Capper

Abstract

To provide a capper capable of replacing a capping unit efficiently owing to an easy-to-handle structure.SOLUTION: A capper includes: a coupling part 18 provided on a lower end part of a drive axle 16, the coupling part including a locking part 21; and a dropout prevention member 22 that is urged toward a restriction position of the lower end part of the drive axle 16 along the drive axle 16 and includes a release member 46. A capping unit 12 is axle-supported by an oscillating axle 26A and includes a coupling arm 28 including a contact member 38 and a locking stop 36 on a distal end part thereof. The distal end part of the coupling arm is urged toward a center of the drive axle 16 around the oscillating axle 26A. The dropout prevention member 22 prevents, at a restriction position, the locking stop 36 from dropping out from the locking part 21 by covering from outside the locking stop 36 that is engaged to the locking part 21. At the time the release member 46 is located under the contact member 38. The contact member 38 includes an inclined face 38A, the release member 46 is raised slidably while coming into contact with the inclined face 38A when the dropout prevention member 22 is moved upward, and the coupling arm 28 is pushed open outward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a capper having a detachable capping unit. [Background technology]

[0002] In a multi-capper that caps multiple types of caps, the capping head at the tip of the capper body equipped with a chuck or the like is a replaceable replacement unit, and the capping of different caps is supported by attaching the capping head (replacement unit) to the tip of the capper body according to the cap to be handled (Patent Document 1). In the configuration of Patent Document 1, a rod-shaped connection part located at the upper end of the replacement unit is inserted into a fastening part provided inside a connector that is spring-biased downward on the capper body, and a protrusion of the connection part is engaged with the fastening part, and the engaged parts are covered from the outside with the connector to prevent accidental detachment and connect the replacement unit to the capper body. In addition, when removing the replacement unit, the connector is pushed up against the spring bias to expose the connection part and the fastening part, and the engagement is released. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6882670 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the worker must push up the connector to attach or detach the replacement unit, which requires the use of both hands and results in poor work efficiency.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a capper having a simple structure that prevents the capping unit from falling off and enables efficient replacement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The capper of the present invention is a capper capable of attaching and detaching a capping unit to a drive shaft rotated by a drive source, comprising: a locking portion provided at a lower end of the drive shaft; a fall-off prevention member provided with a release member that is attached to the drive shaft so as to be movable in the vertical direction and is biased toward a regulated position at the lower end of the drive shaft; at least a pair of connecting arms provided on the capping unit, swingable about a swing shaft, and provided at their tip ends with an abutment portion that abuts against the release member and a locking claw that can engage with the locking portion; and a pair of connecting arms that are connected to the center of the drive shaft and have their tip ends locked to the center of the drive shaft. and a biasing means for biasing the connecting arm toward the engaging portion, wherein, in the restricted position, the anti-slip member covers the engaging claws engaging with the engaging portion from the outside to prevent the engaging claws from falling off from the engaging portion, and the release member is configured to be positioned below the abutment portion, and at least one of the abutment portion or the release member is provided with an inclined surface, and when the anti-slip member is moved upward, the release member is raised while making sliding contact with the abutment portion via the inclined surface, thereby pushing the connecting arm outward and causing the engaging claws to disengage from the engaging portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a capper can be provided that has a simple structure, prevents the capping unit from falling off, and allows for efficient replacement. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] A side view showing the configuration of a capping unit mounting portion of a capper according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a view of the connecting portion to which the capping unit is attached, taken from the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area around the connecting portion to which the capping unit is attached. FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating only half of each member, showing the arrangement of the connecting portion, connecting arm, and anti-detachment member in the state shown in FIGS. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view vertically divided into two in the center to show the structure of the fall-off prevention member. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a side view showing the state at the time when attachment of the mounting jig to the capping unit begins. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a side view showing the state in which the mounting jig has been completely attached and the engagement with the connecting portion of the capping unit has been released. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a partially enlarged view of the periphery of the tip of the connecting arm in FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a capping unit mounting portion of a capper according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the side view of Fig. 1, the capping unit is mounted on the capper.

