Seaming dimension measurement device

Abstract

To provide a seaming dimension measurement device capable of measuring an accurate seaming thickness with a simple configuration even when there is a difference in an inclination angle due to an individual difference in a seaming shape, and also capable of measuring a seaming height with the same device.SOLUTION: A seaming dimension measurement device has a measuring probe that is able to be in contact with a measurement point, a stator that faces the measuring probe and is able to be in contact with the measurement point, an auxiliary contact member that is able to be in contact with portions other than the measurement point, and a support base part that can support a can in contact with another portion of the can. The measuring probe is arranged so as to be movable in a measurement groove provided in the support base part. The auxiliary contact member has: a pair of guide parts that is formed in a shape that allows the can to tilt in a state of being in contact with the can when measuring a thickness of a seaming part, and is able to be in contact with both sides of the measurement point; and a longitudinal pressing part in the center of the pair of guide parts that is able to be in contact with the top part of the can when measuring the height of the seaming part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seam dimension measuring device for measuring the dimensions of a seam of a can. [Background technology]

[0002] Cans used as containers for canned foods and other foods are made up of a can body, a can lid, and a can bottom. In the case of so-called three-piece cans, the can body is constructed by seaming the can lid and can bottom to the can body, while in the case of two-piece cans, in which the can body and can bottom are integrated, the can lid is seamed to the can body to seal the can. The seaming portion of the can body and the can lid (hereinafter, the can bottom is referred to as the "can lid") is formed by engaging and crimping a body hook formed on the edge of the can body with a cover hook formed on the outer periphery of the can lid.

[0003] The quality of the seam has a significant impact on the quality of the contents packed in the can, so inspection of the seam is considered to be one of the most important inspections among the various inspections for cans. In particular, for thin aluminum cans where the gauge has been reduced for both the can body and the can lid, precise measurement is essential because the difference between a good and a bad product appears as an extremely slight difference in the thickness of the seam. Measuring the thickness of the seam is a well-known method of inspecting the seam, and since the thickness is measured in a direction perpendicular to the inclination of the seam (the inclination of the seam refers to the angle between the vertical direction when the can is placed vertically and the inside of the seam) in accordance with the inclination of the seam, devices that take inclination into account are also well-known. For example, the seaming dimension measuring device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a horizontal can mounting table and a measuring probe that measures the thickness in the inclined direction in accordance with the inclination (4°) of the seaming portion. Moreover, the seaming dimension measuring device known from Patent Document 2 is configured to adjust the clamping angle of the seaming portion so that the dimensions can be measured accurately even if there are individual differences in the seaming shape. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Jpn. Jpn. Published Application No. 55-010882 [Patent Document 2] JP 2002-255128 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the seaming dimension measuring device known from Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the angle between the can axis and the gauge is constant, and therefore accurate dimensions cannot be measured if there is a difference in the inclination angle due to individual differences in the seaming shape. In addition, although the seaming dimension measuring device known from Patent Document 2 can handle differences in inclination angles due to individual differences in seaming shapes, it has a problem that its structure is complicated and it is time-consuming and costly to manufacture the measuring device. Furthermore, in the case of aluminum cans and the like, even the pressure applied during measurement can cause deformation and measurement errors, so there has been a demand for a simple device that can be used to perform accurate measurements without being affected by the skill level of the operator. In addition, a known seaming dimension measuring device for measuring the seaming thickness cannot measure the seaming height, and it is necessary to use another measuring device to measure the seaming height. The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a seaming dimension measuring device that has a simple configuration, can accurately measure the seaming thickness even if there are differences in the inclination angle due to individual differences in the seaming shape, and can also measure the seaming height with the same device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The seaming dimension measuring device of the present invention is a seaming dimension measuring device that measures the dimensions of the seaming portion of a can, and has a measuring element that can abut against the measurement point, a stator that faces the measuring element and can abut against the measurement point, an auxiliary abutment member that can abut against parts other than the measurement point, and a support base portion that can abut against further parts of the can to support the can, the measuring element or stator is arranged to be movable within a measurement groove provided in the support base portion, and the auxiliary abutment member has a pair of guide portions that are formed in a shape that allows the can to tilt when the can is in contact with it when measuring the thickness of the seaming portion, and can abut on both sides of the measurement point, and a longitudinal pressing portion in the center of the pair of guide portions that can abut against the top of the can when measuring the height of the seaming portion, thereby solving the above problem. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the seaming dimension measuring device of claim 1, there is an auxiliary abutment member that can abut at parts other than the measurement point, and the auxiliary abutment member is formed in a shape that allows the can to tilt when the can is in contact with it, and has a pair of guide portions that can abut on both sides of the measurement point, and a longitudinal pressing portion in the center of the pair of guide portions that can abut against the top of the can when measuring the height of the seaming portion.Therefore, with the measuring probe abutted against the outer periphery of the thickness direction of the seaming portion against the pair of guide portions, the inclination angle of the can can be smoothly changed while checking the measurement value, and the minimum value of the measurement results can be measured as the accurate seaming thickness. In addition, the can's posture can be stabilized by abutting the height-wise tip of the seaming part against the longitudinal holding part while avoiding contact with the guide parts in the center of the pair of guide parts, and the seaming height can be measured by abutting the measuring probe against the height-wise tip of the seaming part.

