Cap feed device

Abstract

To provide a cap feed device capable of properly regulating positions of caps in a pocket even if the caps have different sizes.SOLUTION: A pocket 32 provided on an outer periphery part of a cap wheel 30 and receiving a cap C from a chute 18A has: a passage part 36 that guides the cap C from the chute 18A; and a rear support part 34 that is connected to a rear side in a conveying direction of the passage part 36 and stores the cap C. A front guide 38 is movable between a movement regulation position to regulate the movement forward in the conveyance direction of the cap C extended in the passage part 36 and stored in the rear support part 34 and a standby position to be retreated from inside the passage part 36. An outer guide 40 is movable between a closed position to close the pocket 32 from a radially outer side of the cap wheel 30 and an open position to open the pocket 32 to the outside. The cap C is held within an area defined by the front guide 38, the outer guide 40 and the rear support part 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap supplying device that supplies caps held by a cap wheel to a capping head. [Background technology]

[0002] A cap supplying device that holds caps in pockets of a cap wheel and supplies the caps to a capping head is known (Patent Document 1). In this cap supplying device, caps are held within an area defined by pockets provided at equal intervals along the outer periphery of a cap extraction wheel (cap wheel) and cap supports provided outside the pockets along the outer periphery of the cap extraction wheel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3538717 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if the movement (play) of the cap within this region is large, the misalignment between the axis of the capping head and the center of the cap will become large, so it is necessary to reduce the play as much as possible. Therefore, in the conventional configuration such as that of Patent Document 1, one set of cap wheel and cap support part is used for one type of cap, and when switching to another type, it is necessary to replace the cap wheel and cap support part corresponding to that type. In the current situation where high-mix low-volume production is the norm, the effort of such replacement work and preparing equipment (cap wheel and cap support part) to handle a large number of types of caps increases costs and becomes a problem in terms of manufacturing, maintenance, and storage space.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cap supplying device that can properly regulate the position of caps in a pocket, even if the caps have different sizes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cap supplying device of the present invention is a cap supplying device which receives caps transported in a line through a chute in a pocket provided on the outer periphery of a cap wheel which rotates in a horizontal plane, the pocket having a passing section in which the caps supplied from the chute move gradually in a direction approaching the rotation center of the cap wheel, and a rear support section connected to the rear of the passing section in the transport direction and capable of storing caps and supporting them from the rear in the transport direction, the passing section and the rear support section supplying caps to a capping head which is opened radially outward of the cap wheel, the cap supplying device further comprising a capping head extending into the passing section and moving in the transport direction of the caps stored in the rear support section. The cap wheel includes a front guide movable between a restricting position which restricts forward movement and a standby position retracted from the passage section, a front guide moving means for moving the front guide between the standby position and the restricting position, an outer guide movable between a closing position which closes the pocket from the radial outside of the cap wheel and an opening position which opens the pocket to the outside, and an outer guide moving means for moving the outer guide between the closed position and the opening position, and is characterized in that the cap is held within an area defined by the front guide positioned at the restricting position, the outer guide positioned at the closing position, and the rear support section of the pocket. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cap supplying device that can properly regulate the position of caps in a pocket even if the caps are of different sizes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a capping device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cap supplying device of the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] 11 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the front guide and the outer guide in a standby position and a restricting position, and the arrangement of the front guide and the outer guide in an open position and a closed position. FIG. [Figure 4] 13 is an enlarged plan view of the vicinity of the chute immediately after caps are supplied from the chute. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is an enlarged plan view of the vicinity of the chute when the front guide has reached the regulating position. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is an enlarged plan view of the chute and its vicinity when the outer guide has reached the closed position. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a capping head. [Figure 8] 11 is a plan view showing the gripping / release state of the cap C by opening and closing the gripping claws. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a capping device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] The capping device 10 of this embodiment is a device that caps different types (sizes) of caps onto various corresponding containers. In the capping device 10, containers supplied from a container supply conveyor 12 are sequentially transferred to a capping wheel 16 via a container supply star wheel 14. In addition, the capping device 10 of this embodiment can handle, for example, two types of caps with different outer diameters, and can supply them through a first chute 18A and a second chute 18B, respectively. The caps supplied from the first chute 18A or the second chute 18B are supplied to the capping wheel 16 via a cap supply device 20, respectively.