[0010] The capper 10 of this embodiment is detachably fitted with a capping unit 12 having a capping head 11 at its lower end for holding caps and capping each container. The upper end of the capping unit 12 is attached to the lower end of a drive shaft 16 provided on the capper body. During capping, the drive shaft 16 is rotated by a drive source 14 such as a servo motor.

[0011] A connecting portion 18 for attaching the upper end of the capping unit 12 is provided at the lower end of the drive shaft 16. The connecting portion 18 is composed of, for example, an upper portion of a substantially inverted truncated cone shape extending radially outward from the drive shaft 16 and a cylindrical lower portion extending downward from the lower end thereof. A hole 18A is provided at the center of the connecting portion 18 into which an upper end 20A of a shaft 20 of the capping unit 12 is inserted from below. A key 20B is provided along the axial direction at the upper end of the shaft 20 inserted into the hole 18A, and the key 20B engages with a groove provided on the inner peripheral surface of the hole 18A to integrate the drive shaft 16 and the shaft 20 against rotation. The upper end of the hole 18A is connected to a vacuum passage 16A for vacuuming provided along the center of the drive shaft 16. The outer edge of the upper surface of the inverted truncated cone of the connecting portion 18 extending radially outward from the drive shaft 16 functions as a locking portion 21 for fixing the capping unit 12 as described later.

[0012] A fall-prevention member 22 for preventing the capping unit 12 from falling off is attached around the drive shaft 16 above the connecting portion 18. The fall-prevention member 22 is movable in the vertical direction along the drive shaft 16, and is biased downward by a biasing member such as a coil spring 24 wound around the drive shaft 16.

[0013] The fall-off prevention member 22 includes a spring accommodating portion 22A that accommodates a coil spring 24, and a cylindrical locking member 22B that is located below the spring accommodating portion 22A and extends from the spring accommodating portion 22A outward beyond the engaging portion 21 of the connecting portion 18. In the spring accommodating portion 22A, the coil spring 24 is disposed in a compressed state between an engaging ring 16B provided on the drive shaft 16 and the locking member 22B, and the fall-off prevention member 22 is biased downward to a restricting position (a position corresponding to the lower end of the drive shaft 16) where the locking member 22B is pressed against the upper surface of the inverted truncated cone of the connecting portion 18.

[0014] A vacuum passage 20C that connects the vacuum passage 16A of the drive shaft 16 and the capping head 11 is provided along the axial direction at the center of the shaft 20 of the capping unit 12. A base member 26 is provided immediately below the tip 20A of the shaft 20. The base member 26 supports a connecting arm 28 that swings around a swing shaft 26A. The swing shaft 26A is arranged along the tangential direction of the outer periphery of the shaft 20, and a plurality of swing shafts 26A are arranged rotationally symmetrically along the circumferential direction (two in this embodiment). A biasing member (biasing means) such as a torsion spring that rotates and biases the upper end (tip) of the connecting arm 28 toward the axis of the shaft 20 is provided around the swing shaft 26A (not shown). That is, the multiple connecting arms 28 are biased so as to close toward the axis of the shaft 20. The biasing means may be arranged between the lower end of the connecting arm 28 and the shaft 20.

[0015] Further, below the base member 26 on the shaft 20, there are provided flange-shaped upper protrusion 32A and lower protrusion 32B for mounting an installation / removal jig (replacement means) 30 used when installing and removing the capping unit 12. The installation / removal jig 30 is inserted between the upper protrusion 32A and the lower protrusion 32B and includes a bifurcated holding member 30A that engages with the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 20, a bifurcated detachment member 30B that engages with the lock member 22B of the fall-off prevention member 22 to push up the fall-off prevention member 22 as described below, and a support member 30C that connects the holding member 30A and the detachment member 30B and supports them in a parallel state.

