Stirring method and method for producing product using the same

Abstract

To provide a stirring method which can efficiently perform wide variety of variable production of containers with different contents, and a method for producing a product using the same.SOLUTION: A stirring method according to the present invention stirs contents stored in a container, using a conveying device 200 provided with a conveying surface 25 and a plurality of conveying bodies t that move on the conveying surface 25. The stirring method comprises a stirring step of stirring contents in containers loaded on the conveying bodies t, by operating the conveying bodies t. The conveying device 200 is equipped with a conveying stage 20 constituting the conveying surface 25. It is preferably that the device has a magnetic force generating part that floats the conveying bodies t from the conveying stage 20 and moves the conveying bodies on the conveying stage 20, by magnetic force.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for stirring contents contained in a container using a conveying device having a conveying surface and a plurality of conveying bodies that move on the conveying surface, and a method for manufacturing a product using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] A container that contains a content such as a liquid containing multiple components is generally manufactured by mixing multiple types of materials containing individual components to obtain a mixed material, and then filling the mixed material into a container. As an example of a filling device for such a container, Patent Document 1 discloses a filling device for a liquid absorber that includes a stage on which a container is placed and a vibration applying unit that applies vibration to the container on the stage, and applies vibration with a vibration surface that forms an angle with a horizontal plane within a predetermined angle range.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a system used for manufacturing containers containing contents. The system includes a plurality of carriers loaded with containers, a workspace in which the carriers move, and a unit operation station in which processing operations are performed on the containers loaded by the carriers, the carriers are capable of moving tracklessly within the workspace, and the paths of the individual carriers can be set independently. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-104863 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2021-513487 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Products containing liquid contents such as cosmetics, facial cleansers, or detergents may be sold in series with different volumes or ingredients, and each different series requires a mixing process to mix a liquid mixture with a composition specific to that product. In this mixing process, depending on the balance between the scale of the mixing device and the production volume of the product, the amount of liquid mixture obtained by mixing may be excessive compared to the number of products produced. In addition, when switching the production of products by type, it is necessary to clean the mixing device and filling device and prepare for starting up the device. The technologies of Patent Documents 1 and 2 have room for improvement in terms of efficiently performing variable production of a wide variety of containers (products) with different contents.

[0006] The present invention relates to providing a stirring method and a manufacturing method of a product using the same, which are capable of efficiently carrying out variable-volume, multi-item production of containers with different contents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a method for mixing contents contained in a container using a conveying device having a conveying surface and a plurality of conveying bodies that move on the conveying surface. In one embodiment, the stirring method preferably includes a stirring step of stirring the contents in the container placed on the transport body by the operation of the transport body.

[0008] The present invention also relates to a method for producing products having different compositions in which a plurality of types of materials constituting the contents are mixed, using the above-mentioned stirring method. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method preferably includes a filling step of filling a material into the inside of the container transported by the transport body. As an embodiment, the manufacturing method preferably includes, as the filling step, a main agent filling step of filling a main agent and an auxiliary agent filling step of filling a different auxiliary agent for each of the different products. In one embodiment, the base filling step is preferably performed using a filling device that is common to a plurality of different products. In one embodiment, the auxiliary agent filling step is preferably performed using a filling device selected from a plurality of filling devices depending on the type of the product. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method preferably comprises performing the stirring step in parallel with or after the filling step. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the method for producing an article of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently carry out variable-volume, multi-item production. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a container manufacturing apparatus equipped with a conveying device according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the carrier of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the inside of the carrier shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the transfer stage of FIG. 1 with some sections seen through. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a production control unit included in the production apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side view showing one embodiment of the stirring step performed by the operation of the carrier shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view showing another embodiment of the stirring step performed by the operation of the carrier shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side view showing still another embodiment of the stirring step performed by the operation of the carrier shown in FIG. [Figure 10] 10(a) and (b) are plan views showing still another embodiment of the stirring step performed by the operation of the carrier shown in FIG. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a side view showing one embodiment of the stirring step carried out in parallel with the filling step. [Figure 12] 12(a) to (c) are side views showing one embodiment of the operation of the filling nozzle in the stirring step shown in FIG. [Figure 13] 13(a) and (b) are a plan view and a corresponding side view showing another embodiment of the stirring step carried out in parallel with the filling step. [Figure 14] 14(a) to (c) are side views showing another embodiment of the operation of the filling nozzle in the stirring step shown in FIG. [Figure 15] 15(a) to (c) are side views showing still another embodiment of the operation of the filling nozzle in the stirring step shown in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of a carrier according to the present invention. [Figure 17] 17(a) to (d) are side views showing one embodiment of a working process (mounting process) using the carrier shown in FIG. [Figure 18] 18(a) and (b) are side views showing one embodiment of a stirring step carried out in parallel with the working step shown in FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a side view showing one embodiment of the stirring step using a working device having a stirring means and a conveying body. [Figure 20] FIG. 20(a) and (b) are a plan view and a side view showing still another embodiment of a carrier according to the present invention. [Figure 21] 21(a) and (b) are plan views illustrating one embodiment of the filling step. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a plan view showing one embodiment of a manufacturing apparatus used in the manufacturing method according to the present invention. [Figure 23] 23(a) and (b) are diagrams showing another embodiment of a container according to the present invention, and are a plan view and a side view showing one embodiment of a filling step for the container. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the filling process for the container shown in FIG. [Diagram 25] FIG. 25 is a flow diagram of a manufacturing method for manufacturing the container (product) shown in FIG. 1 by using the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 26] 26(a) to (f) are diagrams showing still another embodiment of the transport body according to the present invention, and are cross-sectional views showing the transport body having agitating means. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The stirring method of the present invention (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "stirring method") and the manufacturing method for manufacturing a product using the same (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "manufacturing method") will be described below with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. The stirring method of the present invention stirs the contents contained in a container 1, and the stirring method can be used in the manufacturing method for manufacturing the container 1.

[0012] The contents contained in the container 1 are mainly liquids, but may also contain solids such as gas or powder in addition to liquids. Examples of the container 1 include bottle containers, squeeze containers, pouch containers, etc. that contain liquids such as liquid cosmetics and liquid cleansing agents. Containers that contain liquids, such as bottle containers and squeeze containers, may be equipped with a pump dispenser or dispenser depending on the method for dispensing the liquid.

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a manufacturing apparatus 100 for carrying out one embodiment of the manufacturing method of the present invention. The container 1, which is the product of the manufacturing method of this embodiment, is a bottle container 1 containing a liquid such as a liquid cleanser or liquid cosmetic. This bottle container 1 comprises a container body 1b having a storage space for the contents, and a cap 1c that is detachably attached to the neck part of the container body 1b. The neck part is a cylindrical part having an opening for discharging the liquid to the outside, and is formed at the upper end part of the container body 1b. In addition, a screw part is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the neck part, and the cap 1c is attached to the neck part by screwing it into a screw part (not shown) formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cap 1c.

[0014] The container 1 of this embodiment is manufactured using a manufacturing apparatus 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a conveying device 200 having a conveying surface 25 and a plurality of conveyance bodies t that move on the conveying surface 25. The manufacturing apparatus 100 also includes working devices W1 to W4 having working areas on the conveying surface 25, and further includes a manufacturing control unit 50 (not shown in Figures 1 and 2) that controls the operations of the conveyance bodies t, the conveying stage 20, and the working devices W1 to W4. The transport surface 25 in this embodiment is an area having a planar extent, and is constituted by the transport stage 20 provided in the transport device 200 (see FIG. 1). The transport surface 25 is an area in which the transport body t moves, that is, the movable range of the transport body t. In this embodiment, the transport surface 25 is formed by the upper surface of the transport stage 20.

[0015] In the transfer device 200 of this embodiment, the transfer stage 20 is placed on a horizontal surface and extends in the horizontal direction. The transfer stage 20 of this embodiment has an X direction and a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction, and has a rectangular shape that is long in the X direction (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The transfer stage 20 of this embodiment is composed of a plurality of segments 21. Each segment 21 is the smallest unit of hardware that is individually supplied with power and generates magnetic force. The transfer stage 20 can be composed of a single or a plurality of segments 21. Furthermore, the transfer stage 20 can arbitrarily arrange the plurality of segments 21 to form the transfer surface 25 into a desired planar shape. In the transfer stage 20, the plurality of segments 21 are arranged adjacent to each other in the X direction and the Y direction with no gaps between them. The transfer stage 20 of this embodiment is configured by arranging a plurality of segments 21 in both the X and Y directions. Each segment 21 has a segment body 22 that defines the outer shape of the segment 21. The segment body 22 has a square shape in a plan view. The upper surfaces of the segment bodies 22 are substantially flush with each other. As a result, the upper surface of the transfer stage 20, i.e., the transfer surface 25, is substantially flat.

[0016] The segment 21 of this embodiment includes a flat segment body 22 and a magnetic force generating unit 23 provided in the segment body 22 (see FIG. 5). The magnetic force generating unit 23 of this embodiment includes coils 23a, 23b, 23c, and 23d arranged along the periphery of the four sides of the segment body 22, and generates magnetic force by electric power. In a plan view, these coils 23a, 23b, 23c, and 23d are arranged in a substantially rectangular ring shape. In the segment 21, two coils 23a and 23d facing each other are arranged in parallel, and another two coils 23b and 23c perpendicular to these coils 23a and 23d are arranged facing each other and in parallel. As described above, the transfer stage 20 of this embodiment generates magnetic force using electric power, but the transfer stage may also generate magnetic force without using electric power.

[0017] The conveying body t of this embodiment has a flat conveying body tb and holding parts 11, 12 that are provided on the upper surface of the conveying body tb and hold the container body 1b or the cap 1c (see FIG. 2). The conveying body tb has a substantially square shape with rounded corners in a plan view as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The shape of the conveying body tb in a plan view may be a hexagon, a circle, or the like. The holders 11 and 12 are fixed to the upper surface of the conveyor t by a joining means such as bolts or an adhesive. The holders 11 and 12 are preferably fixed to the upper surface of the conveyor t by a positioning pin or a positioning guide member.

[0018] The multiple conveying bodies t may have different types of holding parts depending on the shape of the container body 1b to be conveyed, etc. For example, the carrier t1 for carrying the container body 1b of this embodiment (see FIG. 3) is equipped with a holder 11 having a cylindrical portion 11b capable of receiving the bottom of the container body 1b and a plate portion 11a on which the cylindrical portion 11b is erected, and the plate portion 11a is fixed to the upper surface of the carrier body tb. For ease of explanation, the cylindrical portion 11b of the holder 11 is not shown in FIG. Furthermore, the carrier t2 for carrying the cap 1c of this embodiment (see FIG. 2) is equipped with a holder 12 made of a sheet member fixed to the upper surface of the carrier t. An adsorption sheet having micro suction cups can be used as the holder 12. The micro suction cups have many tiny concave holes, and when a pressing force is applied from above the micro suction cups due to the weight of the container body 1b, they exert an adsorption force on the pressed container body 1b.

