Conveyor cleaning device

Abstract

To provide a cleaning device for a conveyor belt in a conveyor device capable of efficiently removing oily stains or the like derived from articles being conveyed on the conveyor even when the stains are attached to the surface of the conveyor.SOLUTION: A conveyor cleaning device 1 uses one or more brush units 3 to clean the conveyor belt of the conveyor device. The device is provided with a movement function that moves the brush units 3 back and forth in the width direction of the conveyor, and further includes a lifting mechanism that enables the movement mechanism to be raised and lowered, and a configuration in which the lifting mechanism is attached to a predetermined support unit 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device for a conveyor for transporting food containers, and particularly to a cleaning device that can be suitably used when a net conveyor is used, and that can clean the conveying surface of the net conveyor. [Background technology]

[0002] In a conveyor transport device, for example, depending on the type of article being transported, oils and fats, oily wax, paraffin, grease, etc. may adhere to the surface of the article. When such articles are transported by a conveyor, the oils and fats, wax, paraffin, grease, etc. may adhere to the net part of the conveyor, and the surface of the conveyor belt may become dirty with oily substances. In addition, dirt may also occur due to rubbing or friction on the conveyor's transport surface. This situation is particularly likely to occur in conveyor devices used to manufacture food containers.

[0003] In such cases, simply sweeping the surface with a cloth or similar when cleaning after the conveyor has started operation (after transporting food containers) is often not enough to remove oils, fats, oily wax, paraffin, grease, etc. Furthermore, if the conveyor belt is long, cleaning can often be cumbersome. In particular, when using a net conveyor made of metal or resin, cleaning the net portion can often be a hassle.

[0004] On the other hand, prior art for cleaning the surface of such conveyor devices has been disclosed, for example, in the following prior patents, which disclose a type that contacts the belt surface. However, this prior art is intended to clean off cut pieces of packaged film, and is not intended to address the above-mentioned problem. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 8-133451 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, the inventors set out to develop a cleaning device that can efficiently remove oil, oily wax, paraffin, grease, etc., derived from the goods being conveyed, when they adhere to the surface of a conveyor, as well as in various other cases, etc. In particular, they aimed to develop a cleaning device that can effectively clean net conveyors used to manufacture food containers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of intensive research by the inventors, they discovered that oily wax, paraffin, grease, etc. can be efficiently removed from a conveyor by using a conveyor cleaning device that uses one or more brush units to clean the conveyor belt of a conveyor device, has a movement function that moves the brush units back and forth in the width direction of the conveyor, and further has a lifting mechanism that allows the movement mechanism to be raised and lowered, and has the lifting mechanism attached to a specified frame, and thus completed the present invention.

[0008] That is, the first invention of the present application is: "One or more brush units for cleaning the conveyor belt of the conveyor device; a moving mechanism that moves the brush unit back and forth in the width direction of the conveyor; an elevation mechanism that raises and lowers the moving mechanism; a support portion to which the lifting mechanism is attached, "A conveyor cleaning device for transporting food containers."

[0009] Next, the conveyor device is preferably a net conveyor. That is, the second invention of the present application is: "A conveyor cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor device is a net conveyor."

[0010] Next, it is preferable that the cleaning device for the conveyor is movable forward and backward in the conveying direction of the conveyor in order to distinguish between a standby state and an operating state, for example. That is, the third invention of the present application is: "A conveyor cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2 that is movable forward and backward in the conveying direction of the conveyor device."

[0011] Next, the brush section is preferably of a type in which one or more frame units each containing a brush are attached. That is, the fourth invention of the present application is: "The conveyor cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the brush section is of a type in which one or more frame units housing brushes are attached."