[0016] The thickness of the holding member 30A corresponds approximately to the height between the upper protrusion 32A and the lower protrusion 32B, but is set to a thickness such that when the holding member 30A is inserted between the upper protrusion 32A and the lower protrusion 32B to hold the capping unit 12, that is, when the upper surface of the holding member 30A is in contact with the upper protrusion 32A, a slight gap G is formed between the lower surface of the holding member 30A and the lower protrusion 32B. In other words, when the capping unit 12 is held by the holding member 30A, the capping unit 12 can move slightly in the vertical direction. When the holding member 30A is inserted between the upper protrusion 32A and the lower protrusion 32B, the posture and position of the mounting / removal jig 30 relative to the capping unit 12 are approximately appropriately maintained.

[0017] When the holding member 30A is inserted between the upper protrusion 32A and the lower protrusion 32B, the tip of the detachable member 30B is positioned at substantially the same height as the lower end of the fall-prevention member 22 (the lower end of the locking member 22B) in the restricted position. The distance between the detachable members 30B is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the inverted truncated cone shape of the connecting portion 18 at that height, and the inner sides of both detachable members 30B are positioned inside the outer diameter of the locking member 22B.

[0018] The installation / removal jig 30 is configured to be movable left and right, front and rear, and up and down (XYZ directions) in Fig. 1 by a jig moving device 34 configured by an electric or fluid actuator such as a motor or cylinder. When multiple capping units 12 are provided in the capper 10, the installation / removal jig 30 and the jig moving device 34 are provided corresponding to each capping unit 12, and are configured to wait in the position shown in Fig. 1 when not in use (i.e., while the capper 10 is performing the capping operation) and not to interfere with the capping unit 10 moving up and down during the capping operation. The installation / removal jig 30 may also be configured to be manually operated by an operator without using the jig moving device 34.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a view seen from the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 1 around the connecting part 18 to which the capping unit 12 is attached, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view around the connecting part 18 to which the capping unit 12 is attached. Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating only half of each member, showing the arrangement of the connecting part 18, the connecting arm 28, and the fall-off prevention member 22 in the state of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view divided vertically in half in the middle to show the structure of the fall-off prevention member 22, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a pair of connecting arms 28.

[0020] The upper end (tip) of the connecting arm 28 is provided with a locking claw 36 that protrudes toward the axis of the shaft 20. When the capping unit 12 is attached to the connecting part 18, the connecting arm 28 is closed and the locking claw 36 engages with the locking part 21 of the connecting part 18. In addition, abutment members 38 that protrude outward in a direction perpendicular to the protruding direction of the locking claws 36 are provided on both side surfaces of the upper end of the connecting arm 28.

[0021] The locking member 22B of the fall-off prevention member 22 has an outer peripheral wall 40 that covers the periphery of the upper end of the inverted trapezoidal portion of the connecting portion 16 in the restricted position (the position in Figs. 1 to 3). The outer peripheral wall 40 has openings 42 that are open to the outside at positions corresponding to each connecting arm 28 (in this embodiment, two openings 42 are provided on either side of the central axis). The outer peripheral wall 40 is slightly thicker than the connecting arms 28, and the upper end of the connecting arm 28 engaged with the locking portion 21 is accommodated in the openings 42.

[0022] The opening 42 is formed from the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 40 partway along the axial direction, and when the fall-off prevention member 22 is in the restricted position, the upper end face of the connecting arm 28 abuts on the top face of the opening 42. A restricting portion 44 extending downward along the edge is provided on the outer periphery of the top face of the opening 42. In the restricted position, the restricting portion 44 engages with the outside of the tip of the connecting arm 28, preventing the connecting arm 28 from opening.

[0023] The opposing left and right side surfaces that define the opening 42 are provided with release members 46 that protrude toward the opposing side surfaces. The release members 46 are members that engage with the abutment members 38 of the connecting arms 28, and are located below the abutment members 38 in the restricted position. An inclined surface 38A that descends from the radially inner side to the outer side is provided below the abutment members 38, and a vertical surface 38B is provided on the radially inner side. An outer surface 46A that can engage with the vertical surface 38B is provided on the radially outer side of the release members 46.

[0024] Next, with reference to Figs. 7 to 9, a description will be given of the operation of removing the capping unit 12 using the capping unit removing mechanism including the removing and installing jig 30 and the jig moving device 34 of this embodiment.