[0011] In this embodiment, the height of the capping wheel 16 (cap disk 28 described later) and the height of the first chute 18A are fixed, and the height of the second chute 18B can be raised and lowered by the lifting device 19. That is, when the first chute 18A is used, the second chute 18B is retracted to a raised position, and when the second chute 18 is used, the second chute 18 is moved to a lowered position in accordance with the height of the capping wheel 16. Instead of the lifting device 19, a horizontal movement device that moves the second chute 18B horizontally in the radial direction of the cap disk 28 may be used, and the above-mentioned lifting device or horizontal movement device can also be appropriately used for the first chute 18A.

[0012] A plurality of capping heads 22 and neck grippers (not shown) that are paired with the capping heads and hold containers are provided at predetermined intervals on the outer periphery of the capping wheel 16. In the capping device 10, the capping heads 22 receive caps from the cap supply device 20, and then the neck grippers receive containers from the container supply star wheel 14. The capping heads 22 then perform capping, such as plugging.

[0013] After the capping is completed, the containers are delivered to a container discharge star wheel 24 disposed upstream of the cap supply device 20, and then discharged downstream via a container discharge conveyor 26.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cap supplying device 20 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the cap supplying device 20 includes a horizontally fixed disk-shaped cap disk 28, and a cap wheel 30 that has an outer diameter smaller than that of the cap disk 28, is arranged concentrically on the cap disk 28, and rotates within a horizontal plane around a rotation axis (central axis) 20A.

[0015] The cap wheel 30 has pockets 32 around its outer periphery at predetermined intervals to accommodate caps. The pocket 32 ​​consists of a rear support portion 34 on the rear edge side formed by an arc-shaped side wall, and a passing portion 36 on the front edge side formed by a straight side wall smoothly cut inward from the outer periphery of the cap wheel 30. The rear support portion 34 and the passing portion 36 are smoothly connected along the conveying direction, and the pocket 32 ​​as a whole is approximately semi-teardrop shaped.

[0016] Further, the cap wheel 30 is provided with a front guide 38 and an outer guide 40 corresponding to each pocket 32. The front guide 38 and the outer guide 40 are both supported by a vertical swing shaft 39. The front guide 38 and the outer guide 40 are lever-shaped members in which tip-side arms 38A, 40A extend obliquely outward in the radial direction across the swing shaft 39, and base-side arms 38B, 40B extend obliquely inward in the radial direction, and a front guide locking portion 38C and an outer guide locking portion 40C are provided at the tips of the tip-side arms 38A, 40A, respectively, which extend obliquely outward in the radial direction so as to be perpendicular to the arms.

[0017] The tips of the base-end arms 38B, 40B are fitted with the other ends of biasing members (front guide moving means, outer guide moving means) 42, 44 such as coil springs, one end of which is fixed to the cap wheel 30. As a result, the front guide 38 and the outer guide 40 are biased so that the front guide locking portion 38C and the outer guide locking portion 40C move outward around the swing shaft 39.

[0018] The swinging of the front guide 38 and the outer guide 40 caused by the biasing members 42, 44 is restricted by stoppers 46, 48 provided on the cap wheel 30. That is, when the front guide 38 and the outer guide 40 are pushed outward to a predetermined position, the base-end arms 38B, 40B are pressed against the stoppers 46, 48, respectively, and further swinging is restricted.

[0019] Further, a cam follower (front guide moving means, outer guide moving means) 52 is provided on the base end arm 40B of the outer guide 40, which engages with a cam (front guide moving means, outer guide moving means) 50 attached rotatably about the rotation shaft 20A relative to the cap wheel 30. The cam 50 plays a role in moving the outer guide 40, which is biased outward by the biasing member 44, inward, and its position is changed depending on whether the first chute 18A or the second chute 18B is used.

[0020] That is, when first chute 18A is used, cam follower 52 engages with cam 50 until first chute 18A is reached, and then cam 50 is positioned at a position where the engagement between cam 50 and cam follower 52 is released, and when second chute 18B is used, cam follower 52 engages with cam 50 until second chute 18B is reached, and then cam 50 is rotationally moved to a position where the engagement between cam 50 and cam follower 52 is released. The rotational movement of cam 50 is performed by cam drive device 50A via cam plate 50B, and Fig. 2 shows the case where first chute 18A is used.