[0019] In the present embodiment, the center position of the holding part 12 on the upper surface of the conveying body tb of the conveying body t1 overlaps with the center position of the upper surface when the conveying body t is viewed in a plan view. Alternatively, the center position of the holding part 11 may be in a position that does not overlap with the center position of the upper surface of the conveying body tb when the conveying body t is viewed in a plan view. Such a configuration will be described later.

[0020] From the viewpoint of reducing the weight of the holding portion, the holding portion 11 that holds the container body 1b in an upright state is preferably made of synthetic resin, aluminum, or the like. Further, although the conveying body t1 of this embodiment includes the holding portion 11, the conveying body t1 does not necessarily have to include the holding portion 11.

[0021] The conveyance body t of this embodiment is made identifiable and is provided with identification information. The identification information is information for identifying each conveyance body t, and may be displayed, for example, by letters, numbers, symbols, or a combination of these, or may be displayed in an electronically readable manner. As an optically or electronically readable display method, for example, a two-dimensional code such as a barcode or a QR code (registered trademark), an electronic information medium such as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, or the like is used. The RFID tag can be read by an RFID reader (RFID antenna). In addition, the identification information may be the arrangement of the magnet arrays 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d possessed by the conveyance body t, or may be the shape of a specific part of the conveyance body t (a shape unique to each conveyance body t), or the like. The identification information may be assigned to the vehicle t based on a video of the vehicle t on the transport stage 20. For example, based on an analysis of a video stream related to the vehicle t, the behavior of the vehicle t may be monitored and analyzed to assign an identifier (identification information) that associates multiple characteristics related to the vehicle t with the tracking of the vehicle t.

[0022] The conveyor t of this embodiment includes a magnet (permanent magnet) inside the conveyor body tb. More specifically, the conveyor body tb includes magnet arrays 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d arranged along the four periphery sides of the conveyor body tb (see FIG. 4). The magnet arrays 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d are arranged in a substantially rectangular ring shape. On the conveyor t, two magnet arrays 33a and 33d facing each other are arranged in parallel, and two other magnet arrays 33b and 33c perpendicular to the magnet arrays 33a and 33d are arranged in parallel facing each other. The vehicle t may be provided with a single magnet array instead of multiple magnet arrays.

[0023] The transport stage 20 of this embodiment has a magnetic force generating unit 23 that generates a magnetic force and, through interaction with the magnet arrays 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d, levitates the transport body t from the transport stage 20 and moves it on the transport stage 20. More specifically, when power is supplied to the magnetic force generating unit 23 provided in each segment 21 of the transport stage 20, a magnetic force is generated in the horizontal direction (X direction and Y direction). This magnetic force causes the transport body t to be levitated from the upper surface of the transport stage 20 (segment 21) and to be moved in the horizontal direction (X direction and Y direction). The transfer stage 20 may move the transfer body t by changing the distance, angle, polarity direction of the magnets provided on the stage, or a combination of these.

[0024] The moving direction of the conveying body t can be changed according to the manner of supplying power to the multiple coils 23a, 23b, 23c, and 23d provided in the segment 21, for example, the combination of coils that supply power. As a result, on each segment 21, each conveying body t can be moved in one or a combination of the X and Y directions. For example, when the Y direction is the front-rear direction and the X direction is the left-right direction, the conveying body t can be moved in a desired direction selected from the front, rear, left, right, and diagonal directions thereof. The conveying body t of this embodiment can move along a moving path that is a combination of either one or both of a path that moves straight in the X or Y direction and a path that moves straight in a diagonal direction relative to the X or Y direction (not shown). The conveying body t can also move curvedly in a diagonal direction relative to the X or Y direction, and can also rotate around its axis or revolve. That is, the conveying body t can move straight, curved, rotate, or move in a combination of these in any direction in a plan view. In this manner, the transport body t of this embodiment is freely movable on the transport surface 25, and the route (path) from the movement start point to the target point on the transport stage 20 can be set arbitrarily. The setting and adjustment of the movement path of the transport body t are performed by the manufacturing control unit 50 described later.

[0025] In this embodiment, the transport body t is floated from the transport surface 25 and moved, so that the mechanical resistance (friction) between the transport body t and the transport surface 25 becomes close to zero, and the transport body t can be moved at high speed. In other words, the travel time until the transport body t reaches the target point can be shortened, so that it is possible to improve the efficiency and productivity. In addition, the conveying body t of this embodiment can also be raised from the conveying surface 25 and inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. For example, the conveying body t can be moved with the front side in the traveling direction tilted lower than the rear side, and the container body 1b or the container 1 on the conveying body t can be prevented from shifting backward or falling. This is particularly effective when accelerating the moving speed of the conveying body t. Conversely, the conveying body t can be moved with the front side in the traveling direction tilted higher than the rear side, and the container body 1b or the container 1 on the conveying body t can be prevented from shifting forward or falling. This is particularly effective when decelerating the moving speed of the conveying body t.

[0026] In this embodiment, the transport body t floats in the normal direction to the transport surface 25 (each segment 21) of the transport stage 20. In this embodiment, each of the multiple transport bodies t floats upward in the vertical direction Z relative to the transport surface 25 (each segment 21). The floating amount by which each transport body t floats above the transport stage 20 (each segment 21) is approximately the same. The floating amount is the distance between the transport surface 25 and the bottom surface of the transport body t in the normal direction of the transport stage 20 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "normal direction"). In this embodiment, the distance between the bottom surface of the transport body t and the transport stage 20 in the vertical direction Z is the floating amount of the transport body t. From the viewpoint of smoother transport and stirring, which will be described later, the floating amount of the transport body t is preferably 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

[0027] The operating principle of levitating and moving the transport body t by the magnetic force generating unit 23 of the transport stage 20 is similar to the principle of levitating and moving a movable stage equipped with multiple magnet arrays by the coil of the stator stage disclosed in JP2014-531189A.

[0028] The transport stage 20, which is an assembly of multiple segments 21, has an area (planar dimensions) larger than the transport body t. The area (planar dimensions) of the segments 21 may be larger than, equal to, or smaller than the area (planar dimensions) of the transport body t. The segments 21 of this embodiment have an area (planar dimensions) larger than the transport body t. From the viewpoint of controlling the movement of the transport body t with higher precision, the length of one side of the square segment 21 is preferably two to four times the length of one side of the approximately square transport body t.

[0029] The manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes working devices W1 to W4 that perform work on the container 1, the container body 1b, or the cap 1c (see FIGS. 1 and 2). More specifically, the manufacturing apparatus 100 includes, as working devices, a supplying device W1 that supplies the container body 1b to the moving path of the conveyor t1 on the conveying surface 25, filling devices W2 and W3 that fill the inside of the container body 1b with liquid, and a mounting device W4 that mounts the cap 1c on the container body 1b. The supply device W1 includes a work holding part 32 equipped with a suction pad, and a device body 31 that supports the work holding part 32 so that the work holding part 32 can be raised and lowered. As shown in Fig. 1, in the supply device W1, the work holding part 32 can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction Z by the device body 31, and can also rotate in the horizontal direction around the device body 31 as an axis. As a result, the container body 1b arranged outside the conveying stage 20 is gripped by the work holding part 32 with the suction pad, moved to above the conveying surface 25, and loaded onto an unloaded conveyed body t1 on the conveying surface 25. The container body 1b may be held by the work holding portion 32 not only by suction with a suction pad, but also by gripping or clamping with a gripper or the like.

[0030] The manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of filling devices W2 and W3. These filling devices W2 and W3 have a common configuration except that the composition of the contents (liquid) to be filled is different. Here, the configuration of the filling device W2 will be described. The description of the filling device W2 can also be applied to the other filling device W3. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the filling device W2 comprises a filling nozzle 35 for filling the container body 1b with liquid, and a nozzle movable support part 34 for gripping the filling nozzle 35. The filling nozzle 35 has an opening and closing mechanism at its base, and is connected to a supply hose through which the liquid is supplied. The diameter, length, etc. of the filling nozzle 35 can be adapted to the contents to be filled. The nozzle movable support part 34 comprises an arm for gripping the filling nozzle 35 at its tip (end effector), and a support part for enabling the tip of the arm to be raised and lowered and / or rotated in any direction (for example, horizontally), and is in the form of a robot arm.

[0031] The manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a mounting device W4. The mounting device W4 is in the form of a robot arm. More specifically, the mounting device W4 includes a robot hand 38 and a hand movable support part 37 that holds the robot hand 38. The hand movable support part 37 includes an arm that holds the robot hand 38 at its tip (end effector), and a support part that can raise and lower the tip of the arm and / or rotate it in any direction (for example, horizontally).

[0032] These working devices W1 to W4 perform their respective working operations on the transfer surface 25. The transfer surface 25 has a working area in which the working devices W1 to W4 perform their work. The working area is an area on the transport surface 25 where the working devices W1 to W4 perform their work, and is a movable area of ​​the end effectors of the movable support parts (arms) such as the nozzle movable support part 34 or the hand movable support part 37. The working area includes the working positions where the working devices W1 to W4 perform their work. The working positions are reference positions on the transport surface 25 when the working devices W1 to W4 perform their work, and are set as coordinate positions (X, Y) on the transport surface 25.

[0033] For example, the working position P1 of the supplying device W1 in the manufacturing method of the bottle container 1 is a loading position when the container body 1b is loaded onto the transport body t on the conveying surface 25 (see FIG. 2). The working positions P2 and P3 of the filling devices W2 and W3 are filling positions on the conveying surface 25 where the filling nozzle 35 supplies liquid to the container body 1b, and are positions where the central axis of the discharge port of the filling nozzle 35 is located during filling (see FIG. 2). The working position P4 of the mounting device W4 is a gripping position P4a on the conveying surface 25 where the robot hand 38 grips the cap 1c and an attachment position P4b where the robot hand 38 attaches the cap 1c to the container body 1b (see FIG. 2). In this manner, the transfer surface 25 of this embodiment has a plurality of work positions for different types of work in accordance with the work devices W1 to W4 for different types of work, and a work area including the work positions. Hereinafter, among the work areas, the work area where liquid is filled by the filling device is also referred to as the "filling work area", and the work position of the filling work area is also referred to as the "filling work position".

[0034] As described above, the transport body t can arbitrarily set a route (path) from a movement start point to a target point on the transport stage 20, and the route can be set for each transport body t. In addition, the route is not necessarily uniquely determined, but can be changed to an arbitrary route as appropriate according to the movement, arrangement, etc. of other transport bodies t. The movement of the transport body t on the transport surface 25, including the setting and changing of the path, is controlled by a manufacturing control unit 50. The manufacturing control unit 50 is communicatively connected to the transport stage 20 (segment 21) via a network. The transport stage 20 sets or changes the movement path of the transport body t under the control of the manufacturing control unit 50. The manufacturing control unit 50 may also be communicatively connected to the transport body t.

