Container attitude reversing device

Abstract

To provide a container attitude reversing device capable of performing reversing of attitudes of a plurality of containers at a high speed while saving a space.SOLUTION: A container attitude reversing device 11 for reversing an attitude of a container 21 from an inverted state 22a to a standing state 22b during conveyance of the container 21 comprises: a wheel member 33 rotatably provided around a main shaft 31 extending in a vertical direction; a plurality of first reversing brackets 37 provided at an outer peripheral edge part 33a of the wheel member 33 and each including a holding part 35 of the container 21; and a reverse action member 39 for performing an attitude reversing operation of the container 21 held by the holding part 35 of the first reversing bracket 37. The first reversing bracket 37 is supported by the outer peripheral edge part 33a of the wheel member 33 so as to turn the attitude of the container 21 from the inverted state to the standing state in a radial direction related to the main shaft 31. The reverse action member 39 reverses the attitude of the container 21 in the inverted state to the standing state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container position inverting device for inverting the position of a container. [Background technology]

[0002] Syringe-type liquid medicine containers (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as syringe containers) used in medical settings, etc., may require a process of inverting the syringe container upside down while the liquid medicine is sealed inside during the manufacturing process, shipping inspection, etc.

[0003] For example, when a specified inspection is performed in an upright position with a flange portion called a backstop on a syringe container positioned on the bottom, if the syringe container is transported in an inverted position with the flange portion of the syringe container positioned on the top in the process immediately prior to the inspection process, it becomes necessary to invert the position of the syringe container in the vertical direction.

[0004] As an example of a conventional container position inversion device, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which, in order to operate a container transported by a rotating connecting wheel, the connecting wheel is moved around a rotation axis extending substantially vertically, and a holding element is rotated around a rotation axis extending substantially horizontally and periodically rotated back and forth by 180 degrees each.

[0005] Patent document 2 discloses a technology in which a box with its entrance held open is turned upside down at a box unloading operation section on a conveying line, and the horizontally oriented items that come out of the box are then converted to a horizontally oriented (upright) position in a position conversion section.

[0006] Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for inverting a container 180 degrees by combining two truncated cone-shaped jigs having a plurality of holding portions around the periphery capable of holding the container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2005-526675 [Patent Document 2] JP 2010-064765 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2004-018176 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the orientation reversal structure changes the orientation, the orientation reversal path of one container overlaps with the orientation reversal path of another container. Therefore, it is difficult to increase the number of containers that fit in one revolution. In addition, since the orientation reversal operation includes a chucking operation of the container, there is a problem that it is difficult to increase the conveying speed.

[0009] In addition, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2 is based on the premise that the containers are transported on a conveyor belt, and therefore has the problem that it is difficult to accommodate syringe containers which are elongated, cylindrical and prone to tipping over, and have one pointed side.

