) of the right side plate 11, the left side plate 12, and the upper plate 13. The bottom of the rear plate 14 has a holding member mounting portion 17 for mounting and fixing the holding portion 5 mentioned later. It should be noted that the structure of the holding member connecting portion 17 can adopt any conventionally known method as long as it can mount and fix the holding portion 5.

[0019] The holding portion 5 is a main body component for holding the container 501 placed on the support portion 15. The holding portion 5 has one end and the other end, where one end is mounted on the rear plate 14 as a fixed end, and the other end is mounted as a free end that can extend forward. In addition, the holding portion 5 is provided with a connecting portion 18, an extending portion 19, a container holding portion 20, and a guiding portion 21 along the direction from one end to the other end. The connecting portion 168 is used to fix the holding portion 5 to the rear plate 14. In this embodiment, the structure of the connecting portion 18 enables it to be fixed to the rear plate 14 by, for example, screws, but it is not limited to this structure. The extending portion 19 is a part extending from the connecting portion 18 to the one-end side, and its extending distance can be arbitrarily determined according to the size and / or shape of the container 501.

[0020] The container holding portion 20 is a component for holding the container 501 placed on the support portion 15. The container holding portion 20 is further extended from the front end of the extending portion 19 and has an arc shape that can expand in the left-right direction. The arc of the container holding portion 20 is formed along the outer peripheral edge of the container 501 on the placing portion 15. The guiding portion 21 is used to smoothly guide the container 501 into the container holding portion 20 when inserting the container 501 into the holding portion 5 ( Figure 1 moving in the direction A in the middle and moving the container 501 to the holding portion 5). The interval W1 between the end portion of the other end portion of the container holding portion 20 and the material constituting the container holding portion 20 is designed to be narrower than the outer diameter D1 of the container 501 at its installation height direction position and the corresponding position. In some cases, it may be difficult for the container 501 to smoothly enter the container holding portion 20. The front-end interval of the guiding portion 21 is made wider than the interval W1, so that its width gradually decreases until it reaches the interval W1 at the end of the container holding portion 20. Therefore, when inserting the container 501 along Figure 1 the direction A in the middle, as the insertion action progresses, the interval between the components constituting the container holding portion 20 can be more easily expanded, enabling the container 501 to smoothly enter the container holding portion 20. This container holding portion 20 is preferably designed to be able to accommodate a variety of containers with different sizes and / or shapes.

[0021] The lid positioning portion 6 is used to position the container 501 when placing the lid on the container 501 placed on the placement portion 15. The lid positioning portion 6 is composed of a first lid positioning portion 22, a second lid positioning portion 23, a third lid positioning portion 24, and a fourth lid positioning portion 25. Among them, the first lid position determining portion 22 and the third lid position determining portion 24 are fixedly installed on the right side plate, while the second lid position determining portion 23 and the fourth lid position determining portion 25 are fixedly installed on the left side plate. These from the first lid positioning portion 22 to the fourth lid positioning portion 25 have the same structure. That is, the first lid positioning portion 22 to the fourth lid positioning portion 25 respectively have a first fixing member 22A to 25A, a second fixing member 22B to 25B, a first turning member 22C to 25C, a second turning member 22D to 25D, and a rod-shaped body 22E to 25E. Since these first lid positioning portion 22 to the fourth lid positioning portion 25 have the same structure, the following description of the structure will be made only using the first lid positioning portion 22 and the second lid positioning portion 23, omitting the structure description of the third lid positioning portion 24 and the fourth lid positioning portion 25.

[0022] The first fixing member 22A is an L-shaped member installed on the right side plate 11, having a first piece 26 and a second piece 27 that are installed on the right side plate 11 and extend into the chassis 4. The first piece 26 is formed with a recess 28 having a predetermined width at the central portion in the thickness direction (width direction) of the first fixing member 22A. In addition, the first piece 26 has protrusions 29 at both ends of the recess 28, and through holes are formed in the thickness direction of the protrusions 29.