[0012] Next, it is preferable that the brush of the brush unit is of a type that can be covered with a cloth. That is, the fifth invention of the present application is: "A conveyor cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the brushes of the brush section can be covered with cloth." [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a side view of a conveyor cleaning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a front view of the main body in FIG. 1 as seen from the front side. [Figure 3] 1 is a front view of a main body of the conveyor cleaning device of the present invention when installed on a conveyor. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic side view of the main body of the conveyor cleaning device of the first embodiment when the brush unit and the like move back and forth in the conveyor transport direction. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 1A is a front view schematic diagram showing the configuration of the brush section of the conveyor cleaning device of the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the brushes when the lower side of the brush section is viewed from above downward. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic side view of a first embodiment of the conveyor cleaning device of the present invention, showing an exploded configuration of a brush unit. FIG. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are schematic front views of the main body of the conveyor cleaning device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, after the brush part etc. has been lowered and after it has been moved back and forth (FIG. 1A), (FIG. 1B), (FIG. 1C). [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a front view of a main body of a conveyor cleaning device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a first embodiment of a conveyor cleaning device of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of a cup-shaped container production line including a conveyor cleaning device of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0014] 1 Conveyor cleaning device 3 Brush section 5 Rodless Cylinder 7 Brush 9 Dirt prevention plate 11 Connecting rod 13 Brush frame support 15 Brush Frame 17 Cloth 19 Brush frame lid 21 Brush frame slide attachment 23 Electric Actuator 25 Slider for electric actuator 27 Lifting electric cylinder 29 Brush holder plate 31 Insertion rod 33 Linear bushing 35 Rod lower end plate 37 Rodless cylinder slider 39 Electric cylinder connecting plate 41 Support part 43 Operation section 45 Control Device CP food containers CS Conveyor equipment to be cleaned CB Conveyor belt to be cleaned RC round conveyor DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention will be described below with reference to the following embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the side of a main body of a conveyor cleaning device for transporting food containers according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a view of the main body in Fig. 1 as seen from the front side.

[0016] Cleaning device for conveyors that transport food containers The cleaning device 1 for a conveyor for transporting food containers in the present invention refers to a device that is installed on top of a conveyor device CS for transporting food containers CP as shown in Figure 3, and cleans the surface of the conveyor belt CB. The conveyor cleaning device of the present invention is of a type used for cleaning the conveyor after the conveyor has been in operation. It goes without saying that the concept of "for food" in the present invention includes that of "for beverages."

[0017] Next, the conveyor device CS for transporting the food containers CP to be cleaned can be applied to various types of conveyors, such as chain conveyors, belt conveyors (metal net, rubber, resin, etc.), roller conveyors, etc. In the first embodiment of the present invention, an example of a belt conveyor using a metal net (metal net conveyor) is shown.

[0018] Next, the conveyor device CS to be cleaned in this invention is a device that transports food containers CP, which include various types of food containers. In this case, various materials such as paper, plastic, metal, glass, etc. may be used as the material for the food container. Of course, it is also possible to use a type in which paper and plastic are layered together, or a type that uses laminated base paper.

[0019] Specifically, the invention can be used in a variety of applications, including paper cups, insulated cups, foamed paper cups, containers, etc. In particular, it can be suitably used in the manufacturing process of insulated paper cups, which are manufactured by foaming a paper surface laminated with plastic. The container may have various shapes such as a cup, a bottle, a bowl, etc.

[0020] Next, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the brush unit 3 is movable back and forth in the conveyor transport direction as shown in Figure 4. This movement is achieved by using a rodless cylinder (air cylinder) 5, and when the brush 7 is in the standby position, it is configured to be located directly above the dirt drop prevention plate 9 below. This configuration makes it possible to prevent dirt and the like adhering to the brush 7 in the standby state from dropping onto the conveyor transport surface. When the brush unit 3 operates for cleaning, the brush unit moves forward in the conveyor transport direction, and then the brush unit 3 moves downward.