[0010] Furthermore, in the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3, the angle of one posture change is about 90°, and a combination of two mechanisms is required to turn the container 180°. As a result, the size of the device becomes large, especially in the conveying direction, which causes an issue of the overall size of the device becoming large.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide a container attitude inversion device that is space-saving and capable of inverting the attitudes of a plurality of containers at high speed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The container attitude inversion device according to the present invention comprises: A container attitude inversion device that inverts the attitude of a container from an inverted state to an upright state during transport of the container, a disk-shaped wheel member rotatably provided around a main axis extending in a vertical direction; A plurality of inversion brackets are provided on the outer peripheral edge of the wheel member, the inversion brackets having holding portions for the container; an inversion member for inverting the attitude of the container held by the holding portion of the inversion bracket; The inversion bracket is supported by the outer circumferential edge portion so as to be capable of rotating the attitude of the container from an inverted state to an upright state in a radial direction related to the main shaft, The inversion member inverts the container from an inverted state to an upright state. This is its most important feature. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the container attitude inversion device of the present invention, attitude inversion of a plurality of containers can be performed at high speed in a space-saving manner. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be described in detail in the following embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1A] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a container inspection device including a container attitude inverting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] 1B is a top view illustrating a schematic configuration of the container inspection device illustrated in FIG. 1A. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a container attitude inverting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a first inversion bracket and its surroundings provided in the container posture inversion device shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 3B] 3B is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a syringe container is held by the first inverted bracket illustrated in FIG. 3A. FIG. [Figure 3C] 3B is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a syringe container is held by the first inverted bracket illustrated in FIG. 3A. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an inversion member provided in a container attitude inversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of the container attitude inverting device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a top view of a container attitude inverting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B] 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB of the container attitude inverting device shown in FIG. 6A. [Figure 7A] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the container attitude inverting device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7B] 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIB-VIIB of the container attitude inverting device shown in FIG. 7A. [Figure 8A] 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a second inversion bracket provided in the container attitude inversion device. FIG. [Figure 8B] 11 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a second inversion bracket rotatably supported by a second stay provided in the container posture inversion device. FIG. [Figure 9A] 13 is a side view of a second inversion bracket rotatably supported by a second stay provided in the container posture inversion device. FIG. [Figure 9B] 13 is a side view of a second inversion bracket rotatably supported by a second stay provided in the container posture inversion device. FIG. [Figure 9C] 13 is a side view of a second inversion bracket rotatably supported by a second stay provided in the container posture inversion device. FIG. [Figure 9D] 13 is a side view of a second inversion bracket rotatably supported by a second stay provided in the container posture inversion device. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] A container attitude inverting device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In describing the container attitude inversion device according to the embodiment of the present invention, components having common functions are given common symbols and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0016] [Outline of the configuration of the container inspection device 10 including the container attitude reversing device 11] First, a schematic configuration of a container inspection device 10 including a container attitude inverting device 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1A and 1B. Fig. 1A is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a container inspection device 10 including a container attitude reversing device 11. Fig. 1B is a top view showing the schematic configuration of the container inspection device 10 shown in Fig. 1A.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the container inspection device 10 is configured to include a container posture inversion device 11 that inverts the vertical posture of a syringe container (corresponding to the "container" of this invention) 21 in which a medicinal liquid or the like is sealed, a container supply device 13 that supplies the inverted syringe container 21 to the container posture inversion device 11, and a container receiving device 15 that receives the upright syringe container 21 inverted by the container posture inversion device 11. The container inspection device 10 inspects the syringe container 21 in an upright position after being inverted by the container attitude inversion device 11 to check whether the amount of medicinal liquid contained therein meets predetermined standards, whether any foreign matter has been mixed into the medicinal liquid, and whether there are any defects on the exterior such as scratches or cracks.

[0018] Syringe container 21 is a cylindrical container having flange portion 23 (see FIG. 3B) called a backstop at one end and sharp portion 25 at the other end. However, in the examples shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, sharp portion 25 is covered with a cylindrical cover. In the description of container attitude inverting device 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1A, for convenience, a state in which flange portion 23 of syringe container 21 is positioned on the upper side is called inverted state 22a, and a state in which flange portion 23 is positioned on the lower side is called upright state 22b.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, container position reversing device 11 plays a role in reversing the position of syringe container 21 from inverted state 22a to upright state 22b while syringe container 21 is being transported. The configuration of the container attitude inverting device 11 will be described in detail later.

[0020] The container supply device 13 is configured to include a disk-shaped first conveying member 83 that is rotatable around a first rotation axis 81 extending in the vertical direction, and a plurality of first holding portions 85 that are provided at a predetermined interval on the outer peripheral edge portion 83a of the first conveying member 83 and hold syringe containers 21.

[0021] The container receiving device 15 is configured to include a disk-shaped second conveying member 93 that is rotatable around a second rotation axis 91 extending in the vertical direction, and a plurality of second holding portions 95 that are provided at a predetermined interval on the outer peripheral edge portion 93a of the second conveying member 93 and hold the syringe containers 21.

[0022] [General configuration of container attitude inversion device 11] Next, a schematic configuration of the container attitude inverting device 11 will be described with reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C, FIG. 4, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the container attitude inverting device 11. FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the first inversion bracket 37 and its periphery provided in the container attitude inverting device 11 shown in FIG. 2. FIGS. 3B and 3C are perspective views showing a state in which the syringe container 21 is held by the first inversion bracket 37 shown in FIG. 3A. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an inversion member 39 provided in the container attitude inverting device 11. FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining the operation of the container attitude inverting device 11. FIG. 6A is a top view of the container attitude inverting device 11. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view along the line VIB-VIB of the container attitude inverting device 11 shown in FIG. 6A. FIG. 7A is a bottom view of the container attitude inverting device 11. In FIG. 7A, a part of the elliptical flat plate 40 is cut out to facilitate observation of the movement of the first inversion bracket 37. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view along the line VIIB-VIIB of the container attitude inverting device 11 shown in FIG. 7A.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1A and 2, container posture inversion device 11 is configured to include a disk-shaped wheel member 33 that is freely rotatable around a main shaft 31 extending in the vertical direction, a first inversion bracket 37 (see Figure 3B) of the first embodiment that is provided with a holding portion 35 for syringe container 21 and is arranged at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential edge portion 33a of wheel member 33, and an inversion action member 39 that performs a posture inversion operation for syringe container 21 (see Figures 1A and 2) held in inverted state 22a by holding portion 35 of first inversion bracket 37.

