Bottle storage device, and bottle holding mechanism

Abstract

To provide a bottle storage device capable of increasing the number density of bottles in a case.SOLUTION: According to the present invention, a bottle storage device equipped with a bottle holding mechanism is configured to be able to simultaneously or sequentially hold and store in a case a group of upright bottles consisting of a plurality of upright bottles in an upright state and a group of inverted bottles consisting of a plurality of inverted bottles in an inverted state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bottle storage device and a bottle holding mechanism. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus for packing bottles grouped in a matrix into cases. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-138871 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, it is assumed that the bottles will be packed in a single layer in a case. However, there are cases where it is desired to store more bottles in a case, and it is not easy to store many bottles in a case at a high numerical density.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a bottle storage device that can increase the number density of bottles in a case. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, the following inventions are provided: [1] A bottle storage device equipped with a bottle holding mechanism, the bottle holding mechanism being configured to simultaneously or sequentially hold and store in a case a group of upright bottles consisting of a plurality of upright bottles in an upright position and a group of inverted bottles consisting of a plurality of inverted bottles in an inverted position. [2] The bottle storage device according to [1], wherein the bottle holding mechanism is configured to be able to simultaneously hold the group of upright bottles and the group of inverted bottles and store them in the case. [3] A bottle storage device according to [1] or [2], wherein the bottle holding mechanism is configured to hold the upright bottle group and the inverted bottle group at positions offset from each other in the vertical direction. [4] A bottle storage device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the bottle holding mechanism is configured to hold the mouths of the plurality of upright bottles by gripping them, and to hold the bottoms of the plurality of inverted bottles by suction. [5] [4] A bottle holding device as described in [4], wherein the upright bottle and the inverted bottle each have an inner bag and an outer shell arranged to cover the inner bag, and at least a portion of the inner bag is configured to be separable from the outer shell. [6] A bottle storage device according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the upright bottle group and the inverted bottle group are respectively arranged in a matrix, and the inverted bottle group is arranged at a position offset from the upright bottle group in both the row direction and the column direction. [7] [6] A bottle storage device as described in [6], wherein the group of upright bottles and the group of inverted bottles are held so that a portion of the upright bottles and a portion of the inverted bottles overlap when viewed from the top and bottom of the bottle holding mechanism. [8] A bottle holding mechanism comprising a first claw unit, a second claw unit, and a drive mechanism, wherein the first claw unit comprises a plurality of first claws connected to each other, and the second claw unit comprises a plurality of second claws connected to each other, and is configured so that the first claw unit and the second claw unit move relative to each other when driven by the drive mechanism, thereby enabling each pair of first claws and second claws to grip a bottle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The bottle holding mechanism of the bottle storage device of the present invention is configured to hold a group of upright bottles and a group of inverted bottles simultaneously or sequentially and store them in a case, and the case can store both a group of upright bottles and a group of inverted bottles. Since the upright bottles and the inverted bottles can be placed closer to each other than the upright bottles themselves, the present invention allows for a higher bottle density in the case. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a bottle storage device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the bottle 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the bottle group 13 immediately before it is housed in the case 2. The bottle group 13 is actually held by the bottle holding mechanism 3. The bottle holding mechanism 3 is not shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are plan and front views, respectively, of the bottle group 13 of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the bottle holding mechanism 3, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the bottle holding mechanism 3 holding the bottle group 13. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are enlarged perspective views of a portion of the bottle holding mechanism 3, viewed from different directions. [Figure 7] 7A is a perspective view showing a process in which the take-out mechanism 4a holds the bottle 1, and FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing the state in which the bottle 1 is removed from FIG. 7A. [Figure 8] 8A is a perspective view showing a process in which the take-out mechanism 4a transfers the bottle 1 to the inversion mechanism 4b, and FIG. 8B is a perspective view showing the state in which the bottle 1 is removed from FIG. 8A. [Figure 9] 9A is a perspective view showing the process in which the inverting mechanism 4b transfers the bottle 1 to the inverted bottle transfer mechanism 4c, and FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the state in which the bottle 1 is removed from FIG. 9A. [Figure 10]10A is a perspective view showing a process in which the inverted bottle transfer mechanism 4c transfers the bottle 1 to the bottle holding mechanism 3, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the state in FIG. 10A without the bottle 1. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11A is a perspective view showing a process in which the take-out mechanism 4a transfers the bottle 1 to the upright bottle transfer mechanism 4d, and FIG. 11B is a perspective view of the state in which the bottle 1 is removed from FIG. 11A. [Figure 12] 12A is a perspective view showing the process in which the upright bottle conveying mechanism 4d transfers the bottle 1 to the bottle holding mechanism 3, and FIG. 12B is a perspective view of the state in which the bottle 1 is removed from FIG. 12A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following describes embodiments of the present invention. The various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Each feature can also be an independent invention. Furthermore, elements not specified in the claims of the following embodiments are optional and can be omitted.