[0023] The first turning member 22C is an L-shaped member formed by buckling and crossing a third piece 31 and a fourth piece 32. The third piece 31 gradually thins towards the end, and a through hole 34 that penetrates in the thickness direction is formed in the thin portion 33 at the end portion. It should be noted that the thickness of the thin portion 33 is almost the same as the width of the recess 28 formed on the first piece 26 of the first fixing member 22A, or slightly thinner than the width of the recess 28. The fourth piece 32 is formed in a direction almost perpendicular to the third piece 31, and the end is designed to be able to contact the second turning member 22D mentioned later.

[0024] The second fixing member 22B is formed by buckling a fifth piece 35 and a sixth piece 36 of a T-shaped plate-like member at the crossing position. The fifth piece 35 is designed to be installable on the right side plate 11, and the sixth piece 36 extends from a slightly central portion in the longitudinal direction of the fifth piece 35. The sixth piece 36 is designed to be able to support the rotation of the second moving member 22D at the rear side of the fifth piece 35.

[0025] The second moving member 22D has a through hole formed therethrough in the thickness direction and also has a rod support portion 37 for clamping the rod-shaped body 22E. The size of the through hole is such that a shaft member (not shown) formed in the second fixing member 22B can be inserted therethrough or a pin passing through the through hole formed in the second fixing member 22B can be inserted. The second moving member 22D is supported by the shaft member inserted through the through hole or by the pin and can rotate about the shaft member or the pin. The rod support portion 37 is designed to be able to adjust the depth of the insertion hole (not shown), is fixed by a screw, and adjusts the clamping force of the rod-shaped body 22E by adjusting the tightening degree of the screw.

[0026] The rod-shaped body 22E has one end and the other end and is fixed in the insertion hole of the rod-shaped body support portion 37. The rod-shaped body 22E is suspended at one end of the rod support portion 37. The rod-shaped body 22E can rotate along the Figure 6 B direction in. Normally, the first fixing member 22A and the second fixing member 22B are connected by an elastic member (not shown). Therefore, the second moving member 22D is spring-supported by the first moving member 22C such that the other end of the rod-shaped body 22E is suspended toward the center in the X-axis direction.

[0027] It should be noted that the rod-shaped bodies 22E and 23E are opposite to each other in the X-axis direction. The distance between these rod-shaped bodies 22E and 22E is smaller than the outer diameter of the container 501 on the placing portion 15. This is to make the rod-shaped body 22E contact the outer peripheral portion of the container 501 when the container 501 is placed on the placing portion 15. When the container 501 is placed on the placing portion 15, since the distance between the opposing rod-shaped bodies 22E is smaller than the outer diameter of the container 501, the opposing rod-shaped bodies 22E will sequentially contact the outer shape of the container 501 and gradually expand their distance to allow the entry of the container 501. When the container 501 reaches the maximum entry point, the distance between the rod-shaped bodies 22E and 22E is the largest. Thereafter, as the container 501 enters inward, each rod-shaped body 22E can correspondingly adjust its distance along the outer shape of the container 501 while gradually reducing the distance between them.

[0028] It should be noted that the structures of the first fixing members 23A to 25A, the second fixing members 23B to 25B, the first moving members 23C to 25C, and the second moving members 23D to 25D are the same as the structures of the first fixing member 22A, the second fixing member 22B, the first moving member 22C, and the second moving member 22D described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

[0029] A lid guiding member 38 is provided on the rod-shaped body 22E. When the lid 601 is placed on the container 501, positioning is performed through predetermined positions of the four rod-shaped bodies 22E to 25E, specifically, at a position slightly the same as the center of the lid 601 and the center of the container 501. At this time, the lid is first inserted into the area surrounded by the four rod-shaped bodies 22E and then placed on the container 501. The lid guiding member 38 is a member for guiding from which position in the Z-axis direction the lid is inserted when the lid is inserted into the area surrounded by the four rod-shaped bodies 22E. It is preferable to provide the lid guiding member 38 at a position higher than the top of the container 501 so that it is easier to place the lid on the container 501. In addition, in the sealing device 1, if lids 601 for sealing containers 501 of different heights are used, the position in the Z-axis direction can be changed, and multiple lid guiding members 38 can be installed as needed. In addition, the lid guiding member 38 can be formed in a clip shape, allowing the position in the Z-axis direction to be freely changed as needed. It should be noted that for convenience of explanation, in Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 the illustration of the lid guiding member 38 is omitted.