[0024] The main shaft 31 of the wheel member 33 is connected to a rotation drive mechanism (none of which are shown) including a motor, a reducer, etc. The wheel member 33 and the rotation drive mechanism form a transport mechanism.

[0025] 1A and 2, a circumferential container stay 34 is provided on outer peripheral edge 33a of wheel member 33. A plurality of recesses 34b capable of accommodating syringe containers 21 are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction on outer peripheral edge 34a of container stay 34. In addition, a container guide 36 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) facing outer peripheral edge 34a is provided on the outer side of outer peripheral edge 34a of container stay 34 and adjacent to reversing action member 39 in the circumferential direction. As the wheel member 33 rotates, the container guide 36 serves to transport the syringe container 21 in the upright state 22b by clamping the syringe container 21 in the upright state 22b between the recess 34a of the container stay 34 and the container guide 36 (see Figures 1A and 1B).

[0026] 1A and 2, a plurality of first stays 41 according to the first embodiment are attached to an outer circumferential edge portion 33a of the wheel member 33 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the main shaft 31.

[0027] [Outline of the configuration of the first reversal bracket 37 and the first stay 41 according to the first embodiment] Next, the schematic configuration of the first inverted bracket 37 and the first stay 41 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the appropriate drawings. As shown in FIG. 3A, the first stay 41 is configured to have a first base end portion 43 located radially inward relative to the main shaft 31 and attached to the outer peripheral edge portion 33a of the wheel member 33, and a first tip end portion 45 located radially outward relative to the main shaft 31.

[0028] A concave step 45a is formed on an upper portion of a first tip portion 45 of the first stay 41 on the outer side in the radial direction relative to the main shaft 31. A shaft hole 47 is formed in the first tip portion 45 of the first stay 41 along a tangential direction to the circumference relative to the main shaft 31. The first inverted bracket 37 is supported by a first pin 49 inserted through the shaft hole 47 relative to the first tip portion 45 of the first stay 41 so as to be rotatable in the radial direction relative to the main shaft 31 between an inverted state 22a and an upright state 22b.

[0029] 3B to 3C, first inverted bracket 37 is configured to include a first cantilever arm 51 pivotally supported on first tip portion 45 of first stay 41 via first pin 49, and holding portion 35. Holding portion 35 of first inverted bracket 37 includes a semi-cylindrical accommodating groove 53 that accommodates syringe container 21, and a concave engaging portion 55 with which flange portion 23 of syringe container 21 engages.

[0030] The accommodating groove 53 provided in the holding portion 35 of the first inverted bracket 37 is configured to face outward in the radial direction relative to the spindle 31 when the first inverted bracket 37 is in an inverted state (see reference symbol 37a in Figure 2), and to face inward in the radial direction relative to the spindle 31 when the first inverted bracket 37 is in an upright state (see reference symbol 37b in Figure 2).

[0031] The concave engagement portion 55 provided on the holding portion 35 of the first inverting bracket 37 plays a role in receiving the flange portion 23 of the syringe container 21 and preventing it from falling off when the first inverting bracket 37 is in the inverted state 37a (see Figure 2) or in transition from the inverted state 37a to the upright state 37b (see Figures 3B and 3C).

[0032] The back side 35a (see FIG. 3A) of the storage groove 53 of the holding portion 35 of the first reversing bracket 37 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape. As the wheel member 33 rotates, the semi-cylindrical back side 35a is brought into contact with and slid up against the guide surface 57 (see FIG. 5) of the reversing member 39. This causes the first reversing bracket 37 to reverse its position from the inverted state 37a to the upright state 37b. This will be described in more detail later.

[0033] The first inversion bracket 37 is configured to return from the upright state 37b to the inverted state 37a (see FIG. 2) while holding the syringe container 21 in the upright state 22b (see FIG. 2) after the first inversion bracket 37 has been brought into the upright state 37b by the action of the inversion action member 39. This action is realized by the syringe container 21 in the upright state 22b being sandwiched between the recessed portion 34a of the container stay 34 and the container guide 36 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) as the wheel member 33 rotates.

[0034] 1A, 1B, 4, 5, 7A and 7B, the reversing action member 39 is configured by providing a vertical wall 56 that describes a substantially arc-shaped locus when viewed from the axial direction related to the main shaft 31 on a part of the outer circumferential edge portion 40b of an elliptical flat plate 40 (see Figs. 4 and 7A). The reversing action member 39 is disposed such that the vertical wall 56 is located outward with respect to the outer circumferential edge portion 33a of the wheel member 33. The center 40a of the flat plate 40 is eccentric with respect to the main shaft 31 related to the wheel member 33 as shown in Fig. 4.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, the flat plate 40 provided on the inversion action member 39 is formed so that a first virtual line VL1 connecting the points where the first inversion bracket 37 is in the inverted state 37a and the upright state 37b is the short axis, while a second virtual line VL2 perpendicular to the first virtual line VL1 is the long axis.