[0010] 1. Bottle storage device 10 A bottle holding device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 1 to 12. For the sake of clarity, some components are omitted from Figures 1 to 12. The bottle holding device 10 is a device for holding a plurality of bottles 1 in a case 2. As shown in Figure 1, the bottle holding device 10 includes a bottle holding mechanism 3 and a bottle holding assist mechanism 4.

[0011] 1-1. 1 bottle, 2 cases As shown in FIG. 2, the bottle 1 is a container capable of holding beverages, seasonings, and the like. The bottle 1 comprises a mouth 1a, a body 1b, and a bottom 1c. The mouth 1a is a cylindrical portion having an open end 1d. The body 1b is disposed adjacent to the mouth 1a, on a side farther from the open end 1d than the mouth 1a. The bottom 1c is configured to close the lower end of the body 1b. The body 1b comprises a shoulder 1e whose circumferential length in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction increases with increasing distance from the mouth 1a. The "axial direction" refers to the direction in which the central axis of the mouth 1a extends. The bottle 1 generally tapers from the bottom 1c toward the mouth 1a. The mouth 1a is provided with an engagement portion 1f to which a mouth-attached member (e.g., a cap or a pump) can be attached. The base of the mouth 1a is provided with a constricted portion 1g formed by constricting the mouth 1a. The bottle 1 may be in a state where the mouth attachment member is attached, or in a state where the mouth attachment member is not attached.

[0012] The bottle 1 is preferably made of a thermoplastic resin such as PET or polyolefin. The bottle 1 can be formed by blow molding. The blow molding may be direct blow molding or injection blow molding. In direct blow molding, a molten cylindrical parison extruded from an extruder is sandwiched between a pair of split molds and air is blown into the parison. In injection blow molding, a test-tube-shaped parison with a bottom, called a preform, is formed by injection molding, and this parison is used for blow molding.

[0013] The bottle 1 may be a single-walled bottle or a double-walled bottle. When the bottle 1 is a double-walled bottle, the bottle 1 comprises an inner bag and an outer shell arranged to cover the inner bag, and at least a portion of the inner bag is configured to be separable from the outer shell. Examples of double-walled bottles include bottles 1 configured so that the inner bag shrinks when outside air is introduced into the intermediate space between the inner bag and the outer shell as the contents are dispensed, and bottles where the inner bag is configured to be removable from the bottle 1.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 3, the case 2, in one example, has a bottom 2a and a peripheral wall 2b that rises from the bottom 2a. In one example, the case 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The case 2 is made of, for example, cardboard. When the bottle 1 is housed in the case 2, it is preferable that the case 2 be open at the top.

[0015] The bottles 1 housed in the case 2 preferably have the same configuration. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bottles 1 house a group 11 of upright bottles 11a in an upright position and a group 12 of inverted bottles 12a in an inverted position. The group 11 of upright bottles and the group 12 of inverted bottles are preferably housed in the case 2 so as not to interfere with each other. In this case, the group 11 of upright bottles and the group 12 of inverted bottles are housed in the case 2 so as to be at the same height (i.e., the opening ends 1d of the upright bottles 11a and the bottoms 1c of the inverted bottles 12a are at the same height). The group 11 of upright bottles and the group 12 of inverted bottles may slightly interfere with each other so that the bottoms 1c of the inverted bottles 12a are slightly higher in height than the opening ends 1d of the upright bottles 11a. The difference in height between the bottom 1c of the inverted bottle 12a and the open end 1d of the upright bottle 11a is preferably 10% or less, and more preferably 5% or less, of the total height of the upright bottle 11a. The case 2 may contain only one set of the upright bottle group 11 and the inverted bottle group 12, or two or more sets may be stacked and contained.