[0035] The manufacturing control unit 50 includes a communication module 51, a transport information acquisition unit 52, a path generation unit 53, a transport control unit 54, and a mixing control unit 55 (see FIG. 6). The communication module 51 is capable of communicating with the transport stage 20, the transport body t, and the operating devices W1 to W4, and receives signals from the transport stage 20 and the operating devices W1 to W4, as well as identification information and position information of the transport body t. The communication module 51 also transmits each piece of information generated or calculated by the path generation unit 53 (such as path information or path change information for the transport body t, which will be described later) to the transport stage 20 (segment 21). As the communication module 51, for example, a communication module compatible with LTE, 4G, or 5G, or a communication module compatible with existing standards such as IEEE802.11 can be used.

[0036] The transport information acquisition unit 52 records the identification information and position information of the transport body t over time. The position information of the transport body t is information on the coordinate position of the transport body t on the transport stage 20, and includes information on the coordinate position where the transport body t is actually located (hereinafter also referred to as the "actual coordinate position") and the coordinate position of the planned movement path (hereinafter also referred to as the "planned coordinate position"). In this embodiment, these coordinate positions are indicated as positions (X, Y) in the X direction and the Y direction when the transfer stage 20 is viewed in a plan view. While the manufacturing apparatus 100 is in operation, the transfer information acquisition unit 52 acquires position information of the transfer object t every 0.0001 to 1 second. This makes it possible to show (map) the continuous change (trajectory) of the actual coordinate position over time as the path that the transfer object t actually moved. The information on the planned coordinate position is information that indicates the planned route from the movement start point of the transport body t to the target point in continuous coordinate positions. The movement start point and the target start point are each indicated by a coordinate position on the transport stage 20. This makes it possible to grasp the actual coordinate position (current location) on the planned route on the transport surface 25. The information on the planned coordinate position is generated by the path generating unit 53. Furthermore, based on the signals or the information on the actual coordinate position received from the working devices W1 to W4, the path generating unit 53 changes the information on the planned coordinate position to change the planned path of the transport body t.

[0037] Position information of the transport body t can be obtained for each of the multiple sections constituting the transport stage 20. The section is composed of a segment 21 of the transport stage 20 or a collection of two or more segments 21. For example, a collection of four segments 21 forming a square can be set as one section. From the viewpoint of obtaining more detailed position information, it is preferable that the sections set on the transport stage 20 are each a single segment 21.

[0038] The transport information acquisition unit 52 records the identification information of the transport body t and the information of the transported object transported by the transport body t in association with each other. That is, for each transport body t, the transported object transported by the transport body t is recorded. In this embodiment, the transported object is a container 1, a container body 1b, or a cap 1c. In this embodiment, the transport information acquisition unit 52 records the identification information of the transport body t, the position information corresponding to the transport body t, and the information of the transported object transported by the transport body t in association with each other. The identification information, the position information, and the information of the transported object are stored in a recording unit (not shown) of the manufacturing control unit 50.

[0039] The path generating unit 53 generates or changes the movement path of the transport body t on the transport stage 20. In other words, it generates or changes a planned coordinate position (planned path). The movement path on the transport stage 20 can be set as a trajectory that connects the coordinate positions of the transport body t on the stage 20. The path generating unit 53 generates a movement path along which the transport body t moves through the working areas corresponding to the individual working devices in the order of the manufacturing process for manufacturing the container 1 on the transport surface 25. This movement path is set for each transport body t based on the identification information. In this embodiment, each of the multiple transport bodies t simultaneously transports (moves) along the movement path generated by the path generating unit 53.

[0040] Based on information on the working area of ​​the working device and the working position included in the area, the path generating unit 53 generates a movement path for moving the transport body t to the working area including the working position. The working position and the working area including the working position are set in advance for each working device. The path generating unit 53 can generate or change the movement path by using a known algorithm, for example, Dijkstra's algorithm, A-star algorithm, etc. The path generating unit 53 is configured to set the current position of another conveying body t and a movement area (planned coordinate position) that precedes the other conveying body t by a predetermined time as obstacles in the movement path of the other conveying body t, and generate or change a path that avoids the other conveying body t.

[0041] The transport control unit 54 transmits a signal to start work (work start command) to the working devices W1 to W4 based on the position information of the transport body t. Also, based on the work completion signals transmitted from the working devices W1 to W4, the transport control unit 54 transmits to the transport stage 20 a movement command to move the transport body t to the next work position, a target point movement command to move the transport body t to the target point, or a return movement command to return the transport body t to the movement start point. Based on these movement commands, the transport stage 20 controls the magnetic force to move the transport body t to any one of the next work position, the target point, or the movement start point.

[0042] The stirring control unit 55 controls the operation of the conveying body t based on the position information of the conveying body t or the filling operation of the filling devices W2 and W3, and stirs the contents in the container body 1b (container 1) placed on the conveying body t1 by the operation of the conveying body t1. More specifically, based on an arrival signal notifying that the conveying body t1 has arrived at the operation positions P2 and P3 of the filling devices W2 and W3, a filling start signal notifying that the filling operation of the filling devices W2 and W3 has started, a filling completion signal notifying that the filling operation has been completed, or a signal corresponding to the filling amount of the contents in the container, the stirring control unit 55 transmits an operation start command to the conveying stage 20 to stir the contents in the container body 1b conveyed by the conveying body t1. This causes the conveying body t1 on the conveying stage 20 to perform the operation for stirring. The operation for stirring [stirring operations (1) to (3)] will be described later.

[0043] The above-mentioned manufacturing control unit 50 includes a CPU, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a flash memory, a camera, a display unit, and an input device for a user to perform input operations. The CPU may include a graphics processor (Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)) for displaying images, a multimedia processor for encoding and decoding High-Definition (HD) video and the like, a display controller for controlling the display, and a power management Integrated Circuit (IC) for controlling power supply and charging. The display unit of the manufacturing control unit 50 may be a touch panel or the like that has both display and operation functions. The manufacturing control unit 50 may be manually operated. In this case, examples of the input device include a touch panel, a keyboard, a keypad, a touchpad, a mouse, and a microphone.

[0044] The processes performed by each part (transport control part 54, etc.) of the manufacturing control part 50 are realized by the CPU expanding a program stored in a ROM, a disk, etc., into a RAM and executing the program. The processes may be realized by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or may be realized by a combination of an ASIC and an FPGA.

[0045] Next, a method for manufacturing the container 1 using the stirring method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 7 to 10, taking as an example a method for manufacturing the bottle container 1 shown in FIG. The manufacturing method of this embodiment includes a transport information acquisition step of acquiring transport information, a transport step of transporting the container body 1b to a working area by a transport body t, a working step of performing work on the container body 1b in the working area, and a stirring step of stirring the contents in the container body 1b by the operation of the transport body t1. The transport information acquisition step, transport step, working step, and stirring step are performed by the manufacturing apparatus 100 described above.

[0046] The transportation information acquisition process is a process of acquiring information related to the transportation of the transport body t, and includes a position information acquisition process of acquiring position information, and a container body information acquisition process of setting the container body 1b to be transported for each transport body t. The position information acquisition process acquires position information of each transport body t on the transport surface 25, i.e., information on the actual coordinate position and the planned coordinate position. In this process, the identification information of each transport body t1, t2 is associated with the position information of the transport bodies t1, t2. A planned route (planned coordinate position) is preset for each identification information of the transport body t by the route generation unit 53. In other words, a movement route is preset for each transport body t1, t2. The position information acquisition process of this embodiment acquires position information in real time while the transport body t is being transported. The container body 1b information acquisition process associates the identification information of each of the conveyance bodies t1 and t2 with the information of the container body 1b (container body 1b, cap 1c) conveyed by the conveyance bodies t1 and t2. That is, the type of the container body 1b to be conveyed is set based on the identification information of the conveyance bodies t1 and t2.

[0047] The above-mentioned conveyance information acquisition process makes it possible to grasp each conveyance object t, the actual movement path of the conveyance object t, and the container body 1b conveyed by the conveyance object t. This makes it possible to track (trace) the products manufactured by the conveyance of each conveyance object t. The transport information acquisition step of the present embodiment is executed by the transport information acquisition unit 52, and the acquired information is stored in a storage unit (not shown) of the manufacturing control unit 50.

[0048] In the conveying process of this embodiment, one or more conveying bodies t convey the container body 1b to the working area. In the conveying process, the conveying bodies t1 and t2 are moved along a moving path set for each of the conveying bodies t1 and t2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the conveying body t1 is moved along a moving path (dotted arrow in FIG. 2). This moving path moves the conveying body t1 to the working area corresponding to each of the working devices W1 to W4. In addition, in the conveying process, the conveying body t2 is moved along a moving path (white arrow in FIG. 2) for moving another conveying body t2 to the working area corresponding to the mounting device W4 in the order of a moving start point (not shown in FIG. 2) → a mounting device W4 → a moving start point. In this way, the conveying body t1 conveying the container body 1b and the conveying body t2 conveying the cap 1c have different moving paths. These moving paths constitute a manufacturing line for an article (bottle container 1).

[0049] In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, a transport step in which the transport bodies t1, t2 loaded with the container body 1b or the cap 1c move to the working area is performed for each of the work processes performed by the work devices W1 to W4. For example, when the work processes include a filling step and a mounting step, the method includes a transport step in which the transport body t moves to the working area of ​​the filling devices W2, W3, and a transport step in which the transport body t moves to the working area of ​​the mounting device W4. In this way, the method includes a transport step in which the transport body moves to the working area of ​​the work process in correspondence with the work process. In addition, when the method includes a supply step, the method includes a supply movement step in which the unloaded transport body t moves to the working area of ​​the supply device W1. The transport step of this embodiment includes a pre-filling transport step in which a transport body t transports the container body 1b to a filling work area.

[0050] The working steps are a supplying step of supplying the container body 1b or the cap 1c to the moving path from outside the conveying surface 25, a filling step of filling the container body 1b with the material constituting the contents, a storing step of storing something other than the material in the container body 1b, a fitting step of fitting the cap 1c to the container body 1b, or a processing step of processing the container body 1b or the cap 1c. The manufacturing method of this embodiment includes at least a filling step as a working step. The working process may include, in addition to the filling process, any one of a supplying process, a containing process, a mounting process, and a processing process, or may include a combination of two or more of these processes. The containing step is a step of containing things other than the materials constituting the contents inside the container body 1b transported by the transport body t. The things other than the materials constituting the contents include SUS balls. The SUS balls are contained in the container body 1b in order to mix liquids that are prone to separation or precipitation, such as some emulsions or sunscreens. The processing step is a step of processing the container body 1b transported by the transport body t, and examples of such processing include printing, attaching a label or other attachment, packaging, cutting, spraying, laser engraving, embossing, bending, and other plastic processing. The supplying step and the mounting step will be described in detail later.