[0030] The sealing force applying portion 7 is for applying connection energy to the container 501 and the lid. The sealing force applying portion 7 includes a heater 39, a substrate member 40, and a spring member 41 as a sealing force control portion. The heater 39 includes a heating element 42 and an insertion shaft 43. The heating element 42 has a heating element and a power supply terminal. The heating element is configured to be heated to a predetermined temperature, for example, from about 100°C to 200°C, by the power supplied from the power source. The power supplied to the heating element is supplied from the power source through a cable connected to the power supply terminal. It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the energy applied by the sealing force applying portion 7 has at least thermal energy, but the energy applied by the sealing force applying portion 7 can also use electrical energy, compressive energy, etc. in addition to thermal energy, and these energies can also be used in combination. In addition, in the present embodiment, the sealing force applying portion 7 employs a method of applying thermal energy by the heat sealing method, but methods other than the heat sealing method, such as ultrasonic welding method, can also be appropriately used.

[0031] The shape and size of the heater 39 are formed along the container 501 and the lid 601 to be sealed. For example, the container 501 described in this embodiment is circular in a plan view, and the lid 601 is also formed along the size and shape of the container 501. Therefore, the shape of the heater 39 is formed into a circle capable of heating the edge of the container 501 as a whole. Thus, if the shape of the container 501 in a plan view is rectangular, the shape of the heater 39 can also be formed into a rectangle adapted to the container 501, and its shape and size can be determined arbitrarily. This heater 39 has a sealing force application surface 44, which is the surface in contact with the lid surface. This sealing force application surface 44 can be planar, or a surface with unevenness gradually formed in the radial and / or circumferential directions, but from the perspective of the small sealing force for connecting the container 501 and the lid, it is preferably that the sealing force application surface 44 is planar.

[0032] The insertion shaft 43 stands out from the upper surface of the heater 39. In this embodiment, there are four insertion shafts 43, but the number of insertion shafts 43 is not limited to four. These insertion shafts 43 are provided at positions corresponding to the insertion holes 45 of the substrate member 40. While maintaining the inserted state, the insertion shafts 43 enable the substrate member 40 to move in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and the movement of the substrate member 40 is carried out between the top end and the base end of the insertion shafts 43. In addition, a clip member 46 is installed at a specific position near the top end of the insertion shaft 43. The outer diameter of the clip member 46 is designed to be larger than the insertion hole 45 of the substrate member 40 to ensure that the substrate member 40 does not fall off the insertion shaft 43.

[0033] The substrate member 40 is connected above the heater 39 by a spring member 41. A first connecting member 47 is provided on the substrate member 40, which is connected to the operation unit 9 described later, and a second connecting member 48 is provided, which is connected to the first moving body 49 and the second moving body 50 constituting the moving mechanism 8. The first connecting member 47 is connected to the substrate member 40 and the front cover 51 constituting the operation unit 9 for transmitting the force in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) generated by the operation of the operation unit 9. In addition, the second connecting member 48 receives the force in the vertical direction transmitted through the first connecting member 47 and transmits this force to the first moving body 49 and the second moving body 50.

[0034] The spring member 41 is provided between the heater 39 and the substrate member 40. In the present embodiment, a helical spring is used as the spring member 41, but the spring member 41 used is not limited to a helical spring. A hollow portion is provided in the central portion of the helical spring as the spring member 41, and the insertion shaft 43 passes through the hollow portion. In a state where the heater 39 and the substrate member 40 are clamped, when the interval between the heater 39 and the substrate member 40 becomes narrower, the helical spring is compressed, and when the interval between the heater 39 and the substrate member 40 becomes wider, the compressed state of the helical spring is reduced.