[0021] 〇Brush part The brush portion 3 in the present invention is a part (a component) that comes into contact with the surface of the conveyor belt CB of the conveyor device CS to be cleaned as described above, and cleans by sliding against it, but the brush portion 3 can take various forms. In the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, three brush units 3 are attached via connecting rods 11, and for each brush unit 3, the connecting rod 11 is first connected to the brush frame support 13, and the brush frame support 13 and the brush frame 15 are slidably connected to the brush frame support via a brush frame slide attachment as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0022] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, a brush 7 whose surface is covered with cloth 17 is inserted into the brush frame 15, and the top surface of the brush frame 15 is covered with a brush frame cover 19, which can be temporarily fixed with bolts, pins, etc. Furthermore, if the cleaning target is a net conveyor, by using a brush with a cloth-covered surface (brush 7 + cloth 19) and sliding it against the conveyor surface, the cloth can penetrate into the inside of the net (mesh), allowing for effective cleaning.

[0023] In addition, in the first embodiment, two brushes 7 (brush frames 15) are attached to the brush frame support 13 in a crosswise manner, as shown in Figure 5, and each is attached via a brush frame slide attachment 21, as shown in Figure 6. In addition, in order to fix the position of the brush 7 (brush frame 15) relative to the brush frame support 13, it can be fixed by bolts, pins, etc. However, the first embodiment described above is merely an example, and other embodiments are of course possible. For example, the embodiment may simply have the brush 7 directly attached.

[0024] A moving mechanism that moves the brush back and forth in the width direction of the conveyor In the present invention, a moving mechanism is provided for moving the brush unit 3 back and forth in the horizontal direction to clean the conveyor surface. In the first embodiment of the present invention, an electric actuator 23 capable of reciprocating horizontally is provided as a movement mechanism, and three brush parts 3 are attached in succession to a slider 25 attached to the electric actuator 23 via a connecting rod 11.

[0025] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the electric actuator 23 uses an electric actuator that rotates a screw-type shaft using a motor to move a slider attached to a nut attached to the screw, but is not limited to this configuration and various types can also be used, such as actuators that use air pressure or hydraulic pressure, or types that use solenoids.

[0026] Furthermore, in the first embodiment of the present invention, a type is shown in which three brush units are connected so as to be arranged in the width direction of the conveyor, but for example, there may be only one brush unit 3, and further, the brush units may be connected so as to be arranged in the front-to-back direction or diagonally of the conveyor, and it is of course possible to change these configurations as appropriate.

[0027] Next, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the electric actuator 23 enables reciprocating movement in the width direction of the conveyor, and as a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the brush part approaches and contacts the surface of the conveyor belt CB of the conveyor device CS to be cleaned (FIG. 7(A)), and by moving reciprocatingly in the width direction of the conveyor and sliding against it, the surface of the conveyor belt can be cleaned (FIGS. 7(B) and (C)). Furthermore, by continuing the reciprocating motion of the brush unit while the conveyor device is moving, it is possible to clean the conveying surface of the conveyor belt. The pressure of the brush 7 against the conveyor belt surface can be adjusted by setting the elevation position of the brush unit 3.

[0028] - Lifting mechanism that mounts the moving mechanism so that it can be raised and lowered The moving mechanism including the electric actuator 23, the brush unit 3, etc. is mounted so that it can be raised and lowered, and in the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 2, a pair of electric lifting cylinders 27 are installed near both ends of a support unit 41, which is a support frame that forms the housing of the cleaning device of the present invention. The tip of each of these is connected to a brush holding plate 29, and the electric actuator 23 is connected to the holding plate 29, and three brush units 3 are mounted thereon. In this way, the brush unit 3 can be raised and lowered by the electric lifting cylinders 27.