[0051] The working process of this embodiment includes a supplying step of supplying the container body 1b to the conveying body t1, two filling steps for the container body 1b conveyed by the conveying body t1, and a fitting step of the cap 1c to the container body 1b conveyed by the conveying body t1, in that order. More specifically, the supplying step is performed by the supplying device W1, then the filling step is performed by the filling devices W2 and W3, and then the fitting step is performed by the fitting device W4. That is, the inside of the container body 1b is filled with liquid, and in the subsequent fitting step, the cap 1c is fitted to the container body 1b.

[0052] Each operation process, such as the supply process, filling process, mounting process, and processing process, may be performed while moving the carrier t. For example, in each operation process, the arm 37 or the robot hand 38 of the operation device W may be caused to follow the movement of the carrier t. In this case, a plurality of operation positions are set in succession in accordance with the following. This can further reduce the time during which no operation is performed, and can further improve the efficiency and productivity of the operation.

[0053] Hereinafter, the work process of this embodiment will be described taking as an example the process carried out along the movement path of the transport body t1 (see FIG. 2). In the supplying step, the container body 1b is loaded onto a conveying body t from outside the conveying surface 25. That is, the container body 1b is supplied to the moving path C1 without being conveyed by the conveying body t. In the supply step of this embodiment, the supply device W1 loads the container body 1b onto the carrier t1 on the conveying surface 25 (see FIG. 1). In other words, the container body 1b is loaded onto the carrier t1 that has moved to the working area of ​​the supply device W1. In the supply device W1, the landing point of the container body 1b that is lowered by the work holding part 32 on the conveying surface 25 is the working position P1, and the carrier t1 moves to the working position P1. This allows the container body 1b to be placed on the carrier t1. In the supply step of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the container body 1b is inserted into the cylindrical part 11b of the holding part 12 and placed on the carrier t. After this supply step, the carrier t1 loaded with the container body 1b moves sequentially to the working areas of the two filling devices W2 and W3.

[0054] In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, a supplying step is provided in which another supplying device loads caps 1c onto the transport body t2 on the transport surface 25 (not shown). Such a supplying step is performed by a supplying device having a robot arm equipped with a robot hand. The supplying of caps 1c from outside the transport surface 25 is performed at the starting point of the movement path of the transport body t2. The starting points (coordinate positions) of the transport bodies t1 and t2 on the transport surface 25 may be different.

[0055] The manufacturing method of this embodiment includes a pre-filling conveying step in which a conveying body t1 conveys an empty container body 1b to a filling work area. In the pre-filling conveying step, the conveying body t1 carrying the container body 1b moves from the work position P1 of the supply device W1 to the filling work position P2 of the filling device W2. After this pre-filling conveying step, a filling step is performed in which the material constituting the contents is filled. In both of the two filling steps of this embodiment, the container body 1b is filled with the liquid constituting the contents. In the filling step, a solid material such as a powder constituting the contents may be filled in addition to or instead of the liquid.

[0056] In the filling step, the inside of the container body 1b transported by the transport body t1 is filled with a liquid (material). In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the filling step is performed twice by different filling devices W2 and W3. More specifically, the first filling step is performed on the container body 1b on the transport body t1 that has moved to the filling work area of ​​one of the filling devices W2. Next, the transport body t1 moves to the filling work area of ​​the other filling device W3, and the second filling step is performed on the container body 1b on the transport body t1. In these filling devices W2 and W3, the position of the filling nozzle 35 that is raised and lowered by the arm (nozzle movable support part) 34 on the transport surface 25 is the filling work position P2, P3, and the transport body t1 moves to the filling work position P2, P3. As a result, the filling devices W2 and W3 can fill the supply contents through the filling nozzle 35 into the inside of the container body 1b on the transport body t1 at the work position P2, P3 (filling position). The liquids filled in the two filling steps, i.e., the liquids filled by the two filling devices W2 and W3, have different compositions. After the above two filling steps, the conveyance body t1 carrying the container body 1b filled with the contents moves to the working area of ​​the mounting device W4.

[0057] The contents may be supplied to the filling devices W2 and W3 used in the filling process by the conveyance of a conveyance body t. For example, the conveyance body t may convey a container containing the contents to the working area of ​​the filling devices W2 and W3, and the filling devices W2 and W3 may replenish the contents from the container. In this case, the filling nozzle 35 of the filling devices W2 and W3 also functions as a suction nozzle.

[0058] In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the stirring step is performed after the filling step. The stirring step may be performed after each of the two filling steps, or after either one of the filling steps. In the latter case, from the viewpoint of further improving the stirring efficiency, it is preferable to perform the stirring step after the filling step that is the most downstream in the moving path of the conveyor t1 (after the second filling step in this embodiment). The stirring process is a process in which the contents in the container body 1b placed on the conveying body t1 are stirred by the movement of the conveying body t1. The movement of the conveying body t1 in the stirring process (hereinafter also referred to as the "stirring movement") is any one of the following movements (1) to (3), or a combination of two or more of the following movements (1) to (3). (1) A rotation operation in which the transport body t1 rotates about a vertical axis VL extending in the vertical direction Z (see FIGS. 7 and 8). (2) Swinging motion of the carrier t1 (see FIG. 9) (3) Lifting operation in which the carrier t1 moves up and down

[0059] The rotational motion of (1) above includes the following rotational motions of (1a) and (1b). (1a) Horizontal rotation r1 (see Figure 7) in which the transport body t1 rotates about the central axis CL, which is perpendicular to the transport body t1 and passes through the center of the transport body t1, with the central axis CL aligned with the vertical direction Z. (1b) Inclined rotation r2 (see Figure 8) in which the central axis CL, which is perpendicular to the transport body t1 and passes through the center of the transport body t1, is inclined with respect to the vertical axis VL passing through the center. In the horizontal rotation r1, the transport body t1 in a horizontal state rotates around the central axis CL, which is the vertical axis VL. In the tilted rotation r2, the transport body t1 tilted with respect to the horizontal direction rotates around the vertical axis VL. The above rotational actions (1a) and (1b) can generate convection such as turbulent or laminar flow, or a rotating vortex (spiral flow) in the contents within the container body 1b, thereby stirring the contents. The rotation direction of the above-mentioned (1) may be reversed midway, which applies an inertial force to the contents in the container body 1b, thereby further improving the stirring efficiency.

[0060] From the viewpoint of further improving the stirring efficiency, the rotation speed of the rotation operations r1, r2 in (1a) and (1b) is preferably 100 rpm or more and preferably 1500 rpm or less, more preferably 200 rpm or more and preferably 1000 rpm or less. From the same viewpoint as above, in the inclined rotation r2 of (1b), the inclination angle θ1 (see FIG. 8) of the central axis CL with respect to the vertical axis VL is preferably 3° or more and preferably 60° or less, more preferably 4° or more and preferably 45° or less.

[0061] In the rocking motion (2), the carrier t1 rocks horizontally around a predetermined vertical axis VL (see FIG. 9). In this rocking motion, the carrier t1 moves back and forth from a horizontal state so that the central axis CL of the carrier t1 is inclined with respect to the vertical axis VL and around the vertical axis VL. This generates a vortex in the vertical direction Z in the contents in the container body 1b, and the contents can be agitated. From the viewpoint of further improving the stirring efficiency, the angle range θ2 of the rocking motion (see FIG. 9) is preferably 3° or more and preferably 60° or less, more preferably 4° or more and preferably 45° or less. The angle range θ2 is the angle of the central axis of the transport body t1 with respect to the vertical axis VL which is the center of the rocking motion.

[0062] The lifting and lowering operation (3) is an operation for increasing or decreasing the amount of levitation of the conveying body t1. This applies an inertial force to the contents in the container body 1b, and the contents can be agitated. The lifting and lowering operation changes the amount of levitation of the conveying body t1 by preferably 0.5 mm or more and preferably 10 mm or less, more preferably 0.5 mm or more and preferably 5 mm or less. Such a change is the amount of increase or decrease in the amount of levitation. From the viewpoint of further improving the stirring efficiency, the lifting and lowering operation is preferably performed by repeatedly lifting and lowering the conveyor t1. For example, the number of lifting and lowering operations of the conveyor t1 per unit time is preferably 300 times / min or more and preferably 6000 times / min or less, more preferably 600 times / min or more and preferably 1800 times / min or less. An operation in which the conveyor t1 is lifted and then lowered is counted as one lifting and lowering operation.

[0063] In the stirring step, the conveyor t1 may perform a combination of two or more of the stirring operations (1) to (3) described above. For example, the conveyor t1 may perform the horizontal rotation r1 described above in (1a) while performing the swinging operation described above in (2). By combining two or more of the stirring operations (1) to (3) described above, it is possible to generate more convection, vortex or inertial force in the contents, thereby making it possible to further improve the stirring efficiency.

[0064] The above operations (1) to (3) may be performed continuously or intermittently. In the latter case, interrupting these operations can generate more inertial force in the contents in the container body 1b, and the contents can be more agitated. From the viewpoint of further improving such effects, when the above operations (1) to (3) are performed intermittently, the interruption time is preferably 0.05 seconds or more and preferably 1 second or less, more preferably 0.1 seconds or more and preferably 0.5 seconds or less.

[0065] The manufacturing method of this embodiment includes a stirring step performed by the operation of the conveying body t1, so that the liquid can be stirred without a separate mixing device for mixing the liquid. This eliminates the need to clean the mixing device and prepare for starting operation when switching the type of product (container 1) to be manufactured, resulting in excellent productivity. Moreover, since the stirring step stirs the liquid for each container body 1b, a liquid mixture (material mixture) that will become the content can be obtained in an amount per product (container), and the liquid mixture can be efficiently manufactured. In other words, it is possible to prevent the amount of the liquid mixture obtained by mixing from being excessive relative to the number of products (containers 1) produced. In this way, since the manufacturing method of this embodiment can stir each container body 1b, it is possible to efficiently perform multi-item variable production of containers with different contents. For example, by changing the content ratio of two types of liquids (materials) filled by the filling devices W2 and W3, or by conveying container bodies 1b with different volumes by individual conveying bodies t1, multiple types of products (containers) with different content ratios or volumes can be easily manufactured.

[0066] The stirring step preferably includes an stirring control step of controlling the stirring operations (1) to (3) of the transport body t1. The stirring control step controls either or both of the operation of the transport body in a plan view and the inclination of the container with respect to the vertical direction, so that the transport body t1 performs any of the operations (1) to (3) or a combination of two or more of the operations (1) to (3). In the stirring control step of this embodiment, the transport stage 20 controls the magnetic force based on a stirring operation signal transmitted by the stirring control unit 55 to cause the transport body t1 to perform the stirring operation.