[0008] According to the configuration described in claim 2, the spring force of the auxiliary abutment member can reliably press the seaming portion toward the stator, improving the stability of the can when the inclination angle of the can is changed, and making it possible to measure the thickness of the seaming portion more accurately. According to the configuration described in claim 3, by having a compression spring arranged to press the auxiliary abutment member toward the stator, and a holder that fixes the side of the compression spring opposite the auxiliary abutment member, it is possible to set the optimal pressing force according to the specifications of the can, and it is possible to improve the stability of the can while preventing deformation or damage to the seaming portion. According to the configuration of the present invention, the setting can be made to match the inclination angle of the seaming portion. According to the configuration described in claim 5, even if the edge of the can sinks into the groove when the can is tilted, the probe and stator continue to contact the points to be measured on the outside and inside. By sinking the can, the can is less likely to shift left and right, and the can can be tilted stably back and forth toward the center of the can, making it possible to perform accurate measurements.

[0009] According to the configuration described in claim 6, when attaching or removing the can to the measurement position, or when changing the inclination angle of the can while checking the measurement value with the probe in contact with the outer periphery, it is possible to smoothly attach, remove and tilt the can without damaging it even if the tip corner of the probe comes into contact with the can. According to the configuration of the present invention, even if the contact position between the gauge head and the seaming portion moves up and down due to tilting of the can, the tip surface of the gauge head does not move away from the measurement point, and the minimum value can be accurately determined. According to the configuration described in claim 8, when attaching or removing the can to the measurement position, or when changing the inclination angle of the can while checking the measurement value with the stator abutting the inner circumference, it is possible to smoothly attach, remove, and tilt the can without damaging it even if the tip corner of the stator abuts against the can. According to the configuration of the present invention, the setting can be made to match the inclination angle of the seaming portion. According to the configuration of the present invention, the contact surfaces of the probes are parallel to each other, so that the thickness can be measured accurately. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a seaming dimension measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a side view of a seaming dimension measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the seaming dimension measuring device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a seaming dimension measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional explanatory view of the vicinity of a gauge when measuring the thickness of a seamed portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the relationship between the inclination of the fastening portion and the stator and the measuring probe. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional explanatory view of the vicinity of a gauge when measuring the height of a seaming portion. [Figure 9] 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams of modified examples of the guide portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The seaming dimension measuring device of the present invention is a seaming dimension measuring device that measures the dimensions of the seaming portion of a can, and has a measuring probe that can abut against the measurement point, a stator that faces the measuring probe and can abut against the measurement point, an auxiliary abutment member that can abut against parts other than the measurement point, and a support base portion that can abut against further parts of the can to support the can, and the measuring probe is arranged to be movable within a measurement groove provided in the support base portion, and the auxiliary abutment member has a pair of guide portions that are formed in a shape that allows the can to tilt when the can is in contact with it when measuring the thickness of the seaming portion, and can abut on both sides of the measurement point, and a longitudinal pressing portion in the center of the pair of guide portions that can abut against the top of the can when measuring the height of the seaming portion.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, a seaming dimension measuring device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention has a measuring probe 110 that can contact a measurement point of the seaming portion M of a can C to be measured, a stator 120 that can contact the side of the measurement point of the seaming portion M opposite the measuring probe, an auxiliary contact member 130 that can contact a portion of the seaming portion M other than the measurement point, and a support base portion 140 that can support the can C.