[0016] The upright bottle group 11 and the inverted bottle group 12 are each arranged in a matrix. The inverted bottle group 12 is arranged at a position offset from the upright bottle group 11 in both the row and column directions. The row and column directions are preferably perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment, the upright bottle group 11 is composed of seven columns, with seven upright bottles 11a in each column. Therefore, the upright bottle group 11 is composed of 49 upright bottles 11a. The inverted bottle group 12 is composed of seven columns, with eight inverted bottles 12a in each column. Therefore, the inverted bottle group 12 is composed of 56 inverted bottles 12a. The number of columns and the number of bottles in each column of the upright bottle group 11 and the inverted bottle group 12 can be changed as appropriate.

[0017] Each row of the inverted bottle group 12 is offset in the column direction from each row of the upright bottle group 11, preferably by half the pitch between the rows of the upright bottle group 11. Therefore, the rows of the inverted bottle group 12 and the rows of the upright bottle group 11 are arranged alternately in the column direction. Furthermore, the inverted bottles 12a in each row of the inverted bottle group 12 are offset in the row direction from the upright bottles 11a in each row of the upright bottle group 11, preferably by half the pitch between the upright bottles 11a in each row of the upright bottle group 11. Therefore, the inverted bottles 12a and the upright bottles 11a are arranged alternately in the row direction. In this way, the inverted bottle group 12 is arranged at a position offset from the upright bottle group 11 in both the row direction and the column direction. 4A, in bottle group 13, which is made up of upright bottle group 11 and inverted bottle group 12, each upright bottle 11a and each inverted bottle 12a, excluding those on the periphery, is arranged in the center of a hexagon made up of six bottles 1. Each upright bottle 11a is surrounded by two upright bottles 11a adjacent to it in the row direction and four inverted bottles 12a adjacent to it in the diagonal direction, and each inverted bottle 12a is surrounded by two inverted bottles 12a adjacent to it in the row direction and four upright bottles 11a adjacent to it in the diagonal direction. With this configuration, the distance between bottles stored in case 2 is small, making it possible to store bottles 1 in case 2 at a high numerical density.

[0018] 1-2. Bottle holding mechanism 3 As shown in FIG. 5 , the bottle holding mechanism 3 is configured to simultaneously or sequentially hold an upright bottle group 11 consisting of multiple upright bottles 11a in an upright position and an inverted bottle group 12 consisting of multiple inverted bottles 12a in an inverted position, and accommodate them in the case 2. Specifically, the bottle holding mechanism 3 includes a base 3a, an upright bottle holding mechanism 3b, and an inverted bottle holding mechanism 3c. The upright bottle holding mechanism 3b and the inverted bottle holding mechanism 3c are fixed to the base 3a. The upright bottle holding mechanism 3b is configured to hold the upright bottle group 11. The inverted bottle holding mechanism 3c is configured to hold the inverted bottle group 12. The upright bottle holding mechanism 3b and the inverted bottle holding mechanism 3c may be operated simultaneously or sequentially. The bottle holding mechanism 3 is also configured to be transported by a transport device (not shown) and move within a three-dimensional space. Each component will be described in more detail below.

[0019] 1-2-1. Base 3a 6A, the base 3a includes a first base 3a1, a second base 3a2, and a connecting portion 3a3. The first base 3a1 and the second base 3a2 are connected by the connecting portion 3a3 with a gap between them in the up-down direction.