[0021] Further, the base end arm 40B of the outer guide 40 is provided with an interlocking pin (front guide moving means, outer guide moving means) 54 that engages with the base end arm 38B of the front guide 38. The interlocking pin 54 is arranged so that when the base end arm 40B is pushed outward by the engagement between the cam 50 and the cam follower 52 (when the outer guide locking portion 40C is retracted), the interlocking pin 54 pushes out the base end arm 38B of the front guide 38 outward (retracts the front guide locking portion 38C inward). That is, the front guide locking portion 38C is retracted onto the cap wheel 30 together with the outer guide locking portion 40C by the engagement between the cam 50 and the cam follower 52, and when the engagement between the cam 50 and the cam follower 52 is released, the base end arms 38B, 40B are pushed outward by the biasing forces of the biasing means 42, 44 until they engage with the stoppers 46, 48, respectively.

[0022] In addition, the cap wheel 30 is formed with arc-shaped front guide accommodating slits 56 and outer guide accommodating slits 58 which accommodate the front guide engaging portion 38C and the outer guide engaging portion 40C, respectively, which swing around the swing shaft 39 and retreat onto the cap wheel 30.

[0023] The tip arm 38A of the front guide 38 is shorter than the tip arm 40A of the outer guide 40, and the front guide locking portion 38C can advance and retreat inside the passing portion 36. That is, the front guide housing slit 56 communicates with the side wall of the passing portion 36. On the other hand, the outer guide locking portion 40C can advance and retreat from the outer peripheral edge of the cap wheel 30, and the outer guide housing slit 58 communicates with the outer peripheral edge of the cap wheel 30 or the outside.

[0024] In addition, the movable range of the front guide 38 and the outer guide 40, which is regulated by the stoppers 46, 48, is narrower for the front guide 38 than for the outer guide 40. The front guide 38 advances and retreats between a standby position in which the base end arm 40B of the outer guide 40 is pushed out by the cam 50 and the base end arm 38B is pushed out by the interlocking pin 54 of the base end arm 40B, so that the front guide locking portion 38C is housed in the front guide housing slit 56, and a regulated position in which the base end arm 38B is pressed against the stopper 46 and the front guide locking portion 38C protrudes into the passing portion 36.

[0025] Meanwhile, the outer guide 40 moves back and forth between an open position in which the base end arm 40B of the outer guide 40 is pushed out by the cam 50 and the outer guide engagement portion 40C is accommodated in the outer guide accommodating slit 58, and a closed position in which the base end arm 40B is pressed against the stopper 48 and the outer guide engagement portion 40C protrudes from the outer peripheral edge of the cap wheel 30.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the front guide 38 and the outer guide 40 in the standby position and the restricting position, and the arrangement of the front guide 38 and the outer guide 40 in the open position and the closed position.

[0027] 4 to 6, a description will be given of how the cap C is supplied from the first or second chute 18A, 18B to the pocket 32, its position is determined by the front guide 38 and the outer guide 40, and the movable range of the cap C within the pocket 32 ​​is determined and limited. Note that Figs. 4 to 6 are enlarged plan views of the vicinity of the first or second chute 18A, 18B.

[0028] 4 shows a state immediately after the cap C is supplied from the first or second chute 18A, 18B to the pocket 32. The cap C is pushed out from the first or second chute 18A, 18B onto the cap disk 28 in a face-down state. When the cap C is supplied from the first or second chute 18A, 18B onto the cap disk 28, the front guide 38 is held in the standby position, and the outer guide 40 is held in the open position. That is, the front guide locking portion 38C and the outer guide locking portion 40C are both housed in the front guide housing slit 56 and the outer guide housing slit 58, respectively.

[0029] When the caps C are supplied onto the cap disk 28 from the first or second chute 18A, 18B, the caps C are pushed out from the front edge side of the passage section 36 into the pocket 32. An outer periphery guide 18C is provided along the outer periphery of the cap disk 28 on the downstream side of the first or second chute 18A, 18B in the cap conveying direction, and the caps C come into contact with the outer periphery guide 18 as the cap wheel 30 rotates, and are guided to the rear support section 36 while gradually approaching the rotation center (rotation axis 20A) of the cap wheel 30 along the linear wall surface of the passage section 36. When the caps C reach the rear support section 36, the rear edge of the caps C is supported by the arcuate side surface of the rear support section 36, and the caps C are conveyed in a state of being housed in the pocket 32.

[0030] 5, when the cap wheel 30 moves further and the cap C housed in the rear support portion 36 reaches the middle of the outer circumferential guide 18C, the cam follower 52 provided on the base end arm 40B of the outer guide 40 is disengaged from the cam 50. This causes the outer guide 40 to rotate around the swing shaft 39 by the biasing force of the biasing member 44, and the outer guide locking portion 40C is pushed outward from the outer guide housing slit 58. At this time, the front guide 38, with which the interlocking pin 54 provided on the base end arm 40B engages, is also rotated together with the outer guide 40 around the swing shaft 39 by the biasing force of the biasing member 42, and the front guide locking portion 38C is pushed outward from the front guide housing slit 56.