[0013] The probe 110 is arranged to be movable within a measurement groove 141 provided in a support base portion 140 , and the amount of movement thereof can be measured by a dial gauge 150 . In this embodiment, the movement direction of the probe 110 is set to 0° relative to the support surface 142 of the support base portion 140 (parallel to the support surface 142: the angle is negative in the direction in which the dial gauge is raised upward with the tip of the probe as the center). It is preferable that the support surface 142 of the support base 140 and the moving direction of the probe 110 are inclined relatively, and the moving direction of the probe 110 is set at -15° to 15° with respect to the support surface 142 of the support base 140. When the angle of the movement direction of the probe 110 relative to the support surface 142 is negative, if the absolute value of the angle of the movement direction of the probe 110 relative to the support surface 142 becomes larger than the inclination angle of the seaming section, when the can C is tilted, the edge will move away from the measurement groove 141, and the can C will become easily shifted to the left or right. Furthermore, when the angle of the moving direction of the measuring probe 110 relative to the support surface 142 is on the positive side, if the angle of the moving direction of the measuring probe 110 relative to the support surface 142 becomes large, measurement is possible; however, the angle at which the can C is tilted toward the dial gauge 150 becomes large, making the measurement operation more tedious. Since the inclination angle of most commercially available cans is less than 15°, and most are 4 to 10°, the angle of the probe 110 with respect to the support surface 142 is preferably −15° to 15°. The angle of the probe 110 with respect to the support surface 142 is more preferably from −5° to 8°, and further preferably from −5° to 0°. To ensure the above-mentioned inclination angle, either the gauge head 110 (dial gauge 150) or the support base portion 140 may be inclined, or both may be inclined.

[0014] In this embodiment, the probe 110 is formed in a columnar shape extending in the direction of movement, and has a chamfered portion with a radius of 1.0 mm on the edge of the tip. In this embodiment, the shape is cylindrical, but it may be a prismatic shape as long as the tip is flat. In the case of a cylindrical shape, the outer diameter of the probe before chamfering is preferably 2 mm to 10 mm, and more preferably 4 mm to 5 mm. If the outer diameter is less than 2 mm, depending on the shape of the seamed portion (for example, if the cross section is curved), the probe may deviate from the point to be measured, resulting in a small measurement value. If the outside diameter is greater than 10 mm, the probe may interfere with parts other than the measurement part, such as the can body, and accurate measurement may not be possible. The chamfered portion preferably has a radius of 0.05 mm to 1.5 mm. If it is less than 0.05 mm, there is a risk of scratches occurring when tilted, and if it is more than 1.5 mm, the straight portion (flat portion) that comes into contact with the seaming portion will be too short, making accurate measurements impossible. More preferably, R0.5mm to R1.5mm.

[0015] As shown in Figure 5, the auxiliary abutment member 130 has a pair of guide portions 131 with abutment surfaces 131t formed in a shape that allows the can C to tilt when the can C abuts against it when measuring the thickness of the seaming portion M, and a longitudinal pressing portion 132 located in the center of the pair of guide portions 131 and capable of abutting against the top of the can C when measuring the height of the seaming portion M. The auxiliary abutment member 130 is configured to be movable in the measurement direction while being guided by a slide shaft 163 that passes through the slide hole 133, and is configured to be biased toward the stator 120 by a biasing member 160. The pair of guide portions 131 are formed at a distance and height such that they do not come into contact with the can C when the top of the can C abuts against the longitudinal pressing portion 132, and have an oblique cut surface 131c. Further, the support base portion 140 is provided with a body support portion 143 capable of supporting the body portion of the can C in order to stabilize the posture of the can C when the height of the seaming portion M is measured. As shown in FIG. 4, the portion of the body support portion 143 that comes into contact with the body of the can C is formed in the shape of a narrow wall in the left-right direction as shown in the figure, making it possible to stably support the body of the can C.

[0016] The biasing member 160 has a compression spring 162 (in the figure, only the outer circumferential portion is drawn so that the slide shaft 163 can be seen) arranged to press the auxiliary abutment member 130 toward the stator 120, and a holder 161 that fixes the side of the compression spring 162 opposite the auxiliary abutment member 130. The holder 161 fixes the compression spring 162 on the side opposite the auxiliary contact member 130, and the support base portion 140 adjusts the compression amount of the compression spring 162 to set an optimum pressing force according to the specifications of the can.