[0020] 1-2-1.Upright bottle holding mechanism 3b The upright bottle holding mechanism 3b is fixed to the first base 3a1. The upright bottle holding mechanism 3b is configured to grip the mouth 1a of each of the multiple upright bottles 11a. The gripping may be from the outside or the inside of the mouth 1a. Even if a suction pad is placed against the open end 1d to hold the bottles by suction, there is a risk that the suction will be unstable due to the presence of air inside the upright bottle 11a. However, by gripping, the upright bottle 11a can be stably held. Furthermore, if the upright bottle 11a is a double-walled bottle, suctioning the inside of the upright bottle 11a may cause the inner bag to shrink. However, by gripping, this problem can be avoided.

[0021] More specifically, the upright bottle holding mechanism 3b includes a gripping unit 3d, and the gripping unit 3d includes a first claw unit 3d1, a second claw unit 3d2, and a drive mechanism 3d3.

[0022] First claw unit 3d1 includes a plurality of first claws 3d1a connected to one another via connecting portions 3d1b. First claws 3d1a are disposed on the lower side of first base 3a1, and connecting portions 3d1b are disposed on the upper side of first base 3a1. First claws 3d1a and connecting portions 3d1b are connected to one another through openings 3a1a provided in first base 3a1.

[0023] The second claw unit 3d2 includes a plurality of second claws 3d2a connected to each other via connecting portions 3d2b. The second claws 3d2a are disposed on the lower side of the first base 3a1, and the connecting portions 3d2b are disposed on the upper side of the first base 3a1. The second claws 3d2a and the connecting portions 3d2b are connected to each other through openings 3a1b provided in the first base 3a1.

[0024] The drive mechanism 3d3 drives the first claw unit 3d1 and the second claw unit 3d2 to move relative to each other, allowing each pair of the first claw 3d1a and the second claw 3d2a to grip an upright bottle 11a. The drive mechanism 3d3 is, for example, a linear motion mechanism, and can change the distance between the first claw 3d1a and the second claw 3d2a by linearly moving the first claw unit 3d1 and the second claw unit 3d2 relative to each other. In this embodiment, each gripping unit 3d is provided with seven pairs of the first claw 3d1a and the second claw 3d2a, allowing each gripping unit 3d to simultaneously grip and release seven upright bottles 11a.

[0025] The first claw portion 3d1a and the second claw portion 3d2a may grip the mouth portion 1a by frictional force or by recess-projection engagement. In this embodiment, the first claw portion 3d1a and the second claw portion 3d2a are provided with protrusions 3d1c and 3d2c, respectively, and the first claw portion 3d1a and the second claw portion 3d2a can grip the mouth portion 1a by engaging the protrusions 3d1c and 3d2c with a constricted portion 1g provided on the mouth portion 1a.

[0026] Furthermore, multiple gripping units 3d are arranged along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gripping units 3d. In this embodiment, seven gripping units 3d are provided, and the upright bottle holding mechanism 3b can hold 49 upright bottles 11a simultaneously. In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the gripping units 3d is referred to as the "row direction," the direction in which the multiple gripping units 3d are lined up is referred to as the "column direction," and the direction perpendicular to the row and column directions is referred to as the "vertical direction." The vertical direction coincides with the axial direction of the bottle 1.

[0027] By holding the upright bottles 11a with the upright bottle holding mechanism 3b configured in this manner, a plurality of upright bottles 11a are arranged in a matrix to form an upright bottle group 11, as shown in FIG. 5B , and this upright bottle group 11 can be housed within the case 2. The description of the upright bottle group 11 in "1-1. Bottle 1, Case 2" also applies to the upright bottle group 11 held by the upright bottle holding mechanism 3b, provided that it is not contrary to the spirit of the description. Note that when held by the upright bottle holding mechanism 3b, the spacing between the upright bottles 11a that make up the upright bottle group 11 is slightly smaller than the spacing between the upright bottles 11a when housed within the case 2. This prevents the upright bottle group 11 from interfering with the edge of the case 2.