[0067] The stirring control step may control the stirring operation by varying the stirring operation of (1) to (3) and the parameters of the stirring operation according to the viscosity or composition of the liquid filled in the container body 1b, that is, for each type of product (container 1). For example, when the viscosity of the contents is high, the stirring operation is set to a combination of the tilt rotation of (1b) and the rocking operation of (2), and the rotation speed is set according to the viscosity. This allows the contents to be stirred well even if they are highly viscous. On the other hand, when the viscosity of the contents is low, the stirring operation is set to any one of (1) to (3), and the rotation speed, the tilt angle θ1 of the central axis CL with respect to the vertical axis VL, the angle range θ2 of the rocking operation, or the amount of change in the floating amount is set according to the viscosity. This makes it possible to prevent excessive stirring. In addition, the stirring operations (1) to (3) and the parameters of the stirring operations may be appropriately set according to either or both of the storage space and the dimensions of the neck of the container body 1b. For example, when the opening of the neck of the container body 1b is equal to or larger than a predetermined area and the container body 1b is less than a predetermined height, the stirring operations can be set to a slow speed or a low rotation speed other than the tilt rotation (1b), the rocking operation (2), and the lifting and lowering operation (3). In this case, the contents can be stirred while preventing them from spilling out of the container body 1b.

[0068] In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, after the mixing step, a conveying step is performed in which the conveying body t1 moves to the working area of ​​the mounting device W4 and conveys the mixed container body 1b to the working position P4b of the working device W4. Alternatively, the manufacturing method of this embodiment may include a stirring and conveying step of conveying the container body 1b while performing the stirring step after the filling step. In the stirring and conveying step, the container body 1b is moved to a working area corresponding to the step following the filling step while performing any one of the stirring operations (1) to (3) or a combination of these stirring operations. With this configuration, the time can be shortened compared to the case where the stirring and conveying steps are performed independently, and the manufacturing efficiency can be further improved. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the stirring step may be performed after each of the two filling steps. In this case, the stirring step is performed between the first filling step and the second filling step, and the stirring step is performed after the second filling step. Details of such an embodiment will be described later with reference to the flow diagram shown in FIG. 25.

[0069] In the stirring and conveying process, the conveying body t moves horizontally to a working area corresponding to the next process while performing a stirring operation. That is, it moves horizontally along a moving path toward the working area. In the horizontal movement in the conveying process in which only conveying is performed, the trajectory of the conveying body t1 in the planar direction is linear or curved, but in the stirring and conveying process, in addition to being linear or curved, the trajectory may be irregular, such as a revolution movement (see FIG. 10(a)), a spiral movement (see FIG. 10(b)), or a zigzag movement. Such irregular movement applies inertial force to the contents in the container body 1b, thereby further improving the stirring efficiency of the contents.

[0070] From the viewpoint of further improving the stirring efficiency, in the stirring and conveying step, the moving speed of the conveying body t1 is preferably 200 mm / sec or more and preferably 2000 mm / sec or less, more preferably 300 mm / sec or more and preferably 500 mm / sec or less. In addition, in the stirring and conveying step, the container body 1b may be moved horizontally to the working area corresponding to the next step while repeatedly accelerating and decelerating as long as the contents in the container body 1b do not overflow. In this case, the efficiency of stirring the contents can be further improved. The explanation of the horizontal movement in the stirring and transporting step also applies to the case where the stirring step is performed in parallel with the filling step and the transporting step, which will be described later.

[0071] The mounting step following the stirring step or the stirring and transporting step is a mounting step in which a cap 1c is mounted on the neck of the container body 1b. The mounting step in this embodiment is performed by the mounting device W4, and the cap 1c on a separate transport body t2 that has moved to the working area of ​​the mounting device W4 is mounted on the container body 1b on the transport body t1 that has moved to the working area of ​​the mounting device W4. More specifically, on the transport surface 25, the gripping position P4a of the robot hand 38 that moves by the arm 37 of the mounting device W4 and the rotation position P4b of the robot hand 38 are two positions that serve as the working position P4 of the mounting device W4. The transport body t2 that transports the cap 1c moves to the gripping position P4a, and the transport body t1 that transports the container body 1b filled with the contents moves to the rotation position P4b. As a result, the mounting device W4 allows the robot hand 38 to grasp the cap 1c on the conveying body t2 at the grasping position P4a, and by rotating the robot hand 38 or the conveying body t1 at the rotation position P4b, the cap 1c can be attached (screwed) to the neck portion of the container body 1b on the conveying body t1.

[0072] The fitting step is a step of performing a fitting operation for sealing the opening of the neck part of the container body 1b with a sealing member (e.g., cap 1c). Examples of the fitting operation include engagement, fitting, screwing, and joining. Fitting includes clearance fitting, interference fitting (press fitting), intermediate fitting, and the like. Joining includes adhesion, fusion, and the like.

[0073] In this way, the bottle container 1 is completed on the conveyor t1. After the mounting step (mounting step), the conveyor t1 moves to a target point on the conveyor surface 25 to convey the container 1. The target point is the working area of ​​a removal device, which removes the completed container 1 (product) outside the conveyor surface 25 and packs the container 1 in a package such as a cardboard box. The removal device may be a composite device that combines a robot arm equipped with a robot hand that grasps an item with a known packaging device. Also, instead of using a removal device, the removal and packaging of the completed item outside the conveyor surface 25 may be performed manually. The transport body t1, from which the completed container 1 has been removed, moves to the movement start point based on a return movement command signal from the production control unit 50. After returning to the movement start point, the transport body t1 repeats movement along the movement path (the path indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 2) to manufacture the bottle container 1.

[0074] Furthermore, the transport body t2 that transported the cap 1c moves to the movement start point based on a return movement command signal from the manufacturing control unit 50. After returning to the movement start point, the transport body t2 moves again to the gripping position P4b after the cap 1c is supplied from outside the transport surface 25. The transport body t2 repeats reciprocating movement between the movement start point and the gripping position P4b.

[0075] In the manufacturing method (stirring method) of the above-mentioned embodiment, the stirring step is performed after the filling step, but the timing of the stirring step is not limited to this form. In the embodiment described below, the parts different from the above-mentioned embodiment will be mainly described, and the same components will be given the same reference numerals and the description will be omitted. For the components not specifically described, the description of the above-mentioned embodiment will be applied as appropriate.

[0076] As described later, the stirring process may be performed in parallel with the working process. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the stirring process is performed in parallel with the filling process, which is one of the working processes. In other words, the filling process and the stirring process are performed simultaneously on the container body 1b on the conveying body t1 after the pre-filling conveying process. In this case, the stirring process is performed in parallel with the filling process in the filling work area. This can eliminate the time required to perform the stirring process alone, thereby further improving manufacturing efficiency. 11, the conveyor t1 that has arrived at the filling operation position P5 of the filling device W5 performs the stirring operation of (1a) above, about a vertical axis that passes through the filling operation position P5 and the central axis of the filling nozzle 35. Although the stirring operation is not limited to (1a) above, by performing the stirring operation, even if the viscosity of the liquid is high, the liquid can be spread throughout the entire storage space of the container body 1b, and uneven distribution of the liquid in the storage space can be suppressed.

[0077] In the filling step, it is preferable to adjust the height position of the filling nozzle 35 provided in the filling device W5 in response to a change in the filling amount of the liquid 10 (material constituting the contents) so that the filling nozzle 35 does not come into contact with the liquid 10 (material constituting the contents) in the container body 1b (see FIG. 12). The height position of the filling nozzle 35 is a position along the central axis of the container body 1b. In FIG. 12, the central axis coincides with the vertical direction. In the filling step shown in FIG. 12, the filling nozzle 35 is inserted into the container body 1b through the opening of the neck portion (see FIG. 12(a)), and then the liquid 10 is filled into the container body 1b from the filling nozzle 35 (see FIG. 12(b)). During this filling, as the filling amount of the liquid 10 increases, the height position of the filling nozzle 35 is raised so that the tip of the filling nozzle 35 does not come into contact with the liquid 10 in the container body 1b (see FIGS. 12(b) and (c)). This makes it possible to suppress splashing or foaming of the liquid 10. In addition, since the filling nozzle 35 is prevented from becoming dirty with the liquid 10, cleaning of the filling nozzle 35 is not required, and the filling process can be carried out smoothly. For convenience of explanation, the stirring operation shown in Fig. 12 is the horizontal rotation as described above in (1a), but is not limited to this.

[0078] When adjusting the height of the filling nozzle 35, the filling amount of the filling nozzle 35 can be grasped by a flow meter that measures the filling amount, or by the filling speed and filling time. In order to further suppress splashing and foaming of the liquid, the distance in the vertical direction Z between the filling nozzle 35 and the liquid 10 in the container body 1b is preferably 5 mm or more and preferably 150 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or more and preferably 100 mm or less. In the filling step, the filling speed may be constant or may be varied. In the latter case, for example, the filling speed may be gradually increased or decreased from the start of filling. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the filling step and the stirring step are performed in parallel, but it is preferable to adjust the height of the filling nozzle 35 in the filling step, regardless of the timing of the stirring step.

[0079] In the filling process shown in Fig. 12, the stirring step is performed simultaneously with the start of the filling step. The start point of the filling step is the start point of filling of the liquid 10 from the filling nozzle 35. Alternatively, the stirring step may be performed midway through the filling step. In the latter case, for example, the stirring step may be performed when the amount of liquid 10 filled is 20% of the full amount of the container body 1b. The amount of filling can be grasped by the above-mentioned measuring meter or the filling speed and filling time. Furthermore, when the filling step is carried out by a plurality of filling devices, the stirring step may be carried out in parallel with the filling step carried out by any one of the plurality of filling devices. For example, as shown in FIG. 13(a), when the filling step is performed using two filling devices W6 and W7 with different liquids 10a and 10b, the mixing step is performed in the filling work area of ​​the filling device W7, which is downstream in the moving path of the conveyor t1. That is, the mixing step is performed in parallel with the filling step, which is the most downstream in the moving path. This configuration is preferable in that the two or more liquids are more easily dispersed by the second or subsequent filling, and the two or more liquids can be more mixed. In addition, from the viewpoint of further improving the mixing efficiency, two or more liquids may be filled alternately and repeatedly.

[0080] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13(a), it is preferable that the liquid 10a filled by the upstream filling device W6 has a lower viscosity than the liquid 10b filled by the downstream filling device W7. This makes it easier to mix two or more liquids with different viscosities. From the viewpoint of further improving this effect, the difference in viscosity between the liquid 10a filled by the upstream filling device W6 and the liquid 10b filled by the downstream filling device W7 is preferably 1.00 Pa·s or more, preferably 10000.00 Pa·s or less, more preferably 1.00 Pa·s or more, preferably 5000.00 Pa·s or less. The viscosity of the liquid can be measured by the method described later. In addition, it is preferable that the liquid 10a filled by the upstream filling device W6 has a lower density than the liquid 10b filled by the downstream filling device W7. This makes it easier to mix two or more liquids with different densities. In this case, there is no particular restriction on the density of the liquid 10a filled by the upstream filling device W6 and the liquid 10b filled by the downstream filling device W7.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 13(b), the stirring step may be performed in parallel with the filling step and the conveying step. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 13(b), the filling device W8 moves on rails 39 extending in one direction (X direction) provided outside the conveying surface 25. That is, the filling operation position of the filling device W8 and the filling nozzle 35 are movable along the extending direction of the rails 39 (X direction). In this case, a plurality of filling operation positions are set in succession as the filling nozzle 35 moves. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13(b), the filling device W8 moves on rails 39 while filling the container body 1b with liquid 10 from the filling nozzle 35. The transport body t1 moves on the transport surface 25 in synchronization with the movement of the filling device W8, and performs the rotational operation (1a) described above. That is, the filling nozzle 35 and the transport body t1 performing the stirring operation are moved while the relative positions of the two are aligned, so that the filling process, the transport process, and the stirring process can be carried out simultaneously. This allows the manufacturing time of the product (container 1) to be further shortened.