[0036] By forming the flat plate 40 of the inversion member 39 in an elliptical shape, the inversion member 39 can smoothly move from the inverted state 37a to the upright state 37b with a relatively simple configuration. As a result, the container transport and attitude inversion operations of the container attitude inversion device 11 can be performed quickly and accurately.

[0037] 4 and 5, a guide surface 57 that undulates in a mountain shape when viewed from the main shaft 31 side is formed on the top of the vertical wall 56 of the reversing action member 39. The guide surface 57 of the vertical wall 56 has an upright guide surface 57a that continues from the upright start point gp1 to the upright end point gp2 to the apex gp3 so that the height dimension of the vertical wall 56 gradually increases, and an inverted guide surface 57b that continues from the apex gp3 to the inverted start point gp4 to the inverted end point gp5 so that the height dimension of the vertical wall 56 gradually decreases.

[0038] The operation of the inversion action member 39 provided in the container posture inversion device 11 will be explained separately into an upright transition stage in which the first inversion bracket 37 transitions from the inverted state 37a to the upright state 37b (see Figure 2), an upright stable stage in which the first inversion bracket 37 stably maintains the upright state 37b, and an inverted transition stage in which the first inversion bracket 37 transitions from the upright state 37b to the inverted state 37a.

[0039] As shown in Figures 5, 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B, in the standing transition stage, while the wheel member 33 is rotating, for example, clockwise (see Figure 5), the back side surface 35a of the retaining portion 35 provided on the first inversion bracket 37 abuts against the standing transition region of the guide surface 57 of the vertical wall 56, which extends from the standing start point gp1 to the standing end point gp2.

[0040] In this standing transition region, the first inverting bracket 37 gradually transitions its posture from an inverted state 37a to an upright state 37b in response to an increase in the rotation angle of the wheel member 33. Here, the syringe container 21 is held by the holding portion 35 provided on the first inverting bracket 37.

[0041] Therefore, in the standing transition stage (the section where the back surface 35a of the holding portion 35 abuts the standing transition region of the guide surface 57 of the vertical wall 56), the posture of the syringe container 21, which was in the inverted state 22a (see Figures 1A and 2), can be transitioned to the standing state 22b (see Figures 1A and 2), similar to the posture of the first inversion bracket 37.

[0042] In the upright stabilization stage, while the wheel member 33 is rotating clockwise, the back surface 35a of the holding portion 35 provided on the first inversion bracket 37 abuts against the upright stabilization area of ​​the guide surface 57 of the vertical wall 56, which extends from the upright end point gp2, through the apex gp3, to the inverted start point gp4.

[0043] In this standing stable region, the first inverted bracket 37 maintains its posture in the standing state 37b regardless of an increase in the rotation angle of the wheel member 33. In the example shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6A, in the standing stable stage, the three first inverted brackets 37 maintain their posture in the standing state 37b. In addition, in the first inverted bracket 37 in the standing state 37b, as shown in Fig. 6B, the back side surface 35a of the holding portion 35 abuts against the inner side surface 55a of the vertical wall 56. Here, the syringe container 21 is held in the holding portion 35 provided on the first inversion bracket 37.

[0044] Therefore, in the upright stable stage (the section where the back surface 35a of the holding portion 35 abuts the upright stable area of ​​the guide surface 57 of the vertical wall 56), the posture of the syringe container 21 can be maintained in the upright state 22b (see Figures 1A, 2, and 6B), similar to the posture of the first inversion bracket 37.

[0045] On the other hand, in the inverted transition stage, while the wheel member 33 is rotating clockwise, the back surface 35a of the holding portion 35 provided on the first inversion bracket 37 abuts against the inverted transition region of the guide surface 57 of the vertical wall 56, which extends from the inverted starting point gp4 to the inverted ending point gp5.

[0046] In this inverted transitional region, the first inverted bracket 37 gradually transitions its posture from an upright state 37b to an inverted state 37a in response to an increase in the rotation angle of the wheel member 33. In the first inverted bracket 37 in the inverted state 37a, the back side surface 35a of the holding portion 35 abuts against the outer peripheral edge portion 40b of the flat plate 40, as shown in FIG. 6B. Here, the syringe container 21 that was held by the holding portion 35 provided on the first inversion bracket 37 is released from the holding portion by the first inversion bracket 37, and as the wheel member 33 rotates, the syringe container 21 in the upright state 22b is sandwiched between the recess 34a of the container stay 34 and the container guide 36 (see Figures 1A and 1B).