[0028] 1-2-2.Inverted bottle holding mechanism 3c The inverted bottle holding mechanism 3c is fixed to the second base 3a2. The inverted bottle holding mechanism 3c is configured to hold the bottoms 1c of the multiple inverted bottles 12a by suction. More specifically, the inverted bottle holding mechanism 3c includes a suction unit 3e, which includes multiple suction pads 3e1 and a suction mechanism 3e2. Each suction pad 3e1 is connected to the suction mechanism 3e2 via a pipe 3e3. The first base 3a1 has an opening 3a1c, and the second base 3a2 has an opening 3a2a. The suction mechanism 3e2 is provided on the upper side of the second base 3a2, and the suction pad 3e1 faces the lower side of the first base 3a1 through the opening 3a1c. The pipe 3e3 connects the suction pad 3e1 to the suction mechanism 3e2 through the openings 3a1c and 3a2a. The multiple suction pads 3e1 are arranged in a row.

[0029] With the suction pad 3e1 in contact with the bottom portion 1c, the suction mechanism 3e2 sucks air from the space between the suction pad 3e1 and the bottom portion 1c, allowing the bottom portion 1c to be adsorbed to the suction pad 3e1. The suction pad 3e1 can be brought into contact with the bottom portion 1c through the opening 3a1c. Furthermore, if the bottom portion 1c is tilted when being adsorbed to the suction pad 3e1, poor adsorption is likely to occur. Therefore, it is preferable to perform adsorption with the bottom portion 1c in contact with the first base 3a1. In this case, poor adsorption is prevented by preventing the bottom portion 1c from tilting. In this embodiment, the suction unit 3e is provided with eight suction pads 3e1, and these suction pads 3e1 are connected to the same suction mechanism to form a unit, allowing simultaneous suction and release.

[0030] In addition, a plurality of suction units 3e are arranged along the row direction. In this embodiment, seven suction units 3e are provided, and the inverted bottle holding mechanism 3c can hold 56 inverted bottles 12a simultaneously.

[0031] By holding the inverted bottles 12a with the inverted bottle holding mechanism 3c configured in this manner, a group of inverted bottles 12 in which multiple inverted bottles 12a are arranged in a matrix can be formed, and this group of inverted bottles 12 can be housed within the case 2. The description of the group of inverted bottles 12 in "1-1. Bottle 1, Case 2" also applies to the group of inverted bottles 12 held by the inverted bottle holding mechanism 3c, provided that it does not contradict the spirit of the description. Note that when held by the inverted bottle holding mechanism 3c, the spacing between the inverted bottles 12a that make up the group of inverted bottles 12 is slightly smaller than the spacing between the inverted bottles 12a when housed within the case 2. This prevents the group of inverted bottles 12 from interfering with the edge of the case 2.

[0032] 1-2-3.Prevention of interference between bottles 1 When the bottle holding mechanism 3 simultaneously holds the upright bottle group 11 and the inverted bottle group 12, narrowing the spacing between the bottles 1 in the upright bottle group 11 and / or the inverted bottle group 12 causes interference between the adjacent upright bottle 11a and the inverted bottle 12a. Therefore, in this embodiment, to prevent interference between the adjacent upright bottle 11a and the inverted bottle 12a, the bottle holding mechanism 3 is configured to hold the upright bottle group 11 and the inverted bottle group 12 at offset positions so that they are spaced apart in the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 4B . Because the bottle 1 generally tapers from the bottom 1c to the mouth 1a, holding the upright bottle group 11 and the inverted bottle group 12 at offset positions so that they are spaced apart in the vertical direction reduces interference between the adjacent upright bottle 11a and the inverted bottle 12a compared to holding the upright bottle group 11 and the inverted bottle group 12 at the same height. At this time, the upright bottle group 11 and the inverted bottle group 12 are held so that the upright bottles 11a and the inverted bottles 12a partially overlap when viewed from above and below the bottle holding mechanism 3, as shown in FIG. 4A.

[0033] When the bottle holding mechanism 3 simultaneously holds the upright bottle group 11 and the inverted bottle group 12, the height difference between the bottom 1c of the inverted bottle 12a and the open end 1d of the upright bottle 11a can be set appropriately so that the adjacent upright bottles 11a and inverted bottles 12a do not interfere with each other. This difference is preferably 4 to 40% (16% in this embodiment) of the total height of the upright bottles 11a, more preferably 8 to 30%, and even more preferably 12 to 20%. Specific examples of this value include 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40%, and may be within a range between any two of the values exemplified here.