[0035] The operation unit 9 is configured to operate in the vertical direction, that is, to operate between a first position where the distance between the sealing force application unit 7 and the container 501 placed on the placement unit 15 is fixed and a position where the sealing force application unit 7 applies a certain force to the container 501. The operation unit 9 includes a front cover 51 and a handle 52. The front cover 51 is mounted on the first connecting member 47 to prevent a user from being injured by accidentally touching the heater 39 or the like during operation. The front cover 51 integrally covers the sealing force application unit 7 from the front, and its shape is slightly smaller than the width between the right side plate 11 and the left side plate 12 constituting the housing 4. A handle 52 is provided in front of the front cover 51 for the user to hold and operate.

[0036] The moving mechanism 8 is a device that moves the sealing force application unit 7 up and down by the force applied by the user through the operation unit 9. The moving mechanism 8 includes a first guide rail 53, a second guide rail 54, a third guide rail 55, a first moving body 49, a second moving body 50, a third moving body 56, a weight 57, and a transmission member 58. The first guide rail 53 and the second guide rail 54 are used to guide the movement of the sealing force application unit 7 when it moves up and down. In the present embodiment, although the same first guide rail 53 and second guide rail 54 are used, different guide rails can also be used. The first guide rail 53 is mounted on the right side plate 11, and the second guide rail 54 is mounted on the left side plate 12. The first moving body 49 is fixed to the right end of the second connecting member 48. In addition, the first moving body 49 is connected to the first guide rail 53 and can slide along the first guide rail 53. The second moving body 50 is fixed to the left end of the second connecting member 48. In addition, the second moving body 50 is connected to the second guide rail 54 and can slide along the second guide rail 54.

[0037] The third guide rail 55 is used to guide the movement of the heavy object 57 when it moves up and down, and it is fixed behind the rear plate 14. The third moving body 56 is fixed to the heavy object 57 and connected to the third guide rail 55, and can slide along the third guide rail 55. The heavy object 57 is installed behind the rear plate 14 and can slide along the third guide rail 55 through the third moving body 56. One end of the transmission member 58 is connected to the heavy object 57, and the other end is connected to the sealing force application portion 7. The transmission member 58 can be selectively formed of, for example, a chain or the like. It should be noted that, for convenience of description, the transmission member 58 is shown by a dashed line in the figure.

[0038] The detection unit 59 is installed on the sealing force application portion 7. The detection unit 59 is used to detect whether the pressure applied by the sealing force application portion 7 reaches a predetermined magnitude. In the present embodiment, as an example of the detection unit 59, a limit switch is used. When the pressure applied by the sealing force application portion 7 reaches a predetermined magnitude, the switch will turn on (contacts close), and the light emission mode or light emission color of the lamp 60 in the device can be arbitrarily changed to notify the user that there is no need to apply the sealing force anymore.

[0039] Next, the functions and effects of the sealing device in this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, normally, the sealing force applying portion 7 is located at the first position. In addition, the heating element 42 of the sealing force applying portion 7 has been powered and is in a state of being heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, a predetermined temperature between 100°C and 200°C). When the user attempts to apply the lid body 601 to the container 501, the user first places the container 501 in the sealing device 1. At this time, the container 501 is held in the holding portion of the holding portion 5. When the container 501 is held in the holding portion 5, it first comes into contact with the guiding portion 21 that constitutes the holding portion 5. The guiding portion 21 is gradually formed to have a narrower width from the front direction to the rear direction, and the width of its end is formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the container 501. In addition, the shape of the container 501 is circular in a plan view. Therefore, when the container 501 moves in the A direction, the guiding portion 21 elastically deforms so that the size of the container 501 gradually increases along the body portion 502. The elastic deformation at this time occurs in the direction in which the extending portion 19 and the container holding portion 20 gradually increase in width as the number of containers entering increases. After the container 501 passes through the guiding portion 21, it reaches the container holding portion 20 of the holding portion 5. The container holding portion 20 is arc-shaped and is formed along the shape of the container 501. Therefore, the container 501 is held at the body portion 502 of the container holding portion 20. At this time, due to the entry of the container 501, the gap of the holding portion 5 is larger than when the container 501 has not entered. That is, for the container holding portion 20, when the gap between the members constituting the container holding portion 20 is W2 and the outer dimension of the position where the container 501 is held in the container holding portion 20 is D1, D1 is larger than W2. Therefore, when the container 501 enters and is held, the container holding portion 20 will elastically deform to a state corresponding to the outer dimension D1 of the container 501. Therefore, when the container holding portion 20 holds the container 501, it is always subjected to a restoring force to return to the original dimension W2 and holds the container 501 with the same magnitude as the restoring force. Therefore, the container holding portion 20 can firmly hold the container 501 after the container 501 enters. It should be noted that by holding the container 501 in the container holding portion 20, the upper outer peripheral edge of the container 501 will come into contact with the rod-shaped bodies 22E, 23E, 24E, 25E of the lid position determining portion 6.