[0047] Therefore, in the inverted transition stage (the section where the back surface 35a of the holding portion 35 abuts the inverted transition region of the guide surface 57 of the vertical wall 56), the posture of the syringe container 21 in the upright state 22b (see Figures 1A, 2, and 6B) can be maintained as is, unlike the posture of the first inversion bracket 37.

[0048] [Operation of the container inspection device 10 including the container attitude reversing device 11] Next, the operation of the container inspection device 10 will be described. It is assumed that a plurality of syringe containers 21 in an inverted state 22a are held in advance in a first holding portion 85 provided on a first conveying member 83 of the container supplying device 13, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0049] 1A and 1B, it is assumed that first conveying member 83 of container supplying device 13 rotates counterclockwise. Then, syringe containers 21 conveyed in inverted state 22a by first conveying member 83 of container supplying device 13 are sequentially supplied to wheel member 33 provided in container posture inverting device 11. At this time, wheel member 33 provided in container posture inverting device 11 rotates clockwise in synchronization with the rotational speed of first conveying member 83 of container supplying device 13.

[0050] The syringe container 21 in the inverted state 22a supplied to the wheel member 33 of the container posture inversion device 11 is transported while being held by the holding portion 35 of the first inversion bracket 37 provided on the wheel member 33 via the first stay 41.

[0051] When the wheel member 33 of the container position reversing device 11 rotates clockwise, the back side surface 35a of the holding portion 35 of the first reversing bracket 37, which holds the syringe container 21 in the inverted state 22a, comes into contact with the upright guide surface 57a of the guide surface 57 of the vertical wall 56 of the reversing member 39. As a result, the first reversing bracket 37 reverses its position from the inverted state 37a to the upright state 37b in response to an increase in the rotation angle of the wheel member 33. Here, the syringe container 21 is held by the holding portion 35 of the first reversing bracket 37. Therefore, as the first reversing bracket 37 reverses its position, the syringe container 21 also reverses its position to the upright state 22b.

[0052] The syringe container 21 in the upright state 22b, which was held by the holding portion 35 of the first inversion bracket 37, is released from the holding portion 35 by the first inversion bracket 37 and is transported while being sandwiched between the recess 34a of the container stay 34 and the container guide 36 (see Figures 1A and 1B) as the wheel member 33 rotates.

[0053] Syringe container 21 in upright state 22b, which has been inverted by container position inverting device 11, is delivered to second conveying member 93 associated with container receiving device 15, which is rotating counterclockwise. Container receiving device 15 inspects syringe container 21 in upright state 22b to see whether the amount of the enclosed medicinal liquid meets a predetermined standard, whether any foreign matter has been mixed into the medicinal liquid, and whether there are any defects such as scratches or cracks on the exterior.

[0054] According to the container posture inversion device 11 of the embodiment of the present invention, the transporting operation and posture inversion operation of multiple syringe containers 21 are continuously performed in coordination with the container supplying device 13 and the container receiving device 15 provided at the front and rear, respectively, so that the transporting and posture inversion operations of multiple syringe containers 21 can be performed quickly and accurately in a space-saving manner.

[0055] Furthermore, since the first inversion bracket 37 is supported by the outer peripheral edge portion 33a of the wheel member 33 so as to be able to rotate the posture of the syringe container 21 from the inverted state 22a to the upright state 22b in the radial direction related to the main shaft 31, it is possible to prevent multiple first inversion brackets 37 from interfering with each other during transportation and posture inversion of the syringe container 21.

[0056] Furthermore, in the container posture inversion device 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the container is, for example, a cylindrical syringe container 21 having a flange portion 23 at one end, and the holding portion 35 for the syringe container 21 provided on the first inversion bracket 37 includes a semi-cylindrical accommodating groove 53 that accommodates the syringe container 21 and an engaging portion 55 with which the flange portion 23 of the syringe container 21 engages. Therefore, even if an external disturbance such as vibration occurs to the container posture inversion device 11 during the transportation and posture inversion of the syringe container 21, the syringe container 21 can be prevented from falling off from the holding portion 35 associated with the first inversion bracket 37. Furthermore, during the transportation and attitude inversion of the syringe container 21, damage to the syringe container 21 can be prevented.

[0057] Furthermore, in the container posture inversion device 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the storage groove 53 provided in the holding portion 35 of the first inversion bracket 37 is configured to point outward in the radial direction relative to the main shaft 31 when the first inversion bracket 37 is in the inverted state 37a, and to point inward in the radial direction relative to the main shaft 31 when the first inversion bracket 37 is in the upright state 37b.This makes it possible to realize an apparatus configuration that is suitable for continuously transporting and posture inverting a plurality of syringe containers 21 in cooperation with the container supply device 13 and the container receiving device 15 provided at the front and rear, respectively.