[0034] 2. Bottle holding assist mechanism 4 The bottle holding assist mechanism 4 is configured to assist the bottle holding mechanism 3 in holding the upright bottle group 11 and the inverted bottle group 12. As shown in Figures 1 and 7 to 12, the bottle holding assist mechanism 4 includes a take-out mechanism 4a, an inverting mechanism 4b, an inverted bottle transport mechanism 4c, and an upright bottle transport mechanism 4d.

[0035] 2-1. Removal mechanism 4a As shown in FIG. 7, the take-out mechanism 4a is arranged along the conveyor 5 and has the function of taking out the required number of bottles 1 from the many bottles 1 flowing in series along the conveyor 5 and handing them over to the inverting mechanism 4b or the upright bottle transport mechanism 4d. The bottles 1 are upright on the conveyor 5. In this embodiment, the movement direction F of the conveyor 5 coincides with the row direction of the bottle holding mechanism 3. In the following description, the "movement direction of the conveyor 5" will also be referred to as the "row direction."

[0036] As shown in FIG. 7, the take-out mechanism 4a includes a blocking portion 4a1, a suction holding portion 4a2, a base 4a3, and a pressing portion 4a4.

[0037] The blocking unit 4a1 is provided downstream of the suction holding unit 4a2 and blocks the large number of bottles 1 flowing in series along the conveyor 5, so that the required number of bottles 1 are positioned opposite the suction holding unit 4a2. Note that a blocking unit (not shown) is provided upstream of the suction holding unit 4a2 to prevent more bottles 1 than the required number from being supplied to the take-out mechanism 4a.

[0038] The suction holder 4a2 sucks and holds the bottle 1 positioned opposite the suction holder 4a2. The suction surface of the suction holder 4a2 is substantially flush with the opposing surface of the base 4a3 that faces the bottle 1. A pressing unit 4a4 is located opposite the suction holder 4a2 across the conveyor 5. The suction holder 4a2 and the base 4a3 are configured to move together toward the pressing unit 4a4. The bottle 1 positioned opposite the suction holder 4a2 is pressed against the pressing unit 4a4 by the suction holder 4a2 and the base 4a3, and is held by the suction holder 4a2. The take-out mechanism 4a is provided with multiple suction holders 4a2 along the row direction. In this embodiment, eight suction holders 4a2 are provided, allowing for suction and holding of up to eight bottles 1. The blocking portion 4a1 and the pressing portion 4a4 are configured to be movable, and can be retracted to an appropriate retracted position when interference with other components becomes a problem. The take-out mechanism 4a is also configured to be movable along the row direction. The row direction position of the take-out mechanism 4a can be adjusted according to the row direction position of the other party to whom the take-out mechanism 4a hands over the bottle 1.

[0039] 2-2. Reversal mechanism 4b The inverting mechanism 4b receives the bottle 1 in an upright position from the takeout mechanism 4a, turns it upside down, and transfers it to the inverted bottle transfer mechanism 4c. As shown in FIG. 8, the inverting mechanism 4b includes a base 4b1, a rotating member 4b2, a bottle receiving portion 4b3, and a suction holder 4b4. The bottle receiving portion 4b3 and the suction holder 4b4 are attached to the rotating member 4b2. The rotating member 4b2 is rotatable around a rotation axis 4b5 attached to the base 4b1. The suction holder 4a2 and the base 4a3 advance while holding the bottle 1 by suction, positioning the bottle 1 within the bottle receiving portion 4b3 and pressing it against the suction holder 4b4. The suction holder 4b4 then begins to hold the bottle 1 by suction, and the suction holder 4a2 releases its suction, completing the transfer of the bottle 1.

[0040] In this embodiment, the inverting mechanism 4b is provided with eight bottle receiving sections 4b3 and eight suction holding sections 4b4 arranged in the row direction. The take-out mechanism 4a delivers eight bottles 1 to the inverting mechanism 4b, which then inverts the bottles upside down and delivers them to the inverted bottle transport mechanism 4c.