[0040] The container holding part 20 can hold various types of containers with different external dimensions. For example, when the external dimension of the container to be held is larger than the container described above, the container holding part 20 will undergo elastic deformation over a larger range. When the external dimension of the container increases, there may be a difference between the curvature of the members of the container holding part 20 and the curvature of the body part 502 of the container 501. According to the sealing device of the present embodiment, even if there is a curvature difference between the container holding part 20 and the body part 502 of the container 501, due to the restoring force of the container holding part 20, the container can still be held. In other words, according to the sealing device of the present embodiment, even for various types of containers 501 with different external dimensions, they can be adapted by one holding part 5, thus significantly improving the versatility of the sealing device 1.

[0041] After the user places the container 501 on the container holding part 20, as Figure 10 shown, the lid 501 is placed above the container 501. At this time, the lid positioning inner member 38 is mounted on each of the rod-shaped bodies 22E and 23E of the lid positioning part 6. The lid positioning inner member 38 is located below the sealing force applying part 7 and above the container 501 when the container 501 is placed on the placing part 15. Therefore, the user can insert the lid 601 into the area surrounded by the rod-shaped bodies 22E, 23E, 24E, and 25E of the lid positioning part member 6 while observing the lid positioning inner member 38, enabling the user to place the lid 601 on the container 501 with confidence. In addition, the lid 601 placed above the container 501 in this way is adjusted by the rod-shaped bodies 22E, 23E, 24E, and 25E of the lid positioning part 6, and the position of the container 501 is predetermined. The predetermined position here is not limited to such a central position. As long as it is the position where the lid 601 seals on the container 501, even if there is a slight position deviation, it will be included in the predetermined position.

[0042] The position of the lid positioning inner member 38 is preferably above the container 501, but closer to the container 501 is better. By setting the lid positioning inner member 38 at such a position, it is easier for the user to place the lid 601 on the container 501, making the operation more convenient.

[0043] Next, the user moves towards Figure 11A force is applied to the operation unit 9 in the B direction. After the moving mechanism 8 applies a force in the B direction to the operation unit 9, a force in the B direction is applied through the second connecting member 48. Then, the first moving body 49 starts to slide and move in the B direction along the first guide rail 53, and the second moving body 50 starts to slide and move in the B direction along the second guide rail 54. When the first moving body 49 and the second moving body 50 start to slide in the B direction, the first moving body 49 and the second moving body 50, the first connecting member 47 fixedly connected thereto, and the heater 39 connected to the first connecting member 47 all start to move in the B direction. When the heater 39 etc. start to move in the B direction, the gravity 57 connected through the transmission member 58 starts to move in the Figure 11 C direction in. That is, when the heater 39 starts to descend, the gravity 57 starts to rise.