[0082] When performing the stirring and conveying process, or when the filling process, conveying process, and stirring process are performed simultaneously, if the conveying body t1 is suddenly moved from a stopped state, the liquid filled in the container body 1b is likely to overflow due to the influence of the acceleration applied to the container body 1b. From the viewpoint of further suppressing the liquid from overflowing outside the container body 1b, it is preferable that the conveying acceleration of the conveying body t1 gradually increases from the initial movement (conveyance start). For example, it is preferable that the conveying body t1 moves at an acceleration lower than the acceleration along a modified sine curve. In this case, a pattern of a graph line (conveying operation curve) showing the movement amount (conveying amount) of the conveying body t1 over time is set in advance, and the conveying of the conveying body t1 is controlled by the pattern. Alternatively, a plurality of the above patterns are set, and a pattern according to the shape of the container body 1b or the viscosity of the liquid is appropriately selected from the plurality of patterns to control the operation of the conveying body t1. For ease of explanation, the stirring operation shown in FIGS. 13(a) and (b) is the horizontal rotation described above in (1a), but is not limited to this.

[0083] In the embodiment shown in Figures 14 and 15, when the filling process and the stirring process are performed in parallel, in the filling process, the inclination of the filling nozzle 35 with respect to the vertical direction Z is changed in accordance with the movement of the transport body t1 for the stirring process. 14, for example, the stirring step is performed during the filling step while the inclination angle of the filling nozzle 35 relative to the vertical direction Z and the inclination angle of the container body 1b (container) relative to the vertical direction Z are matched. In this embodiment, the central axis CL of the container body 1b and the central axis NL of the filling nozzle 35 are matched, and the filling step and the stirring step are performed while synchronizing the inclination angles of these central axes CL and NL relative to the vertical direction Z. This makes it possible to suppress contact between the filling nozzle 35 and the container body 1b while increasing the range of the stirring operation compared to when the central axes CL and NL of the container body 1b and the filling nozzle 35 are matched to the vertical direction Z.

[0084] 15, the stirring step is performed while varying the inclination angles of the central axis CL of container body 1b and the central axis NL of filling nozzle 35 with respect to the vertical direction Z. In this case, these central axes CL and NL have an angle with respect to the vertical direction Z, and there is also an angle between these central axes CL and NL. In other words, the central axis CL of container body 1b and the central axis NL of filling nozzle 35 do not coincide with each other. The stirring action in the embodiment shown in Figs. 14 and 15 is the tilt rotation r2 of (1b) above, but may be the rocking action of (2) above instead.

[0085] Although the container 1 manufactured in the above-mentioned embodiment includes the cap 1c, the container 1 may include a pump dispenser 3c instead of the cap 1c. Fig. 16 shows a carrier t3 used in the transport step for transporting the pump dispenser 3c. The carrier t3 shown in FIG. 16 includes a holder 13 for holding components such as a pump dispenser 3c. The holder 13 includes a bottom surface 13a and upright holders 15, 16, and 17 that stand up from the bottom surface 13a. The upright holder 15 includes a holder plate 15b having an insertion hole through which a liquid supply pipe 3d of the pump dispenser 3c is inserted, and a pair of rod-shaped supports 15a, 15a that stand up from the bottom surface 13a. The holder plate 15b is supported on the supports 15a, 15a, and the length between the holder plate 15b and the bottom surface 13a in the vertical direction Z is longer than the length of the liquid supply pipe. The insertion hole formed in the holder plate 15b has an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of a pump head that can be moved up and down in the pump dispenser 3c, and has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the liquid supply pipe. As a result, the holder 13 holds the pump dispenser 3c with the liquid supply pipe inserted into the insertion hole and the pump head placed on the holder plate 15b (see FIG. 16).

[0086] The holder 13 has upright holders 16 and 17 for holding the flat lid members 4c and 5c. The lid members 4c and 5c are used for manufacturing the pump container 3 equipped with the pump dispenser 3c and containers other than the container 1 described above. The upright holders 16 and 17 have the same configuration as the upright holder 15 described above, except that the holder plates 16b and 17b are formed with mounting grooves in which the flat lid members 4c and 5c are placed, instead of through holes. That is, the holder plates 16b and 17b are supported by a pair of support parts 16a, 16a, 17a, and 17a in a state in which the holder plates 16b and 17b are spaced apart from the bottom surface part 13a in the vertical direction Z. The upright holders 16 and 17 place the lid members 4c and 5c in the mounting grooves of the holder plates 16b and 17b to hold the lid members 4c and 5c. This makes it easier to pick up the cover members 4c and 5c from the holding discs 16b and 17b.

[0087] 16 can be used to manufacture the pump container 3. The manufacturing method of the pump container 3 includes a supplying step, a filling step, and an attachment step, similar to the manufacturing method of the bottle container 1. This manufacturing method is performed in the same manner as the manufacturing method of the bottle container 1 described above, except that the liquid (content) filled in the container body 1b in the filling step is different, and that the pump dispenser 3c is attached to the container body 1b in the attachment step.

[0088] The mounting step in the manufacturing method of the pump container 3 is a capping step shown in Figs. 17(a) to (d). The capping step shown in Fig. 17 is performed by a mounting device W17 having a capping head 36 attached to an end effector. For the sake of convenience, only the upright holder 15 that holds the pump dispenser 3c is shown as the holder for the conveyor t3 shown in Fig. 17, and only the capping head 36 is shown as the mounting device W17.

[0089] In the capping process shown in FIG. 17, first, the pump dispenser 3c is transported by the transport body t3 to the working position of the mounting device W17 (capping head 36). In this transport process, the pump head of the pump dispenser 3c held by the transport body t3 is aligned with the working position of the mounting device W17 (capping head 36). Then, the capping head 36 is lowered toward the transport body t3, and the pump head is gripped by the capping head 36 (see FIG. 17(a)). Next, the capping head 36 is raised, and the liquid supply pipe 3d of the pump dispenser 3c is pulled out from the insertion hole of the holding plate 15b (see FIG. 17(b)). Next, the transport body t3 holding the container body 1b by the upright holding part 15 moves out of the working area of ​​the mounting device W17, and then the container body 1b is transported by the transport body t1 to the working position of the mounting device W17. This container body 1b is filled with the contents (not shown). When the container body 1b is transported to the working position of the attachment device W17, the capping head 36 holding the pump dispenser 3c descends at the working position and inserts the pump dispenser 3c into the opening of the neck of the container body 1b (see FIG. 17(c)). The capping head 36 descends until the height of the screw portion located on the inner peripheral surface of the base end of the pump head and the screw portion on the outer peripheral surface of the neck of the container body 1b are approximately the same. Next, the capping head 36 or the carrier t1 rotates around its central axis, screwing the screw portions of the pump head and the neck together to cap (attach) the pump dispenser 3c to the container body 1b. In this way, in the capping process shown in FIG. 17, the lifting and lowering of the capping head 36 makes it easier to perform the picking and capping operations.

[0090] In the manufacturing method of the pump container 3, the stirring step may be performed in parallel with the capping step. For example, as shown in Fig. 18(a) and (b), in the capping step, the conveying body t1 may perform tilted rotation r2 while the liquid supply pipe 3d is inserted into the container body 1b, and the stirring step may proceed simultaneously. In this case, the liquid supply pipe 3d serves as a stirring rod and can mix the liquid 10 in the container body 1b. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 18, the pump dispenser 3c may be attached to the container body 1b by the rotation of the conveying body t1 and the descent of the capping head 36. In this way, when the manufacturing method for the product (container 3) includes a work process (mounting process in Figure 18) in which a work device W17 is used to perform work on the container body 1b transported by the transport body t1, a stirring process may be performed in parallel with the work process.

[0091] The stirring step may be performed using a working device W18 (hereinafter, also referred to as "stirring device W18") that performs stirring in conjunction with the movement of the conveyor t1. The stirring device W18 shown in FIG. 19 has a stirring shaft 38a attached to an end effector, and the stirring shaft 38a can be raised and lowered. A stirring blade is provided at the tip of the stirring shaft 38a. The stirring blade may be a known one, such as a paddle blade, turbine blade, propeller blade, screw blade, disk turbine blade, Pfaudle blade, Max Blend blade, and full zone blade. The paddle blade may be a single stage or a multi-stage of two or more stages. In the stirring step, the stirrer W18 may or may not rotate the stirring shaft 38a. Even in the latter case, the conveyor t1 can generate convection by the stirring shaft 38a by performing the rotational motion (1) or the swinging motion (2) of the conveyor t1. The stirring device W18 may also be one that stirs by blowing air. In this case, air is blown onto the contents with an air nozzle inserted into the container body 1b, to generate convection.

[0092] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the container body 1b is loaded on the conveying body t1 so that the central axis of the container body 1b is located at the center position of the conveying body t1 in a plan view, but the loading position of the container body 1b is not limited to this. In the stirring process, the conveying body t may load the container body 1b at a position other than the center position of the conveying body t in a plan view. For example, the approximately square-shaped conveying body t4 shown in Figures 20(a) and (b) has an area of ​​the conveying body t4 that is more than twice as large as the area of ​​the container body 1b in a plan view. In this conveying body t4, the conveying body t4 is divided into four equal areas by a cross, and a holding portion 12a is arranged in one of the four areas, and the container body 1b is loaded on the holding portion 12a. In this way, when the central axis CL of the container body 1b is separated from the center position tc of the conveying body t4, the centrifugal force or inertial force generated by the stirring operations (1) and (2) above is easily applied, and the stirring efficiency can be improved. To ensure that such an effect is achieved, the shortest distance between the central axis CL of the container body 1b and the central position tc of the conveyor t4 is preferably 10 mm or more and 100 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or more and 50 mm or less.

[0093] The manufacturing method shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 13(a) described above includes a plurality of filling steps, and in each of the filling steps, different liquids 10 (materials constituting the contents) are filled in different filling work areas. More specifically, different liquids 10 are filled in different filling work positions. In such a case, the plurality of filling work areas may or may not overlap partially. When a plurality of filling processes are provided, different liquids 10 (materials constituting the contents) may be filled in the same filling work area in each filling process (see FIG. 21). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 21, two filling devices W10 and W11 share the same filling work area, and the same filling work position P10 is set in the same filling work area. In such an embodiment, one filling device W10 aligns the center axis of the filling nozzle 35 with the filling work position P10, performs the filling process (see FIG. 21(a)), and then moves the filling nozzle 35 out of the filling work area (see FIG. 21(b)). Next, the other filling device W11 aligns the center axis of the filling nozzle 35 with the filling work position P10, and performs the filling process (see FIG. 21(b)). That is, in the same filling work area, the plurality of filling devices W10 and W11 sequentially move the filling nozzle 35 to perform a plurality of filling processes. This can save space in the manufacturing space (transport surface 25).