[0025] Figures 7 and 8 show two states when the capping unit 12 attached to the connecting portion 18 is detached from the connecting portion 18 by applying the attachment / detachment jig 30 to the capping unit 12. Figure 7 shows the state at the point when attachment of the attachment / detachment jig 30 to the capping unit 12 begins, and Figure 8 shows the state when attachment of the attachment / detachment jig 30 is completed and the engagement of the capping unit 12 with the connecting portion 18 is released. Also, Figure 9 is a partial enlarged view of Figure 8 around the tip of the connecting arm 28.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 7, when the holding member 30A of the attachment / detachment jig 30 is inserted between the upper protrusion 32A and the lower protrusion 32B, the holding member 30A is guided by the upper protrusion 32A and the lower protrusion 32B and moved in a direction perpendicular to the shaft 20. At this time, the detachment member 30B is also moved in a direction perpendicular to the shaft 20, and the tip of the detachment member 30B engages with the lower end of the lock member 22B. The holding member 30A is inserted between the upper protrusion 32A and the lower protrusion 32B in a positional relationship in which a gap G is generated between the upper surface of the holding member 30A and the upper protrusion 32A. The size of the gap G is set to a distance sufficient for the vertical surface 38B of the abutting member 38, which is lowered, to engage with the outer surface 46A of the release member 46, as described later.

[0027] An inclined surface 31 is provided on the upper surface of the tip of the detachable member 30B, and the detachable member 30B has a tapered shape. When the attachment / detachment jig 30 is pushed in the direction of the shaft 20, the inclined surface 31 is pressed against the lower end of the locking member 22B in the restricted position, and the lower end of the locking member 22B is pushed up along the inclined surface 31. As a result, the fall-prevention member 22 is lifted up against the biasing force of the coil spring 24.

[0028] When the locking member 22B is lifted, the restricting portion 44 that has restricted the outward movement of the tip of the connecting arm 28 is raised to a height where it does not interfere with the tip of the connecting arm 28. At the same time, the release member 46 provided in the opening 42 of the locking member 22B is pressed against the inclined surface 38A of the abutment member 38 of the connecting arm 28.

[0029] The release member 46 is pushed up further while sliding against the inclined surface 38A, and the upper end of the connecting arm 28 is moved radially outward against the biasing force of the swing shaft 26A. As a result, the locking claws 36 are moved outward beyond the locking portions 21 of the connecting portion 18, and the locking claws 36 of the connecting arm and the locking portions 21 are disengaged from each other as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0030] At the same time, the capping unit 12 is lowered slightly by its own weight by the gap G between the upper surface of the holding member 30A and the lower surface of the upper protrusion holding portion 32A, and the upper surface of the holding member 30A comes into contact with the lower surface of the upper protrusion holding portion 32A. As the capping unit 12 descends, a new gap G is formed between the lower surface of the holding member 30A and the upper surface of the lower protrusion holding portion 32B, and as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the vertical surface 38B of the abutting member 38 engages with the outer surface 46A of the release member 46. This prevents the locking claw 36 from engaging with the locking portion 21 again, even if a biasing force is acting on the connecting arm 26A.

[0031] 8 and 9, the capping unit 12 is held by the holding part 30A through the upper protrusion 32A and the lower protrusion 32B. When the fitting / removal jig 30 is lowered, the fall-prevention member 22 is also lowered together with the capping unit 12, and the tip of the locking claw 36 is moved below the locking part 21, which is the upper surface of the connecting part 18, with the connecting arm 28 in the open state.

[0032] When the fall-prevention member 22 is lowered to the regulating position and only the capping unit 12 is further lowered, the abutment member 38 overcomes the release member 46, and the biasing force of the swing shaft 26A presses the tip of the locking claw 36 against the inverted cone-shaped side of the connecting part 18. When the capping unit 12 is further lowered, the locking claw 36 moves inward along the conical side of the connecting part 18, and the connecting arm 28 is rotated in the closing direction. When the upper end 20A of the shaft 20 is pulled out of the hole 18A of the connecting part 18, the capping unit 12 is removed from the connecting part 18 of the capper 10, and the removal operation is completed.

