Plug opening device

Abstract

To provide a low-cost plug opening device capable of efficiently removing a glass plug even when the glass plug is strongly adhered to a mouth portion of a glass container.SOLUTION: A plug opening device 1 automatically opens a glass plug 11 that fits onto a mouth portion 10a of a female flask 10 by fitting. The plug opening device 1 comprises a plug tilting operation unit 9 that operates the glass plug 11 in a tilting direction relative to the mouth portion 10a by applying an impact force one or more times at a position spaced apart from the mouth portion 10a of the glass plug 11 and in a direction away from the mouth portion 10a with respect to a predetermined area of the glass plug 11 that is offset from a center line C1 of the mouth portion 10a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an opening device that can automatically open a glass stopper that fits into the mouth of a glass container by grinding. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, glass containers such as volumetric flasks are sometimes sealed by fitting a glass stopper into the mouth of the container by grinding. Because the mating surfaces of the container mouth and the glass stopper each have many very small irregularities, if the glass stopper becomes caught in the mouth of the container, it becomes difficult to remove the glass stopper from the mouth of the container, making subsequent work using the glass container less efficient. In particular, when attempting to automate the opening of glass stoppers in order to improve work efficiency and accuracy, it is necessary to apply the minimum amount of force necessary to pull out the glass stopper, while at the same time avoiding excessive load on the glass container when applying force to the glass stopper, which could cause damage. Therefore, it has not been easy to realize a structure that can reliably and automatically open a glass stopper.

[0003] To address this issue, for example, the cap removal device disclosed in Patent Document 1 rotates the glass cap that fits into the mouth of the glass container around its center line, or vibrates it in a direction along the center line or in a direction perpendicular to the center line, and then pulls it out and removes it. Specifically, the cap removal device of Patent Document 1 comprises a container setting section in which a glass container can be set, a first holder capable of holding a glass stopper that fits into the mouth of a glass container set in the container setting section, a second holder capable of holding a glass container set in the container setting section, a rotation mechanism that rotates the first holder around the center line of the glass stopper, a sliding mechanism that slides the first holder along the center line of the glass stopper, and a vibration generating mechanism that generates vibrations in the glass stopper along the center line of the glass stopper or a direction perpendicular to the center line.When the glass stopper that fits into the mouth of a glass container set in the container setting section and held by the second holder is held by the first holder, the glass stopper is rotated around the center line by the rotation mechanism, or the glass stopper is vibrated by the vibration generating mechanism and slid in the center line direction by the sliding mechanism, and pulled out and removed from the mouth of the glass container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-9047 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the cap removal device of Patent Document 1, when the tightness of contact between the inner circumferential surface of the mouth of the glass container and the outer circumferential surface of the glass stopper becomes so strong over the entire circumferential direction that it takes a considerable amount of force to pull the glass stopper out of the mouth of the glass container, the device repeatedly performs multiple different removal operations on the glass stopper, such as rotating the glass stopper using a rotation mechanism and vibrating the glass stopper using a vibration generating mechanism. Therefore, if, for example, the glass stopper becomes deeply stuck in the mouth of the glass container, or if precipitates or foreign matter generated by a chemical reaction or the like of the contents contained in the glass container get between the mouth of the glass container and the glass stopper, there is a problem that the time required for the glass stopper removal operation is long and the removal operation cannot be performed efficiently.

[0006] Furthermore, since a plurality of different mechanisms for performing the removal operation are attached, there is also the problem that the device is complicated and costly.

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a low-cost opening device that can efficiently remove a glass stopper even when the glass stopper is tightly attached to the mouth of a glass container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized in that a force is applied to the glass stopper so that the glass stopper is tilted relative to the opening of the glass container.

[0009] Specifically, the target was a cap removal device that can automatically remove glass caps that fit into the mouth of a glass container by grinding, and the following measures were taken.

[0010] In other words, the cap opening device of the first invention is characterized by having a cap tilting operating unit that operates the glass cap in a direction tilting relative to the mouth by applying a force in a direction away from the mouth at least once to a predetermined area of ​​the glass cap that is located away from the mouth and offset from the center line of the mouth. In the cap removal device configured in this way, when the device is activated and a force is applied to the glass stopper, the glass stopper changes its position slightly so that it tilts relative to the opening of the mouth, with a predetermined point on the opening periphery serving as a fulcrum. This also serves to simplify the structure of the device.