[0094] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 13(a) and Fig. 21, multiple filling steps are performed by multiple filling devices, but one filling device may perform multiple filling steps. In this case, one filling device is equipped with multiple filling nozzles and is configured to be able to fill multiple types of liquids (materials that make up the contents) (not shown). In this case, the multiple filling steps may be performed at the same filling work position or at multiple filling work positions.

[0095] FIG. 22 shows another embodiment of the manufacturing method of the present invention. The manufacturing method shown in FIG. 22 is a manufacturing method for manufacturing different products f1 to f3 (containers). The manufacturing method is a method for manufacturing products with different compositions in which multiple types of materials are mixed. The materials may be multiple types of liquids and solids, or multiple types of liquids or multiple types of solids. The manufacturing method of the embodiment shown in FIG. 22 performs a main agent filling step and an auxiliary agent filling step for each of the different products. The main agent filling step is a filling step for filling the container body 1b with the main agent. The main agent is the main main ingredient of the contents of the product (container) and is contained in the contents at a content of 50% by mass or more. The auxiliary agent filling step is a filling step for filling the auxiliary agent. The auxiliary agent is an auxiliary ingredient of the contents of the product (container) and is contained in the contents at a content of less than 50% by mass.

[0096] In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, a filling step is performed using a plurality of filling devices W12-W16 (see FIG. 22), and the filling step includes a main agent filling step and an auxiliary agent filling step. More specifically, the main agent filling step is performed by the filling device W12 that fills the main agent, and the auxiliary agent filling step is performed by a plurality of filling devices W13-W16 that fill auxiliary agents a1-a4. The filling devices W13-W16 that perform the auxiliary agent filling step fill different types of auxiliary agents a1-a4 (see Table 1 below). 22, the conveyor t1 moves along different movement paths c1-c3 according to the products f1-f3, and moves to the working areas of the filling devices W12-W16 in the following order to produce contents corresponding to the products f1-f3. As a result, the contents obtained via each of the movement paths c1-c3 have different compositions (see Table 1 below). Movement route c1: W12 → W13 → W14 → product f1 Route c2: W12 → W14 → W15 → Product f2 Route c3: W12 → W15 → W16 → Product f3

[0097] [Table 1]

[0098] The base filling step is performed using a filling device W12 that is common to a number of different products f1-f3, as shown in FIG. 22 and Table 1. All of the movement paths c1-c3 of the conveyor t1 set on the conveying surface 25 shown in FIG. 22 have in common the fact that they move to the filling work area (filling work position) of the filling device W12. That is, along all of the movement paths c1-c3, the base is filled from the filling device W12 into the container body 1b. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 22, the base filling step is performed in the same filling work area for the different products f1-f3.

[0099] On the other hand, the auxiliary agent filling step is performed using a filling device selected from a plurality of filling devices W13 to W16 according to the type of the products f1 to f3. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 22 and Table 1, in the moving path c1, the auxiliary agent a1 is filled by the filling device W13, and the auxiliary agent a2 is filled by the filling device W14. In the moving path c2, the auxiliary agent a2 is filled by the filling device W14, and the auxiliary agent a3 is filled by the filling device W15. In the moving path c3, the auxiliary agent a3 is filled by the filling device W15, and the auxiliary agent a4 is filled by the filling device W16. In this way, in the auxiliary agent filling step, by using different filling devices W13 to W16 to fill the auxiliary agents, the types of the auxiliary agents a1 to a4 can be made different. As a result, it is possible to manufacture a plurality of types of products that have a common main agent and different auxiliary agents. Therefore, the manufacturing method shown in Fig. 22 is effective in efficiently manufacturing products f1 to f3 that are developed into a series with different ingredients, and can efficiently carry out variable-volume production of a wide variety of products (containers) with different contents. For example, when manufacturing a wide variety of products in small-volume containers (about 5 to 100 mL) such as cosmetics, products with different content compositions can be easily and efficiently manufactured by using the same main ingredient while varying trace amounts of auxiliary ingredients such as fragrances or dyes. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 22, the auxiliary agent filling process is performed in different filling work areas for different products f1 to f3. As shown in Fig. 21, when multiple filling devices share the same filling work area, the auxiliary agent filling process may be performed in the same filling work area.

[0100] In the manufacturing method shown in Fig. 22, a mixing step is performed in parallel with at least one of the base material filling step and the auxiliary material filling step, or after at least one of the base material filling step and the auxiliary material filling step. The manufacturing method of this embodiment can be appropriately applied to the mixing methods of each of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0101] As shown in Fig. 22, when multiple filling processes are performed using multiple filling devices W12-W13, the order of filling the liquids in each filling device W12-W13 may be random. In this case, since it is sufficient to fill the products f1-f3 with the types of liquids corresponding to the products f1-f3, the order of movement of the conveyor t1 through the filling work area can be changed. For example, if it is acceptable to change the order of filling for the contents of product f1 obtained by movement path c1, the movement path can be changed to the following. Movement route c1a: W12 → W14 → W13 → product f1 Route c1b: W13 → W14 → W12 → Product f1 Movement route c1c: W14 → W13 → W12 → Product f1 When the multiple filling steps are composed of a main agent filling step and an auxiliary agent filling step, it is preferable to carry out the main agent filling step before the auxiliary agent filling step, from the viewpoint of further improving the stirring efficiency.

[0102] 22 is a manufacturing method that includes multiple filling steps, thereby filling multiple types of liquids (materials) into the container body 1. In such a manufacturing method, the fact that each container body 1b can be mixed by the mixing operation of the conveyor t1 described above is particularly effective from the viewpoint of efficient production of a wide variety of products with different content compositions.

[0103] In the filling step, the liquid may be filled at a plurality of locations within a predetermined range, depending on the shape of the container conveyed by the conveying body t and the viscosity of the liquid to be filled. For example, as shown in FIG. 23, when the container 6 is a flat plate-like shape that spreads in the planar direction, a plurality of filling positions by the filling nozzle 35 may be provided within the range of the opening of the container 6. In the container 6 shown in FIG. 23, the opening in a planar view is divided into 16 equal regions, and filling by the filling nozzle 35 is performed for each section. That is, a filling position is set for each section. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 23(a) and (b), the liquid 10c is filled while the filling nozzle 35 is moved sequentially along the X direction. By performing a stirring step after this filling step, the liquid 10c can be quickly distributed throughout the entire storage space of the flat plate-like container 6 even if the liquid 10c has a high viscosity. The high-viscosity liquid 10c has a viscosity of 10000.00 mPa·s or more at 25° C., for example. A method for measuring the viscosity will be described later. There is no particular limitation on the direction of movement of the filling nozzle 35 within the range of the opening of the container 6. For example, the filling nozzle 35 may move toward the working area of ​​the next process.

[0104] In the filling step, the liquid may be filled using a filling aid 19. For example, the filling aid 19 shown in FIG. 24 is made of a lattice-shaped frame member, and the opening of the container 6 can be divided into 16 regions by the lattice. The filling aid 19 is installed so as to cover the opening of the container 6. In the filling step shown in FIG. 24, the filling nozzle 35 is aligned with the center position of each lattice of the filling aid 19 in a plan view, and then the liquid 10c is filled. After the filling step, the filling aid 19 is removed from the container 6. Then, a stirring step is performed by a carrier t (not shown in FIG. 24) to distribute the liquid 10c throughout the container 6. In the embodiments shown in Figures 23 and 24, two or more liquids may be filled in layers.

[0105] In the filling step of each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the viscosity of the liquid to be filled is not particularly limited. The liquid to be filled in the filling step has a viscosity at 25°C of preferably 1.00 mPa·s or more and 150,000.00 mPa or less, more preferably 1.00 mPa·s or more and 10,000.00 mPa or less. The viscosity can be measured at a temperature of 25°C, for example, using a viscosity measurement method using a JIS Z8803 9 single cylindrical rotational viscometer.

[0106] Next, a flow of the manufacturing method of the above-mentioned embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 25. The flow shown in Figure 25 relates to a manufacturing method of a container 1 containing a content, which includes a stirring and transporting step. In the flow shown in FIG. 25, the container 1 is manufactured by moving (transporting) the transport body t1 that transports the container body 1b. First, the manufacturing apparatus 100 is started to start the production of the bottle container 1 by the manufacturing apparatus 100 (step S1). In the following step S2, the conveyance control unit 54 issues a movement command to the conveyance stage 20 to move the conveyance body t1 to the work position P1. As a result, the conveyance body t1 moves to the work position P1. In the following step S3, it is determined whether the conveyance body t1 has arrived at the work position P1. The determination in step S3 is made based on whether the actual coordinate position of the conveyance body t1 matches the work position P1. This step S3 is performed by the conveyance control unit 54. If the actual coordinate position of the conveyance body t1 does not match the work position P1, step S3 is repeatedly executed at a frequency of 1 time / second or more and 10,000 times / second or less. Such a frequency can also be applied to steps S7, S12, and S17 described later.

[0107] If it is determined in step S3 that the transport body t1 has arrived at the work position P1, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the transport control unit 54 issues a work start command to the supply device W1 to start the supply process. In the following step S5, the transport control unit 54 determines whether the work (supply process) by the supply device W1 has been completed. The determination in step S5 is made based on the presence or absence of a work completion signal sent from the supply device W1. If the work completion signal is not received in step S5, step S5 is repeatedly executed at a frequency of 1 time / second or more and 10,000 times / second or less. Such a frequency can also be applied to steps S9, S14, and S19 described below. If the transport control unit 54 receives a work completion signal from the supply device W1 in step S5, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0108] In step S6, the transport control unit 54 issues a movement command to the transport stage 20 to move the transport body t1 to the work position (filling work position) P2. This causes the transport body t1 to move to the work position P2. In the following step S7, it is determined whether the transport body t1 has arrived at the filling work position P2. The determination in step S7 is made, similar to step S3, based on whether the actual coordinate position of the transport body t1 coincides with the work position P2. This step S7 is performed by the transport control unit 54.

[0109] If it is determined in step S7 that the transport body t1 has arrived at the work position P2, the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, the transport control unit 54 issues a filling start command to the filling device W2 to start the filling process. In the following step S9, the transport control unit 54 determines whether or not the work (filling process) by the filling device W2 has been completed. The determination in step S9 is made based on the presence or absence of a work completion signal transmitted from the filling device W2. If the transport control unit 54 receives the work completion signal from the filling device W2 in step S9, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0110] In step S10, the transfer control unit 54 issues a movement command to the transfer stage 20 to move the transfer body t1 to the work position (filling work position) P3. In the following step S11, the stirring control unit 55 issues a stirring and transfer start command to the transfer stage 20. As a result, the transfer body t1 moves to the work position P3 and performs a stirring operation selected from any one of the above (1) to (3) or a combination of these. That is, the above-mentioned stirring and transfer process is performed. In the next step S12, it is determined whether the transport body t1 has arrived at the work position (filling work position) P3. The determination in step S12 is performed, similarly to step S3, by checking whether the actual coordinate position of the transport body t1 coincides with the filling work position P3. This step S12 is performed by the transport control unit 54.