[0029] In the first embodiment, a pair of electric lifting cylinders 27 are provided on the left and right sides, but it is also possible to install a single one in the center, and it is of course also possible to provide more than one pair (two) of lifting cylinders. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the electric lifting cylinder 27 is an electric screw type, but this is not limited to this, and it is of course possible to use other types such as an air cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0030] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, in order to stabilize the lifting and lowering operation by the lifting electric cylinder 27, a pair of insertion rods 31 and linear bushings 33 are attached to both ends, and a rod lower end plate 35 is attached to stabilize the position of the lower end of the rod 31. 2 to 4, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the left and right electric lifting cylinders 27, insertion rods 31, linear bushings 33, rod lower end plates 35, etc. are integrally movable back and forth in the conveying direction of the conveyor, and this movement is achieved by using a rodless cylinder (air cylinder) 5. The center of an electric lifting cylinder connecting plate 39 is connected to a slider portion 37 of the rodless cylinder 5, and the movement of the slider portion 37 of the rodless cylinder 5 in the back and forth direction enables the entire pair of left and right electric lifting cylinders 27, etc., to move as a whole when viewed from the front side.

[0031] In the present invention, the entire moving mechanism including a pair of electric lifting cylinders is not essential, and it goes without saying that the present invention may be of a type that does not include the moving mechanism (a fixed type).

[0032] Support part where the lifting mechanism is attached The lifting mechanism (such as an electric lifting cylinder) is attached to a support part 41, which is a support frame of the conveyor cleaning device 1 of the present invention. In the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the support part forms a roughly rectangular parallelepiped housing made up of a plurality of rod-shaped bodies.

[0033] In the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 3, the support parts 41 are arranged so as to cross the width direction of the conveyor belt CB of the conveyor device CS to be cleaned, and are installed on the support parts at both ends in the width direction of the conveyor device CS. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the support part of the conveyor cleaning device 1 of the present invention may be of a type that extends across the width of the conveyor device CS and has its lower end in contact with the ground.

[0034] Operation unit (input device) In the first embodiment of the present invention, an operation unit (input device) 43 is particularly provided, and the operation unit can be used to appropriately set the switching between automatic and manual operation, emergency stop, raising and lowering of the brush, standby and operation of the brush, and the speed of the brush's reciprocating movement in the width direction. In addition, although this first embodiment shows a mode in which various moving conditions can be set, the operation unit (input device) is not a required component, and it goes without saying that, for example, it is also possible to have a mode in which operations are determined in advance and operations such as starting and ending can be performed simply by turning a switch on and off.

[0035] Control unit In the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in the block diagram of Fig. 9, various inputs to an operation unit 43 are temporarily sent to a control unit, and the main body unit (brush unit, etc.) is operated via the control unit (control device) 45. Note that the control configuration and method are not limited, and various known methods are possible.

[0036] In addition, while control methods are generally based on PLC or relay control, more advanced control methods such as feedback control, which adjusts the reciprocating movement of the brush to a predetermined speed by monitoring the reciprocating movement, can also be used as appropriate. Furthermore, control methods using a microcomputer are of course also possible.

[0037] 〇Usage example FIG. 10 shows an example of a production line for cup-shaped containers, which are food containers CP, that actually includes the conveyor cleaning device 1 of the present invention. 10 shows an example in which a plurality of cup-shaped containers CP formed in a process such as molding the cup-shaped containers CP are transported from the right side of the page by a round conveyor (roller conveyor) RC and transferred to a net conveyor device, where they are then transported in the direction of the arrow on the net conveyor to another processing step. After the production of cups on such a production line is completed, the conveyor cleaning device 1 of the present invention is put into operation to clean the conveyor surface.

Claims

1. one or more brush units for cleaning the conveyor belt of the conveyor device; a moving mechanism that moves the brush unit back and forth in the width direction of the conveyor; an elevation mechanism that raises and lowers the moving mechanism; a support portion to which the lifting mechanism is attached, Conveyor cleaning equipment for transporting food containers.

2. 2. The conveyor cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor device is a net conveyor.

3. 3. The conveyor cleaning device according to claim 1, which is movable forward and backward in the conveying direction of the conveyor device.

4. 3. The conveyor cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the brush unit is of a type in which one or more frame units each containing a brush are attached.

5. 3. The conveyor cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the brushes of the brush unit can be covered with a cloth.

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