[0031] 5 shows a state in which the movement of the base end arm 38B of the front guide 38 is stopped by the stopper 46 and the front guide 38 reaches the restricted position. At this time, the front guide locking portion 38C extends from the passing portion 36 into the pocket 32, and its tip is positioned so as to be in approximate contact with the front edge of the cap C having the maximum outer diameter that is held and transported by the arcuate surface of the rear support portion 34.

[0032] 6, the outer guide 40 is further rotated by the biasing force of the biasing member 44 until the base end arm 40B reaches the closed position where it is locked by the stopper 48. In the closed position, the outer guide locking portion 40C is disposed so as to cover the cap C held by the rear support portion 34 in the pocket 32 ​​from the radial outside of the cap wheel 30, and its tip is disposed so as to circumscribe the outer periphery located at the outermost position of the cap C having the maximum outer diameter.

[0033] As a result, the movement of the cap C is restricted to the area surrounded by the rear support portion 34, the front guide locking portion 38C, and the outer guide locking portion 40C, preventing the center position of the cap C from shifting significantly within the pocket 32. The restricting position of the front guide 38 and the closing position of the outer guide 40 are set in accordance with the cap having the largest outer diameter that can be handled by the cap supplying device 20.

[0034] The cap C is held in the pocket 32 ​​by the rear support portion 34, the front guide locking portion 38C, and the outer guide locking portion 40C until the cap supplying device 20 is transported to a delivery position adjacent to the capping wheel 16. At the delivery position, the capping head 22 of the capping wheel 16 descends toward the cap C, holds the cap C in the pocket 32, and then ascends.

[0035] Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the capping head 22. The capping head 22 is a chuck-type capping head equipped with a centering function, and the cap C is gripped by a plurality of (e.g., three) gripping jaws 70 provided at the lower end of the capping head 22. Fig. 7 shows a state in which the cap C is being capped onto a container, and the container is gripped at the lower side of a flange portion Vf provided on the neck by the neck gripper 16A of the capping wheel 16. The right side of Fig. 7 shows a state in which the gripping jaws 70 are closed, and the left side shows a state in which the gripping jaws 70 are open.

[0036] The head body 72 is hollow, and a plurality of slit-shaped grooves 72A are provided vertically at the bottom end thereof in a number corresponding to the number of gripping claws 70. A horizontal rotation shaft 70A is provided at the approximate center of each groove 72A, and each gripping claw 70 is supported. That is, the gripping claws 70 are rotatably held on the rotation shaft 70A within the groove 72A. An annular spring 74 is fitted inside the gripping claws 70 below the rotation shaft 70A, and the gripping claws 70 are biased to open radially around the rotation shaft 70A. A cam follower 70B is provided at the tip (upper end) of the gripping claws 70 located above the rotation shaft 70A.

[0037] A cam accommodating portion 72B for accommodating an opening / closing cam 76 having a rotating body shape with a tapered lower end is provided above the groove 72A in the head body 72, and the opening / closing cam 76 is held so as to be able to move up and down so that the tapered lower end can be fitted and removed between the cam followers 70B. The upper end of the opening / closing cam 76 has a piston shape with the cam accommodating portion 72B as a cylinder, and divides the cam accommodating portion 72B into upper and lower spaces.

[0038] A spring 76A that urges the opening / closing cam 76 upward is disposed in the space below the cam accommodating portion 72B. Meanwhile, the space above the cam accommodating portion 72B is connected to a compressed air supply source 78 via a passage 72C provided in the head body 72. That is, when compressed air is supplied from the compressed air supply source 78 to the space above the cam accommodating portion 72B, the opening / closing cam 76 is lowered by the pressure thereof, and the gripping jaws 70 are opened radially. When the supply of compressed air is stopped, the opening / closing cam 76 is raised by the urging force of the spring 76A, and the gripping jaws 70 are closed.

[0039] A suction tube 80 fixed to the head body 72 is arranged vertically in the center of the head body 72 and the opening / closing cam 76. A contact member 82 that is pressed against the top surface of the cap C is provided around the periphery of the lower end of the suction tube 80. Meanwhile, the upper end of the suction tube 80 is connected to a negative pressure supply source 84. That is, the cap C against which the contact member 82 is pressed is sucked by the contact member 82 due to suction by the negative pressure supply source 84. The upper end of the contact part 82 contacts the lower end of the head body 72 in which the groove 72A is formed.