[0044] The user operates through the operation unit 9 to move the sealing force applying portion 7 in the Figure 11 B direction in to a predetermined position, so that the sealing force applying surface 44 of the heater 39 contacts the surface of the cover body 601. Since the heater 39 of the sealing force applying surface 44 has been heated to a predetermined temperature, when the sealing force applying surface 44 contacts the surface of the cover body 601, the heat energy of the heater 39 is transferred to the sealing force applying surface 44 to heat the cover body 601. At this time, the contact state between the heater 39 and the cover body 601 can be maintained, or it can be configured to apply a predetermined sealing force after contact. In this way, when the sealing force applying surface 44 of the heater 39 contacts the surface of the cover body 601, or when a sealing force is further applied after the sealing force applying surface 44 contacts the surface of the cover body 601, the limit switch as the detection unit 59 will be triggered. When the limit switch is triggered, a locking mechanism (not shown) will start to operate to maintain the heat energy transferred from the heater 39, or for a predetermined time in the state of applying heat energy and sealing force. This locking mechanism will be unlocked after a predetermined time. Then, the sealing force applying portion located at the second position rises due to the force applied in the direction opposite to the gravity of the rising heavy object 57 through the transmission member 58, which is due to the descent from the first position to the second position.

[0045] The sealing device 1 according to the present invention first holds the container 501 in the body portion 502. Therefore, when the heater 39 of the sealing force applying portion 7 applies the sealing force, the protruding portion at the upper end of the container 501 is more likely to maintain an easily variable state as a whole. Therefore, even when the container 501 is under the sealing force applied by the heater 39, it can not only receive all the applied sealing force, but also receive only a specific magnitude of force, and the remaining force can be released. Therefore, when sealing the cover body 601 on the container 501, the sealing can be easily performed.

[0046] In addition, in the sealing device 1 according to the present invention, since the container 501 is directly placed on the placement portion 15, there is no need to provide a holding device for holding the upper end of the container or a driving mechanism for operating in the front-rear direction as in the conventionally known sealing devices. This makes the overall structure of the sealing device 1 simpler. Therefore, the sealing device according to the present invention can significantly reduce the number of components, achieve miniaturization and light weight, and can significantly reduce various costs, including manufacturing costs.

[0047] In recent years, in stores, from the perspective of more effectively utilizing the limited store space, it is desired that the installed devices be more miniaturized and lighter in weight. Therefore, the sealing device according to the present invention can easily achieve significant miniaturization, and thus can be more effectively provided to stores where space efficiency is more important, such as convenience stores and fast food restaurants that have particularly focused on small stores in recent years.

[0048] In summary, although the embodiments of the sealing device of the present invention have been described in detail, the above is only an example of the sealing device of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above example and can be appropriately modified as long as it is within the scope of the intention of the present invention.