[0017] In this embodiment, the pair of guide portions 131 are arranged such that the surfaces that come into contact with the seaming portion M are linearly arranged in a V-shape in plan view, and the thickness in the vertical direction is set to 150% of the seaming width of the can C. In addition, the surface that comes into contact with the seaming portion M may be, for example, an arc shape or a curved shape other than an arc shape. The contact surface of the guide portion 131 with the can C may be an inclined surface with the upper portion inclined toward the can C so that the can C is pressed against the support base portion 140 when pressed against the guide portion 131. The thickness in the vertical direction is preferably 50% to 300% of the seaming width of the can C. If the thickness of the guide portion 131 in the vertical direction is less than 50% of the seaming width of the can C, the can C may float or come off the guide portion 131 depending on the combination of the groove width, can diameter, etc. If the thickness of the guide portion 131 in the vertical direction is greater than 300% of the seaming width of the can C, depending on the combination of the can diameter and the neck-in shape, the guide portion 131 may interfere with the portion of the can C other than the seaming portion, causing the can C to float. More preferably, the thickness of the guide portion 131 in the vertical direction is 100% to 200% of the seaming width of the can C. Moreover, the width of the measurement groove 141 is preferably 10% to 45% of the outer diameter of the seamed portion M. If the width of the measurement groove 141 is narrower than 10% of the outer diameter of the seamed portion M, there is a risk that the position of the can C will not be stable when the can C is tilted. Furthermore, if the width of the measurement groove 141 is wider than 45% of the outer diameter of the seaming portion M, the amount of the can C that penetrates into the groove will increase, and depending on the combination of the can diameter, neck-in shape, and probe shape, the probe may interfere with parts of the can C other than the seaming portion M, which may affect the measurement value. More preferably, the width of the measurement groove 141 is 15% to 35% of the outer diameter of the seamed portion M. In this embodiment, the width of the measurement groove 141 is set to 35% of the outer diameter of the seamed portion M.

[0018] In this embodiment, the stator 120 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, and has a chamfered portion with a radius of 1.0 mm on the edge of the tip. The outer diameter of the stator before chamfering is preferably 2 mm to 30 mm, and more preferably 3 mm to 10 mm. If the outer diameter of the stator is large, it is disadvantageous in terms of weight and space, and the material cost also increases. If it is small, it can be easily and precisely attached by drilling a hole and hammering the part in (if it is large, screws etc. will be necessary), but if it is too small, it will be difficult to process and assemble with high precision. Like the gauge head, the chamfered portion preferably has a radius of 0.05 mm to 1.5 mm. If it is less than 0.05 mm, there is a risk of scratches being caused when the can is tilted or when the can is turned to measure different positions on the same can. If it is greater than 1.5 mm, the straight part (flat part) that comes into contact with the seaming part will be too short, which may result in inaccurate measurement. More preferably, R0.5mm to R1.5mm.

[0019] In addition, the contact surface of the stator 120 is set so that the angle it forms with the inner circumferential surface of the seaming portion M when the can C is placed vertically on the support base portion 140 is 15° or less. More preferably, it is 10° or less. Furthermore, if the angle is less than 0° (from the left position in Figure 7, the stator is rotated counterclockwise while in contact with the inner surface of the seaming, and a gap between the stator and the seaming portion is formed on the side opposite the contact surface), when can C is tilted toward the side opposite the dial gauge 150, the edge of the seaming portion will move away from the measurement groove 141, making the can more likely to shift left and right. The contact surfaces of stator 120 and probe 110 can be designed at the angles described above, but the relationship between the contact surfaces of stator 120 and probe 110 is designed to be parallel in the vertical direction, enabling accurate thickness measurement.

[0020] The auxiliary contact member 130 is configured to be movable in the movement direction of the gauge head 110 and to be pressed and urged in the direction of the seaming portion M. As shown in Figure 9, the contact surface 131t of the guide portion 131 with the seaming portion M may be a tapered surface so as to press the seaming portion M against the support surface 142 of the support base portion 140 when it contacts the seaming portion M. By using a pair of guide portions 131 to press the outside of the seaming portion M and press the inside of the seaming portion M against the stator 120, the seaming portion M can be held at three points and the can C can be tilted stably. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the probe 110 abuts against the can C from the outer periphery side and the stator 120 is fixed to the inner periphery side, but the probe 110 may be configured to abut against the can C from the inner periphery side and the stator may be disposed on the outer periphery side. In this embodiment, the dial gauge 150 is a digital type that allows the numbers to be directly read by the eye, but any type may be used. In addition, in this embodiment, a compression spring is used as the biasing member, but a tension spring may also be used.

[0021] A procedure for measuring the thickness of the seamed portion M of the can C using the seaming dimension measuring device 100 configured as above will be described. First, the auxiliary abutment member 130 is pushed outward against the biasing force of the compression spring 162, and the seamed portion M of the can C is inserted between the gauge 110 and the stator 120, and the leading edge of the seamed portion M is brought into contact with the support surface 142 of the support base portion 140. In this state, when the auxiliary contact member 130 is released from the pressed state, the seaming portion M is pressed from the outer circumferential side by the pair of guide portions 131 of the auxiliary contact member 130, and the stator 120 comes into contact with the inner circumferential side.