[0040] Further, a support member 86 extending laterally is provided on the upper portion of the head main body 72, and a cam follower 86A is provided on the tip of the support member 86. The cam follower 86A engages with the cam surface of a grooved cam 16B, which serves as a head lifting cam disposed along the outer periphery of the capping wheel 16. That is, the capping head 22 is guided along the cam groove to move up and down as the cam follower 86A runs within the groove of the head lifting cam 16B.

[0041] 8A and 8B are plan views showing the gripping / released states of the cap C by opening and closing the gripping claws 70. Fig. 8A shows the cap C in a gripped state, and Fig. 8B shows the cap C in an released state.

[0042] When receiving a cap C from the pocket 32 ​​of the cap supplying device 20, the capping head 22, with the gripping claws 70 open, descends from the bottom dead center at the removal position where the abutment portion 82 abuts on the top surface of the cap C, and adsorbs the top surface of the cap C to remove the cap C from the pocket 32. At this time, the front guide 38 and the outer guide 40 are accommodated in the front guide accommodating slit 56 and the outer guide accommodating slit 58, respectively.

[0043] Thereafter, the gripping jaws 70 are closed to align (center) the center of the cap C with the axis of the capping head 22. The capping head 22 then descends toward the container, and opens the gripping jaws 70 when the cap C abuts the mouth of the container, and the abutment portion 82 pushes the cap C into the mouth of the container to cap it. This provides a certain amount of play so that the container and the cap C can self-center when capping, even if the cap C is misaligned due to manufacturing errors or the like. Of course, the gripping jaws 70 may be left closed when capping.

[0044] As described above, the cap supply device of this embodiment uses the front guide and the outer guide to restrict caps of different diameters to the appropriate position (area) in the pocket without replacing the equipment. Here, the outer guide in the closed state prevents the cap from shifting outward due to centrifugal force, and the front guide in the restricted state prevents the cap from shifting forward due to inertial force when the wheel decelerates.

[0045] The area defined by the front guide, outer guide, and pocket was set to accommodate a cap with a large diameter. Therefore, when handling a cap with a large diameter, the amount of misalignment is extremely small, but when handling a cap with a smaller diameter, play occurs due to the difference in diameter with the large diameter cap. In this embodiment, the misalignment due to this play is absorbed by the centering function of the capping head.

[0046] In this embodiment, a drive-in type capping has been described as an example, but the capping is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to other types of capping, such as a screw-in type capping for capping a screw cap, etc. Also, in this embodiment, a chuck-type capping head has been described as an example, but the capping head may be a type that only has a suction part.

[0047] When caps are supplied using the bottom surface of the container as the transport base, the height of the cap disk must be changed in accordance with changes in the lifting height of the capping head. In this case, a lifting mechanism can be provided on the cap disk or the first and second chutes, and the height of the chute used can be adjusted to match the height of the cap disk. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 Capping device 16 Capping Wheel 20 Cap supply device 22 Capping Head 32 Pocket 34 Rear support part 36 Passage section 38 Front guide 40 Outer guide 42, 44 Urging member (front guide moving means, outer guide moving means) 50 Cam (front guide moving means, outer guide moving means) 52 Cam follower (front guide moving means, outer guide moving means) 54 Interlocking pin (front guide moving means, outer guide moving means)

Claims

[Claim 1] A cap supplying device for supplying caps to a capping head, the caps being transported in a line through a chute being received in a pocket provided on the outer periphery of a cap wheel rotating in a horizontal plane, the pocket having a passing section in which the caps supplied from the chute gradually move in a direction approaching the rotation center of the cap wheel, and a rear support section connected to the rear of the passing section in the transport direction and capable of receiving the caps and supporting them from the rear in the transport direction, the passing section and the rear support section being open radially outward of the cap wheel, a front guide that extends into the passage and is movable between a restricting position for restricting forward movement of the cap housed in the rear support portion in the conveying direction and a standby position retracted from the passage; a front guide moving means for moving the front guide between the standby position and the regulating position; an outer guide movable between a closing position for closing the pocket from the radially outer side of the cap wheel and an opening position for opening the pocket to the outside; an outer guide moving means for moving the outer guide between the closed position and the open position, The cap is held within an area defined by the front guide in the restricting position, the outer guide in the closed position, and a rear support of the pocket. A cap supplying device.

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