[0058] Furthermore, in the container posture inversion device 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the inversion action member 39 has a vertical wall 56 that describes an arc-shaped trajectory when viewed from the axial direction related to the main shaft 31, and the vertical wall 56 is arranged so as to be located outward from the outer peripheral edge portion 33a of the wheel member 33, and a guide surface 57 that undulates in a mountain shape when viewed from the main shaft 31 side is formed at the top of the vertical wall 56, and as the wheel member 33 rotates, the back side surface 35a related to the holding portion 35 slides up against the guide surface 57, thereby transitioning the posture of the first inversion bracket 37 from the inverted state 37a to the upright state 37b, thereby inverting the posture of the syringe container 21 from the inverted state 22a to the upright state 22b. Therefore, with a relatively simple configuration, the transport and posture inversion of the syringe container 21 can be performed quickly and accurately.

[0059] Furthermore, in the container position reversing device 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the reversing member 39 is configured by providing a vertical wall 56 on the outer peripheral edge 40b of the elliptical flat plate 40, and the center 40a of the flat plate 40 is eccentric with respect to the main shaft 31 associated with the wheel member 33, so that the adoption of a relatively simple configuration for the reversing member 39 allows the first reversing bracket 37 to smoothly perform the position reversal operation as it moves from the inverted state 37a to the upright state 37b. As a result, container transport and position reversal associated with the container position reversing device 11 can be performed quickly and accurately.

[0060] [Outline of the configuration of the second reversal bracket 61 and the second stay 71 according to the second embodiment] Next, the schematic configuration of the second inversion bracket 61 and the second stay 71 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 8A and 8B as appropriate. Fig. 8A is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a second inversion bracket 61 provided in the container position inverting device 11. Fig. 8B is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the second inversion bracket 61 rotatably supported by a second stay 71 provided in the container position inverting device 11.

[0061] The first inverted bracket 37 and the first stay 41 according to the first embodiment and the second inverted bracket 61 and the second stay 71 according to the second embodiment have a common basic configuration. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences between the two and will serve as an alternative to the description of the second inverted bracket 61 and the second stay 71 according to the second embodiment.

[0062] The difference between the two is that the first inverted bracket 37 has a configuration including a first cantilever arm 51 pivotally supported on the first tip 45 of the first stay 41 via a first pin 49, and a holding portion 35 for the syringe container 21, whereas the second inverted bracket 61 has a configuration including a second cantilever arm 63 pivotally supported on the second tip 73 of the second stay 71 via a second pin 70 (corresponding to the "secondary shaft" of this invention).

[0063] However, the second inverted bracket 61 is similar to the first inverted bracket 37 in that it has a holding portion 35 for the syringe container 21, and the holding portion 35 has a semi-cylindrical accommodating groove 53 that accommodates the syringe container 21, and a concave engaging portion 55 with which the flange portion 23 of the syringe container 21 engages.

[0064] In particular, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the second inverted bracket 61 is provided with one end 65a facing the bottom 21a of the syringe container 21, and further includes a movable stopper 65 that is movable along the longitudinal direction of the syringe container 21 (see the arrow in Figure 8A) and a cam mechanism 75 that moves the one end 65a of the movable stopper 65 toward the bottom 21a of the syringe container 21, and a circular recess 24 is provided in the bottom 21a of the syringe container 21, while a protrusion 67 that fits into the recess 24 is provided at the one end 65a of the movable stopper 65.

[0065] The movable stopper 65 is provided so as to be movable relative to the second cantilever arm 63 along the longitudinal direction of the syringe container 21. An arc-shaped cam surface 77 constituting the cam mechanism 75 is formed on the outer side of the second tip portion 73 of the second stay 71 in the radial direction relative to the main shaft 31. Note that, under normal circumstances, a biasing force is applied to the movable stopper 65 in a direction away from the engaging portion 55 provided in the holding portion 35 of the second inverted bracket 61 by the action of a biasing member such as a built-in spring.

[0066] That is, the second inversion bracket 61 is rotatably supported in a radial direction relative to the main shaft 31 from an inverted state to an upright state via a second pin (countershaft) 70 of a second stay 71 provided on the outer circumferential edge portion 33a of the wheel member 33. A cam surface 77 having an arc shape centered on the second pin (countershaft) 70 and a notch portion 79 of the cam surface 77 are formed on a second tip portion 73 of the second stay 71 located on the outer side in the radial direction.