[0022] In this state, as shown in FIG. 6, the probe 110 contacts the outer circumference of the seamed portion M of the can C, and the thickness is measured by the dial gauge 150. However, as shown in FIG. 7, depending on the inclination of the seamed portion M, the measurement value when it is clamped between the probe 110 and the stator 120 will differ. The thickness of the seamed portion M is the minimum value Tmin shown in the center of Figure 7, so the can C is slowly tilted back and forth while checking the measurement value of the dial gauge 150, and the thickness of the seamed portion M is measured by identifying the minimum value Tmin.

[0023] In order to perform more accurate measurements, the can C may be rotated about its axis and the above measurements may be performed at multiple points in the seamed portion M. Furthermore, by using a dial gauge 150 that is capable of holding the minimum value, measurement can be made even easier.

[0024] Next, a procedure for measuring the height of the seamed portion M of the can C by the seaming dimension measuring device 100 will be described. First, the auxiliary abutment member 130 is pushed outward against the biasing force of the compression spring 162, and while maintaining the can C horizontally relative to the support base portion 140, the seaming portion M is inserted between the gauge 110 and the stator 120, and the rear end of the seaming portion M is brought into contact with the stator 120. In this state, when the auxiliary contact member 130 is released from the pressed state, the seaming portion M is pressed from the tip side by the longitudinal pressing portion 132 of the auxiliary contact member 130, and the stator 120 comes into contact with the rear end side. At this time, by supporting the body of the can C by the body support part 143, the posture of the can C can be stabilized. In addition, the pair of guide portions 131 of the auxiliary abutment member 130 are formed at a spacing and height that prevents them from coming into contact with the can C when the top of the can C abuts against the longitudinal pressing portion 132, so that the pair of guide portions 131 do not hinder measurement. In this state, as shown in FIG. 8, the measuring element 110 comes into contact with the leading end of the seamed portion M of the can C, and the height is measured by the dial gauge 150. Furthermore, by optimally setting the height of the body support portion 143, the posture of the can C can be adjusted according to the neck-in amount (the difference between the outer diameter of the can body and the outer diameter of the reduced diameter portion) and the inclination of the seaming portion M, allowing the height of the seaming portion M to be measured more accurately. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 100 Seaming dimension measuring device 110 ··· Probe 120... Stator 130 Auxiliary abutment member 131 Guide section 131c... Cut surface 131t... Contact surface 132 Longitudinal holding part 133...Sliding hole 140 Support base part 141 Measuring groove 142 ... support surface 143 Torso support 150 ··· Dial Gauge 160 .... Pressing member 161 ··· Holder 162 Compression spring 163 Slide shaft C···Can M ··· Sealing section

Claims

1. A seaming dimension measuring device for measuring the dimensions of a seamed portion of a can, the measuring device has a measuring element capable of contacting the measurement location, a stator capable of contacting the measurement location opposite the measuring element, an auxiliary contact member capable of contacting a portion other than the measurement location, and a support base portion capable of contacting another portion of the can to support the can, the measuring element is movably disposed within a measuring groove provided in the support base portion, The auxiliary contact member is formed in a shape that allows the can to tilt when in contact with it when measuring the thickness of the seaming portion, and is capable of contacting both sides of the measurement point, and a longitudinal pressing portion in the center of the pair of guide portions that is capable of contacting the top of the can when measuring the height of the seaming portion.

2. 2. The seaming dimension measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary contact member is configured to be movable in the measurement direction and is biased toward the stator by a biasing member.

3. The seaming dimension measuring device according to claim 2, characterized in that the urging member has a compression spring arranged to press the auxiliary abutment member toward the stator, and a holder for fixing the side of the compression spring opposite the auxiliary abutment member.

4. 2. The seaming dimension measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the moving direction of the measuring element is set at an angle of -15° to 15° with respect to the support surface of the support base portion.

5. 2. The seaming dimension measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the width of the measurement groove is 10% to 45% of the outer diameter of the seaming portion.

6. 2. The seaming dimension measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring element is formed in a columnar shape extending in the direction of movement and has a chamfered tip edge of R0.05 mm to R1.5 mm.

7. 2. The seaming dimension measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the guide portion in the vertical direction is set to 50% to 300% of the seaming width of the can.

8. 2. The seaming dimension measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the stator is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction and has a chamfer of R0.05 mm to R1.5 mm on the edge of the tip.

9. The seaming dimension measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that the abutment surface of the stator is set so that the angle it forms with the inner surface of the seaming portion when the can is placed vertically on the support base portion is 15° or less.

10. 2. The seaming dimension measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface of the stator is configured to be parallel to the contact surface of the measuring element.

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