[0041] 2-3. Inverted bottle transport mechanism 4c The inverted bottle transfer mechanism 4c has the function of receiving the bottle 1 in an inverted state from the inverting mechanism 4b and transferring it in an inverted state to the bottle holding mechanism 3. As shown in FIG. 9, the inverted bottle transfer mechanism 4c has a bottle receiving unit 4c1 that receives the bottle 1 from the inverting mechanism 4b. The inverted bottle transfer mechanism 4c is configured to be movable between a receiving position where it receives the bottle 1 from the inverting mechanism 4b and a transfer position where it transfers the bottle 1 to the bottle holding mechanism 3. This allows the bottle 1 received at the receiving position to be transferred to the bottle holding mechanism 3 at the transfer position.

[0042] In this embodiment, the inverted bottle conveying mechanism 4c is provided with eight bottle receiving units 4c1 arranged in the row direction, and eight suction pads 3e1 are arranged in the row direction above the bottle receiving units 4c1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, after the bottle 1 is received in an inverted state by the bottle receiving units 4c1, the inverted bottle conveying mechanism 4c is raised. As shown in FIG. 10, the bottom 1c of the bottle 1 is pressed against the suction pad 3e1, and the suction pad 3e1 begins to suction the bottle 1 in that state, thereby allowing the bottle 1 to be suction-held by the suction pad 3e1 in an inverted state. A single process can hold a row of inverted bottles 1 (i.e., inverted bottles 12a) in the suction unit 3e. Furthermore, by moving the bottle holding mechanism 3 in the row direction and then repeating the process of holding a row of inverted bottles 12a in the suction unit 3e using the same process as above, a group of inverted bottles 12 arranged in a matrix can be held by the bottle holding mechanism 3.

[0043] 2-4.Upright bottle conveying mechanism 4d The upright bottle transfer mechanism 4d has the function of receiving the bottle 1 in an upright position from the takeout mechanism 4a and transferring it to the bottle holding mechanism 3 in an upright position. As shown in FIG. 11 , the upright bottle transfer mechanism 4d includes a bottle receiving unit 4d1 that receives the bottle 1 from the takeout mechanism 4a. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11 , the upright bottle transfer mechanism 4d is positioned so that the top surface of the upright bottle transfer mechanism 4d is lower than the bottom 1c of the bottle 1. The takeout mechanism 4a then moves the bottle 1 to directly above the upright bottle transfer mechanism 4d, raises the upright bottle transfer mechanism 4d, and places the bottle 1 in the bottle receiving unit 4d1. The suction holder 4a2 then releases the suction and holds the bottle 1, completing the transfer of the bottle 1. The upright bottle transfer mechanism 4d is configured to be movable between a receiving position where it receives the bottle 1 from the takeout mechanism 4a and a transfer position where it transfers the bottle 1 to the bottle holding mechanism 3. This allows the bottle 1 received at the receiving position to be transferred to the bottle holding mechanism 3 at the transfer position.

[0044] In this embodiment, the upright bottle conveying mechanism 4d is provided with seven bottle receiving units 4d1 arranged in the row direction, and seven pairs of first claws 3d1a and second claws 3d2a are arranged above the bottle receiving units 4d1 in the row direction. Therefore, by raising the upright bottle conveying mechanism 4d after receiving a bottle 1 in an upright position in the bottle receiving unit 4d1, the mouth 1a of the bottle 1 is positioned between the first claws 3d1a and the second claws 3d2a, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 12. Then, by narrowing the gap between the first claws 3d1a and the second claws 3d2a, the bottle 1 can be gripped by the first claws 3d1a and the second claws 3d2a in an upright position. A row of upright bottles 1 (i.e., upright bottles 11a) can be held by the gripping unit 3d in one operation. Furthermore, by moving the bottle holding mechanism 3 in the row direction by one row and then repeating the process of holding one row of upright bottles 11a in the gripping unit 3d using the same process as described above, it is possible to make the bottle holding mechanism 3 hold a group 11 of upright bottles in which multiple upright bottles 11a are arranged in a matrix.