[0067] More specifically, a pair of notches 79 are provided in the up-down direction on the cam surface 77 provided on the second tip portion 73 of the second stay 71. The pair of notches 79 are provided on the second tip portion 73 of the second stay 71 so as to be smaller than the radius of the arc-shaped cam surface 77 formed around the second pin 70. However, in the example shown in Figures 8B and 9A to 9D, of the pair of cutout portions 79, the cutout portion 79 provided in the lower part of the cam surface 77 of the second tip portion 73 of the second stay 71 is set by adjusting the vertical dimension of the second tip portion 73 itself so as to be smaller than the radius of the arc-shaped cam surface 77 formed around the second pin 70.

[0068] As a result, when the second inverting bracket 61 is oriented in the axial direction related to the spindle 31 (the second inverting bracket 61 is in an inverted or upright state), the movable stopper 65 retracts so as to retreat in accordance with the biasing force. Then, the engagement between the recess 24 provided in the bottom 21a of the syringe container 21 and the protrusion 67 related to the movable stopper 65 is released.

[0069] The cam mechanism 75 is constituted by a combination of a cam surface 77 formed on the second tip portion 73 of the second stay 71, a notch portion 79 of the cam surface 77, and a protrusion portion 67 provided on one end portion 65a of the movable stopper 65.

[0070] In short, in the combination of second inversion bracket 61 and second stay 71 in the second embodiment, when second inversion bracket 61 is in a transitional period from an inverted state to an upright state, if the rear side 67a of protrusion 67 associated with movable stopper 65 faces cam surface 77, an engagement state is established between recess 24 provided on bottom 21a of syringe container 21 and protrusion 67 associated with movable stopper 65, while if the rear side 67a of protrusion 67 associated with movable stopper 65 faces cutout portion 79 of cam surface 77, the engagement state between recess 24 provided on bottom 21a of syringe container 21 and protrusion 67 associated with movable stopper 65 is released.

[0071] Next, the operation of the container position inverting device 11 employing the combination of the second inversion bracket 61 and the second stay 71 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 9A to 9D as appropriate. 9A to 9D are side views of the second inversion bracket 61 rotatably supported by the second stay 71 provided in the container posture inversion device 11. FIG.

[0072] When the second reversing bracket 61 is in an inverted state (see FIG. 9A) or an upright state (see FIG. 9D), the protrusion 67 of the movable stopper 65 faces the notch 79 of the cam surface 77 formed on the second tip 73 of the second stay 71, but does not face the cam surface 77 itself. Therefore, the movable stopper 65 retracts in response to the urging force. Then, the engagement between the recess 24 provided on the bottom 21a of the syringe container 21 and the protrusion 67 of the movable stopper 65 is released. At this time, the container attitude reversing device 11 allows the syringe container 21 to be delivered between the container supply device 13 and the container receiving device 15.

[0073] When the second inversion bracket 61 is in a transitional state between the inverted state and the upright state (see Figs. 9B and 9C), the protrusion 67 of the movable stopper 65 faces a cam surface 77 formed on the second tip portion 73 of the second stay 71. Therefore, the movable stopper 65 protrudes so as to advance against the biasing force. Then, an engagement state is established between the recess 24 provided on the bottom portion 21a of the syringe container 21 and the protrusion 67 of the movable stopper 65. As a result, in the container posture inversion device 11, when the second inversion bracket 61 is in a transitional state between an inverted state and an upright state, the holding strength of the syringe container 21 relative to the holding portion 35 of the second inversion bracket 61 can be further increased.

[0074] According to the container posture inversion device 11 employing the combination of the second inversion bracket 61 and the second stay 71 of the second embodiment, the holding strength of the syringe container 21 relative to the holding portion 35 of the second inversion bracket 61 can be further increased with a relatively simple configuration when the second inversion bracket 61 is in a transitional period from an inverted state to an upright state, compared to the container posture inversion device 11 employing the combination of the first inversion bracket 37 and the first stay 41 of the first embodiment. As a result, even if an external disturbance such as vibration occurs in the container posture inversion device 11 during operations related to container transportation and posture inversion, it is expected that the syringe container 21 will be prevented from falling off from the holding portion 35 of the second inversion bracket 61.

[0075] Other embodiments The above-described embodiments are merely examples of the realization of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by these. The present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit or main characteristics of the present invention.