[0033] The capping unit 12 removed from the connecting portion 18 of the capper 10 and behind the holding portion 30A of the installation / removal jig 30 is taken out of the installation / removal jig 30 by a capping unit holding means (not shown) constituted by a robot or the like having a holding hand attached to an end effector, and is transferred to a head stand (not shown). This head stand is provided for each different type of capping unit 12 that can be installed on the capper 10.

[0034] Next, the operation of attaching the capping unit 12 using the capping unit detachment mechanism will be described.

[0035] First, when changing the type of container and cap to be capped, the capping unit 12 of the type to be replaced is removed from the head stand on which the capping unit is held by the above-mentioned capping unit holding means, and then held by the holding part 30A of the mounting and dismounting jig 30. Thereafter, the capping unit 12 is moved below the drive shaft 16 by the jig moving device 34, and after the axis of the shaft 20 is aligned with the axis of the drive shaft 16, it is raised toward the drive shaft 16.

[0036] A stopper or the like (not shown) is attached to the connecting arm 28 of the capping unit 12 held by the installation / removal jig 30 before being attached to the drive shaft 16, and rotation around the swing shaft 26A is restricted so that the tips of the locking claws 36 are maintained in a state slightly wider than the outer diameter of the lower end of the conical side surface of the connecting part 18. As the capping unit 12 rises, the locking claws 36 provided at the tips of the connecting arm 28 engage with the lower end of the conical side surface of the connecting part 18, and when the capping unit 12 is further raised by the jig moving device 34, the locking claws 36 are pushed outward along the conical surface and raised to the state shown in FIG.

[0037] When the installation / removal jig 30 is pulled out to the side from the capping unit 12 from the state shown in Fig. 8, the fall-prevention member 22 provided with the release member 46 is lowered. When the release member 46 engaging with the inclined surface 38A of the abutment member 38 is lowered, the connecting arm 28 is closed around the swing shaft 26A, and the locking claw 36 engages with the locking portion 12, resulting in the state shown in Fig. 7. Thereafter, the jig moving device 34 moves the installation / removal jig 30 horizontally until it is completely detached from the capping unit 12, resulting in the state shown in Fig. 1, and the installation work is completed.

[0038] As described above, according to the capper of this embodiment, the simple structure for lifting the fall-off prevention member 22 can prevent the capping unit (capping head) from falling off, and can also enable efficient replacement.

[0039] In this embodiment, the inclined surface is provided on the contact portion side, but the upper surface of the release member may be provided with an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the outside. Also, in this embodiment, the capping unit is attached using an attachment jig, but it can be replaced completely manually as in the past without using an attachment jig. In this case, the capping unit side is held with one hand, and the anti-fall-off member is pushed up with the thumb of the same hand to release the engagement between the connecting arm and the connecting portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 10 Cappa 11 Capping Head 12 Capping unit 16 Drive shaft 18 Connection part 21 Locking part 22 Anti-falling parts 26A Swing shaft 28 Connecting Arm 36 Locking claw 38 Contact member 38A Slope 46 Release member

Claims

[Claim 1] A capper capable of attaching and detaching a capping unit to a drive shaft rotated by a drive source, A locking portion provided at a lower end of the drive shaft; a fall-off prevention member provided with a release member that is attached to the drive shaft so as to be movable in the vertical direction and is biased toward a restriction position at the lower end of the drive shaft; At least a pair of connecting arms provided on the capping unit, capable of swinging about a swing shaft, and having a contact portion at a tip end thereof that contacts the release member and a locking claw that can be engaged with the locking portion; a biasing means for biasing the tip end of the connecting arm toward the center of the drive shaft, the anti-fall-off member is configured to cover, from the outside, the locking claw that engages with the locking portion at the restricted position, thereby preventing the locking claw from falling off from the locking portion, and the release member is configured to be located below the abutment portion, At least one of the contact portion and the release member is provided with an inclined surface, and when the fall-off prevention member is moved upward, the release member is raised while being in sliding contact with the contact portion via the inclined surface, so that the connecting arm is pushed outward and the locking claw is released from the locking portion. A cappa characterized by:

Images