[0049] The sealing device related to the present invention includes the following technical ideas. (A1) A sealing device for sealing a container opening with a lid, including a support portion for supporting the container, a sealing force application portion for applying the energy required to seal the container with the lid, and a first position between the sealing force application portion and the container on the support portion, where they are separated by a set distance, and a second position where the sealing force application portion applies a certain force to the lid when the lid is placed on the container, and further including a moving mechanism for moving the sealing force application portion and / or the container. (A2) A sealing device for sealing a container opening with a lid, including a support portion for supporting the container, a sealing force application portion for applying the energy required to seal the container with the lid, and a first position between the sealing force application portion and the container on the support portion, where they are separated by a set distance, and a second position where the sealing force application portion applies a certain force to the lid when the lid is placed on the container, and further including a moving mechanism for moving the sealing force application portion and / or the container, wherein the sealing force application portion releases the application of the sealing force to the container when certain conditions are met. (A3) The certain condition is that the sealing force of the sealing force application portion reaches a certain magnitude, as in the sealing device described in (A2). (A4) The certain condition is that after a certain time has elapsed after the sealing force of the sealing force application portion reaches a certain magnitude, as in the sealing device described in (A2). (A5) When the container is placed on the support portion, it has a holding portion for holding the container in a specific position on the support portion, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A4). (A6) The energy includes at least thermal energy, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A5). (A7) The container and the lid have facing surfaces, and the facing surfaces have a resin material. The sealing force applying portion applies at least thermal energy, and the temperature of the thermal energy exceeds the softening temperature of the resin material, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A6). (A8) The sealing force applying portion applies pressure energy in addition to thermal energy, such as the sealing device described in (A7). (A9) When the container is placed on the support portion, it has a holding portion for holding the container in a specific position on the support portion, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A8). (A10) The holding portion has a positioning portion for placing the container in a specific position on the support portion when the container is held, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A9). (A11) The holding portion is for holding the cylindrical portion of the container, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A10). (A12) The holding portion is formed to be able to hold a variety of containers of different sizes, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A11). (A13) The holding portion is formed to be able to hold a variety of containers with different shapes, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A12). (A14) The moving mechanism has an operation portion operated by the user, and is configured to be moved between a first position and a second position by the user's operation, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A13). (A15) The moving mechanism has a moving force applying portion for moving the sealing force applying portion from the second position to the first position, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A14). (A16) The support portion is located below the sealing force applying portion, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A15). (A17) When the container is placed on the support portion, below the sealing force applying portion, and at a position above the upper end of the container, there is a lid guiding portion for guiding the insertion of the lid, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A16). (A18) When the sealing force applying portion is in the second position, it applies a first energy as energy to at least a part of the facing surfaces of the container and the lid, and applies a second energy smaller than the magnitude of the first energy at a non-contact portion that does not contact the facing surfaces, such as any of the sealing devices described in (A1) to (A17).

Claims

1. An opening sealing device for a container, comprising a support portion for supporting the container, a sealing force applying portion for applying a sealing force to the container, and a moving mechanism between a position (first position) where the sealing force applying portion and / or the container is separated from the container placed on the placing portion by a predetermined distance and a position (second position) where the sealing force applying portion applies a predetermined amount of force to a lid placed on the container.

2. An opening sealing device for a container, comprising a support portion for supporting the container, a sealing force applying portion for applying a sealing force to the container, a moving mechanism between a position (first position) where the sealing force applying portion and / or the container is separated from the container placed on the placing portion by a predetermined distance and a position (second position) where the sealing force applying portion applies a predetermined amount of force to a lid placed on the container, and the sealing force applying portion releases the sealing force applied to the container when specific conditions are met.

3. The sealing device according to claim 2, wherein the specific conditions mean that the sealing force applied by the sealing force applying portion reaches a predetermined magnitude.

4. The sealing device according to claim 2, wherein the specific conditions mean that a predetermined time has elapsed after the sealing force applied by the sealing force applying portion reaches a predetermined magnitude.

5. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the container is placed on the placing portion, there is a holding portion for holding the container at a specific position on the placing portion.

6. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the energy at least includes thermal energy.

7. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein there is a facing portion between the container and the lid, on which a resin material exists, and the sealing force applying portion applies at least thermal energy to the facing portion, and the thermal energy exceeds the softening temperature of the resin material.

8. The sealing device according to claim 7, wherein the sealing force applying portion applies pressure energy in addition to thermal energy.

9. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the container is placed on the placing portion, there is a holding portion for holding the container at a specific position on the placing portion.

10. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding portion has a position positioning portion for placing the container at a specific position on the placing portion when holding the container.

11. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding portion is for holding the body portion of the container.

12. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding portion is designed to be able to hold various types of containers with different sizes.

13. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding portion is designed to be able to hold various types of containers with different shapes.

14. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the moving mechanism has an operation portion manipulated by a user.

15. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the moving mechanism has a moving force applying portion for applying a moving force to move the sealing force applying portion from the second position to the first position.

16. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the placing portion is located below the sealing force applying portion.

17. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein When the container is placed on the placement part, below the sealing force application part and at a position above the upper end of the container, there is a lid guiding part for guiding the insertion position of the lid.

18. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein When the sealing force application part is in the second position, a first energy as energy is applied to at least a part of the contact surface, and a second energy smaller than the magnitude of the first energy is applied to the non-contact surface.

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