[0076] In addition, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment described here with the configuration of another embodiment, and further, it is possible to add the configuration of one embodiment to the configuration of another embodiment. Also, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

[0077] For example, in the description of the container posture inverting device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, an example in which the present invention is applied to a syringe container 21 as a container has been given, but the present invention is not limited to this example. It goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to containers other than syringe containers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 11 Container position inversion device 21 Syringe container (container) 21a Bottom (bottom of syringe container) 22a Inverted state (inverted state of syringe container) 22b Upright state (upright state of syringe container) 23 Flange 24 Recess (recess provided at the bottom of the syringe container) 31 Main shaft (main shaft of wheel component) 33 Wheel parts 33a Outer periphery (outer periphery of wheel member) 35 Holding portion (holding portion for syringe container) 35a Dorsal surface (dorsal surface of holding part) 37 First inversion bracket (inversion bracket) 37a Inverted state (inverted state of the first inverted bracket) 37b Standing state (First inverted bracket standing state) 39 Reversing action member 40 flat plate 40a Center of plate 40b Outer periphery (outer periphery of flat plate) 41 1st stay (stay) 49 1st pin 51 First cantilever arm 53 Accommodating groove (accommodating groove of holding part) 55 Engagement portion (engagement portion of holding portion) 56 Vertical Wall 57 Guide Surface 61 Second inversion bracket (inversion bracket) 63 Second cantilever arm 65 Movable stopper 65a One end (one end of the movable stopper) 67 Protrusion (Protrusion provided on one end of the movable stopper) 71 Second Stay (Stay) 73 Second tip 75 Cam mechanism 77 Cam surface 79 Notch (Cam surface notch)

Claims

1. A container attitude inversion device that inverts the attitude of a container from an inverted state to an upright state during transport of the container, a disk-shaped wheel member rotatably provided around a main axis extending in a vertical direction; A plurality of inversion brackets are provided on the outer peripheral edge of the wheel member, the inversion brackets having holding portions for the container; an inversion member for inverting the attitude of the container held by the holding portion of the inversion bracket; The inversion bracket is supported by the outer circumferential edge portion so as to be capable of rotating the attitude of the container from an inverted state to an upright state in a radial direction related to the main shaft, The inversion member inverts the container from an inverted state to an upright state. A container attitude inversion device.

2. The container attitude inverting device according to claim 1, The container is a cylindrical syringe container having a flange portion at one end, The syringe container holding portion of the inverted bracket includes a semi-cylindrical housing groove that houses the syringe container, and an engagement portion with which the flange portion of the syringe container engages. A container attitude inversion device.

3. The container attitude inverting device according to claim 2, The receiving groove provided in the holding portion of the inverted bracket faces outward in a radial direction relative to the spindle when the inverted bracket is in an inverted state, and faces inward in a radial direction relative to the spindle when the inverted bracket is in an upright state. A container attitude inversion device.

4. The container attitude inverting device according to claim 3, The reversing action member has a vertical wall that describes an arc-shaped locus when viewed from an axial direction related to the main shaft, and the vertical wall is disposed so as to be located outward from an outer circumferential edge portion of the wheel member, and a guide surface that is undulating in a mountain shape when viewed from the main shaft side is formed at a top portion of the vertical wall, As the wheel member rotates, the inversion bracket causes the back side surface of the holding portion to slide up against the guide surface, thereby transitioning the posture of the inverted syringe container from an inverted state to an upright state. A container attitude inversion device.

5. The container attitude inverting device according to claim 4, The inversion member is configured by providing the vertical wall on an outer peripheral edge portion of an elliptical flat plate, The center of the flat plate is eccentric with respect to the main shaft of the wheel member. A container attitude inversion device.

6. The container attitude inverting device according to claim 4 or 5, The inversion bracket is a movable stopper having one end facing a bottom portion of the syringe container and movable along a longitudinal direction of the syringe container; a cam mechanism for moving the one end of the movable stopper toward a bottom of the syringe container, A circular recess is provided on the bottom of the syringe container, and a protrusion that fits into the recess is provided on the one end of the movable stopper. A container attitude inversion device.

7. The container attitude inverting device according to claim 6, The inversion bracket is supported rotatably in a radial direction relative to the main shaft from an inverted state to an upright state via a secondary shaft of a stay provided on an outer circumferential edge of the wheel member, A cam surface having an arc shape centered on the counter shaft and a notch portion of the cam surface are formed on a tip end portion of the stay that is located on the outer side in the radial direction, the cam mechanism is configured by a combination of the cam surface formed at the tip end of the stay, a notch portion of the cam surface, and a protrusion portion provided at one end of the movable stopper, When the inversion bracket is in a transitional period from an inverted state to an upright state, When the rear surface of the protrusion of the movable stopper faces the cam surface, an engagement state is established between a recess provided on the bottom of the syringe container and the protrusion of the movable stopper, When the rear surface of the protrusion associated with the movable stopper faces the notch of the cam surface, the engagement between the recess provided in the bottom of the syringe container and the protrusion associated with the movable stopper is released. A container attitude inversion device.

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