[0111] If it is determined in step S12 that the transport body t1 has arrived at the work position P2, the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the transport control unit 54 issues a filling start command to the filling device W3 to start the filling process. In the following step S14, the transport control unit 54 determines whether or not the work (filling process) by the filling device W3 has been completed. The determination in step S14 is made based on the presence or absence of a work completion signal transmitted from the filling device W3. If the transport control unit 54 receives the work completion signal from the filling device W3 in step S14, the process proceeds to step S15.

[0112] In step S15, the transport control unit 54 issues a movement command to the transport stage 20 to move the transport body t1 to the work position P4. In the following step S16, the stirring control unit 55 issues a stirring and transport start command to the transport stage 20. As a result, the transport body t1 moves to the work position P4 and performs the stirring operation of any one or a combination of the above (1) to (3). That is, the above-mentioned stirring and transport process is performed. In the next step S17, it is determined whether the transport body t1 has arrived at the work position (filling work position) P4b and whether the transport body t2 has arrived at the work position P4a. The determination in step S17 is performed, similarly to step S4, based on whether the actual coordinate position of the transport body t1 coincides with the work position P4b and whether the actual coordinate position of the transport body t2 coincides with the work position P4a. This step S17 is performed by the transport control unit 54.

[0113] If it is determined in step S17 that the conveyed body t1 has arrived at the work position P4 (P4b in FIG. 2) and the conveyed body t2 has arrived at the work position P4 (P4a in FIG. 2), the process proceeds to step S18. In step S18, the conveyance control unit 54 transmits a work start command to the mounting device W4 to start the mounting process. In the following step S19, the conveyance control unit 54 determines whether or not the work (mounting process) by the mounting device W4 has been completed. The determination in step S19 is made based on the presence or absence of a work completion signal transmitted from the mounting device W4. If the conveyance control unit 54 receives the work completion signal from the mounting device W4 in step S19, the process proceeds to step S20. At this point, the bottle container 1 is completed.

[0114] In step S20, the transport control unit 54 issues a command to move the transport body t1 to the target point to the transport stage 20. As a result, the transport body t1 moves from the work position P4b to the target point of the transport body t1, and transports the bottle container 1 to the target point. At the same time as step S20, the transport control unit 54 also issues a return movement command for the transport body t2 (not shown in FIG. 25). As a result, the transport body t2 returns from the work position P4a to the movement start point of the transport body t2. In the next step S21, it is determined whether or not to terminate the manufacture (production) of the bottle container 1 by the manufacturing apparatus 100, based on the transport information from the transport information acquisition unit 52. More specifically, when the container 1 is removed from the transport body t1 that has arrived at the target location and the container 1 is unloaded, the number of containers 1 to be manufactured (variable i) is incremented, and it is determined whether or not the number of containers to be manufactured (variable i+1) is equal to the set planned production number.

[0115] The container 1 can be released from the loading position by the presence or absence of a completion signal for the removal operation outside the conveying surface 25 performed by the container removal device, a reduction in the weight of the conveying body t1 by a load cell, or a change in the current value for maintaining the floating amount of the conveying body t1. Alternatively, the container can be released from the loading position by object recognition by an external processing device such as various sensors or an imaging device. As the various sensors, any sensor capable of detecting the release of the bottle container 1 can be used without any particular limitation. For example, an optical sensor or a fiber sensor capable of detecting the presence or absence of the bottle container 1 on the conveying body t1 can be used. The removal device may also be equipped with a sensor according to its operation form. For example, when the removal device removes the bottle container 1 by vacuum suction, the removal of the bottle container 1 (the release of the loading) can be detected by a pressure sensor. When the removal device removes the bottle container 1 by an electric gripper, the release of the loading can be detected by a force sensor. Furthermore, when the removal device removes the bottle container 1 by a pneumatic gripper, the release of the loading can be detected by a proximity sensor.

[0116] If it is determined in step S21 that the number of containers 1 to be manufactured has reached the set planned production number, the manufacturing (production) of the bottle containers 1 by the manufacturing apparatus 100 is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S21 that the number of containers 1 to be manufactured is less than the set planned production number, the process returns to step S2, and steps S2 to S21 are repeated.

[0117] Although the present invention has been described based on the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the above-mentioned embodiment includes a conveying device having a conveying stage 20 and a plurality of conveying bodies t that move while floating from the conveying stage 20, but is not limited to such a form. For example, the conveying device may include a conveying surface 25 set on the floor and conveying bodies that move freely on the conveying surface 25 by an electric vehicle.

[0118] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the stirring step is performed by the relative movement of the conveying body t1 itself with respect to the conveying surface 25, but the stirring operation may be performed without the relative movement. The relative movement of the conveying body t1 is the movement of the conveying body t1 in a plan view including the rotational movement, and the movement of the conveying body t1 in the vertical direction Z (change in the floating amount). As an example of the stirring step without the relative movement, there is a form in which the contents are stirred by a conveying device equipped with a conveying body t10 equipped with a stirring means (see FIG. 26). For example, the conveying device is equipped with a conveyor in which an endless belt is stretched between a driving roll and a driven roll, and a large number of conveying bodies t10 are attached to the endless belt at equal intervals along the conveying direction. In this conveyor, the driving roll is driven by the rotational power of a servo motor, and the servo motor is controlled by the conveying control unit 54. In addition, the surface of the endless belt on which the conveying body t10 is attached forms the conveying surface 25.

[0119] FIG. 26 shows an embodiment of a carrier t10 provided in a transport device equipped with the conveyor. The conveying body t10 shown in Fig. 26(a) comprises a holding part 71 that holds the container body 1b in a grippable manner and performs a stirring operation, and a conveying body tb with a built-in drive part that drives the stirring operation. The holding part 71 comprises a support part that stands up from the upper surface of the conveying body tb and a clamping part that is connected to the support part in the radial direction and clamps the container body 1b from both sides, and can hold the container body 1b in a floating state above the upper surface of the conveying body tb. The holding part 71 shown in Fig. 26(a) is configured to be horizontally rotatable by the power of a battery equipped in the conveying body tb, and stirs the contents in the container body 1b by the horizontal rotation. 26(b) to (f), the configurations of the conveyor t10 that are different from the configuration shown in Fig. 26(a) will be mainly described below. For configurations that are not specifically described, the description of Fig. 26(a) will be applied as appropriate.

[0120] A conveying body t10 shown in FIG. 26(b) is configured such that a holding portion 71 can swing instead of rotate. A conveying body t10 shown in FIG. 26(c) is configured such that a holding portion 71 can move up and down instead of rotating on its axis. 26(d), the conveying body t10 is configured such that the holding part 71 can vibrate instead of rotate. The frequency (Hz) of the vibration operation is preferably 10 Hz or more and preferably 150 Hz or less, more preferably 50 Hz or more and preferably 100 Hz or less.

[0121] A conveying body t10 shown in FIGS. 26(e) and (f) is provided on a conveying body tb with a holding portion 73 in which a mounting recess 72 for accommodating the bottom of a container body 1b is formed. The holding portion 73 shown in FIG. 26(e) is capable of horizontal rotation about the central axis of the holding portion 73. The holding portion 73 shown in FIG. 26(f) is capable of tilting and rotating about the central axis of the holding portion 73. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 1 Bottle container (container) 1b Container body 1c Cap 3 Pump container 3c Pump dispenser 3d Liquid supply pipe 4c, 5c Cover member 6 containers 10,10a,10b,10c liquid 11,12,12a,13 Holding part 11a Plate part 11b Cylinder part 13a Bottom part 15 Upright holding part 15a Support part 15b Holding plate 16,17 Upright holding part 16a,17a Support part 16b,17b Holding board 19 Filling aids 20 Transport Stage 21 Segments 22 Segment body 23 Magnetic force generating unit 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d Coils 25 Transport surface 31 Device body 32 Work holding part 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d Magnet array 34,37 Arm (nozzle movable support part) 35 Filling Nozzle 36 Capping Head 38 Robot Hand 38a Stirring shaft 39 Rail 50 Manufacturing Control Department 51 Communication Module 52 Transportation information acquisition unit 53 Route Generation Unit 54 Transport control section 55 Mixing control section 71 Holding part 72 Recessed portion 73 Holding part 100 Manufacturing equipment 200 Transport device

Claims

1. A method for stirring contents contained in a container using a conveying device having a conveying surface and a plurality of conveying bodies moving on the conveying surface, comprising: A stirring method comprising a stirring step of stirring the contents in the container placed on the conveying body by the operation of the conveying body.

2. The conveying device is A conveying stage that constitutes the conveying surface is provided, 2. The stirring method according to claim 1, further comprising a magnetic force generating unit that uses a magnetic force to levitate the transport body from the transport stage and move the transport body on the transport stage.

3. 3. The stirring method according to claim 1, wherein the stirring step includes a stirring control step of controlling either or both of a movement of the conveying body in a plan view and an inclination of the container with respect to a vertical direction.

4. The conveying surface has a filling work area in which a filling device fills the material constituting the content, a pre-filling conveying step in which the conveying body conveys the container to the filling work area; The mixing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a filling step of filling the material into the container transported in the pre-filling transport step.

5. the conveying surface has a working area where a work device performs work, a work step in which the work device performs the work on the container transported by the transport body in the work area, The stirring method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stirring step is carried out in parallel with the working step.

6. The work area is a filling work area in which a filling device fills the material constituting the content, The mixing method according to claim 5 , wherein the working step is a filling step of filling the material into the inside of the container transported to the filling work area by the transport body.

7. 7. The stirring method according to claim 4, further comprising a stirring and transporting step of transporting the container while performing the stirring step after the filling step.

8. A method for producing a product having a different composition in which a plurality of types of materials constituting the content are mixed, using the stirring method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the steps of: A filling step is included in which a material is filled into the inside of the container transported by the transport body, For each of the different products, the filling step includes a base filling step of filling a base material and a secondary agent filling step of filling a different secondary agent, The base filling step is carried out using a filling device common to a plurality of different products, The auxiliary agent filling step is carried out using a filling device selected from a plurality of filling devices according to the type of the product, The method for producing a product, wherein the stirring step is carried out in parallel with or after the filling step.

9. The conveying surface has a filling operation area in which the filling device fills the material, The base material filling step is carried out in the same filling work area for the different products, The method for manufacturing a product according to claim 8 , wherein the auxiliary agent filling step is carried out for the different products in different filling work areas or in the same filling work area.

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