[0045] In FIG. 12, the process of having the gripping unit 3d hold the upright bottles 11a begins after all rows of the suction units 3e have held the inverted bottles 12a. However, the process of having the suction units 3e hold the inverted bottles 12a and the gripping unit 3d hold the upright bottles 11a may be alternated for one row or multiple rows.

[0046] 2. Manufacturing method of bottle case A method for manufacturing a bottled case according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a step of simultaneously or sequentially holding an upright bottle group 11 consisting of a plurality of upright bottles 11a in an upright position and an inverted bottle group 12 consisting of a plurality of inverted bottles 12a in an inverted position using a bottle holding mechanism 3, and storing them in a case 2. This method can be carried out using a bottle storage device 10. The above description of the bottle storage device 10 also applies to the method for manufacturing a bottled case. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1: Bottle 1a: Mouth 1b: Body 1c: Bottom 1d: Open end 1e: Shoulder 1f: Engagement part 1g: Neck 2: Case 2a: Bottom 2b: Peripheral wall 3: Bottle holding mechanism 3a: Bass 3a1: 1st base 3a1a: opening 3a1b: Opening 3a1c: opening 3a2: Second base 3a2a: opening 3a3:Connection part 3b: Upright bottle holding mechanism 3c: Inverted bottle holding mechanism 3d: Grasping unit 3d1: First claw unit 3d1a: 1st claw part 3d1b:Connection part 3d1c: protrusion 3d2: Second claw unit 3d2a: 2nd claw part 3d2b:Connection part 3d2c:Protrusion 3d3: Drive mechanism 3e: Suction unit 3e1: Suction pad 3e2: Suction mechanism 3e3: Piping 4: Bottle holding assist mechanism 4a:Ejecting mechanism 4a1: Dammed section 4a2: Adsorption holding part 4a3: Bass 4a4: Pressing part 4b: Reversal mechanism 4b1: Bass 4b2: Rotating member 4b3: Bottle holder 4b4: Adsorption holding part 4b5: Rotation axis 4c: Inverted bottle transport mechanism 4c1: Bottle holder 4d:Upright bottle transport mechanism 4d1: Bottle holder 5: Conveyor 10: Bottle storage device 11:Upright bottle group 11a:Upright bottle 12: Inverted bottle group 12a: Inverted Bottle 13: Bottle group F: Movement direction

Claims

1. A bottle storage device having a bottle holding mechanism, The bottle holding mechanism is a bottle storage device configured to be able to simultaneously or sequentially hold and store in the case a group of upright bottles consisting of a plurality of upright bottles in an upright state and a group of inverted bottles consisting of a plurality of inverted bottles in an inverted state.

2. The bottle storage device according to claim 1, The bottle holding mechanism is configured to be able to simultaneously hold the group of upright bottles and the group of inverted bottles and accommodate them in the case.

3. The bottle storage device according to claim 2, The bottle holding mechanism is configured to hold the upright bottle group and the inverted bottle group at positions offset from each other in the height direction.

4. The bottle storage device according to claim 3, The bottle holding mechanism is configured to grip and hold the mouths of the plurality of upright bottles, and to hold the bottoms of the plurality of inverted bottles by suction.

5. The bottle storage device according to claim 4, In this bottle storage device, the upright bottle and the inverted bottle each have an inner bag and an outer shell arranged to cover the inner bag, and at least a portion of the inner bag is configured to be separable from the outer shell.

6. The bottle storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The upright bottle group and the inverted bottle group are each arranged in a matrix, The bottle storage device, wherein the group of inverted bottles is arranged at a position offset in both the row direction and the column direction from the group of upright bottles.

7. The bottle storage device according to claim 6, The bottle holding device holds the upright bottles and the inverted bottles such that the upright bottles and the inverted bottles partially overlap when viewed from above and below the bottle holding mechanism.

8. A bottle holding mechanism including a first claw unit, a second claw unit, and a drive mechanism, The first claw unit includes a plurality of first claws connected to each other, The second claw unit includes a plurality of second claws connected to each other, The bottle holding mechanism is configured so that the first claw unit and the second claw unit move relative to each other when driven by the drive mechanism, thereby allowing each pair of the first claw and the second claw to grip a bottle.

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