[0011] The cap opening device according to a second invention is the first invention, characterized in that the cap tilting operation parts are provided as a pair symmetrically on either side of the center line. In a cap removal device configured in this manner, force is not applied to the glass stopper so that it tilts relative to the mouth in only one direction on a specified plane, but rather it is possible to apply force to the glass stopper so that it tilts relative to the mouth in the opposite direction as well.

[0012] The cap opening device according to the third invention is characterized in that, in the second invention, each of the cap tilting operation parts is configured to apply force to the glass caps alternately in equal numbers. The cap removal device configured in this manner acts to increase the probability that the tight contact state between the inner peripheral surface of the mouth of the glass container and the outer peripheral surface of the glass stopper will be released.

[0013] The cap opening device of the fourth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third inventions, the cap tilting operation unit is equipped with an actuator that tilts the glass cap by directly or indirectly contacting the glass cap and applying an impact force when the extension or contraction unit is extended or contracted. The thus configured opening device operates to enable a large force to be applied instantaneously to a predetermined area of ​​the glass stopper using a simple mechanism.

[0014] The fifth invention is a cap opening device according to the fourth invention, characterized in that the glass cap has a grinding portion that fits into the mouth portion, a neck portion that is continuous with the grinding portion, and a top portion that is continuous with the neck and has a larger outer diameter than the neck portion, and the cap tilting operation unit has a claw portion that can be inserted between the grinding portion and the top portion, and is equipped with a frame member that indirectly transmits the impact force applied when the telescopic unit is extended or contracted to the top of the glass cap via the claw portion. In the thus configured opening device, the large force generated by the actuator acts to be reliably transmitted to the desired area on the top of the glass stopper via the claw portion.

[0015] The sixth invention is a cap opening device according to the fourth invention, characterized in that the actuator is arranged so that the expansion / contraction portion extends or contracts in a direction intersecting the center line and in an oblique direction away from the mouth portion to apply an impact force directly to the glass cap. The thus configured opening device functions to enable the large force generated by the actuator to be applied in a concentrated manner to the desired position on the glass stopper without waste.

[0016] The cap opening device of the seventh invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third inventions, the cap tilting operation unit is equipped with a swinging mechanism in which a swinging unit that can swing around a swing axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the center line contacts the glass cap when swinging and applies a twisting force to tilt the glass cap. In a cap removal device configured in this manner, when the swinging part swings to one side, a twisting force is applied to tilt the glass stopper to one side relative to the mouth, and when the swinging part swings to the other side, a twisting force is applied to tilt the glass stopper to the other side relative to the mouth.

[0017] The cap opening device of the eighth invention is characterized in that, in the second or third invention, it comprises a container setting section in which the glass container can be set, a first separating means capable of moving the two cap tilting operating sections closer and farther apart in the horizontal direction, and a second separating means capable of moving the container setting section and the first separating means closer and farther apart in the vertical direction. In the cap removal device configured in this manner, the positions of both cap tilting operation parts can be freely changed by the first and second moving means relative to the glass container set in the container setting part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] In the first invention, when the device is activated and a force is applied to the glass stopper, the glass stopper changes position slightly, tilting relative to the opening of the glass container, using a predetermined point on the opening periphery of the opening as a fulcrum. This causes a slight separation between the inner periphery of the opening and the outer periphery of the glass stopper in a region opposite the fulcrum on the opening periphery of the opening, reducing the maximum static friction in this region and weakening the minimum force required to remove the glass stopper from the opening. As a result, the glass stopper is easily removed from the opening by a component of the force applied to the glass stopper in the direction along the centerline of the opening of the glass container. In this way, the force applied to the glass stopper can be minimized, allowing for efficient glass stopper removal. Furthermore, because only one mechanism is required for glass stopper removal, the device is simple and low-cost.

[0019] The second invention, the cap removal device, does not apply force to the glass stopper so that it tilts in only one direction relative to the mouth on a predetermined plane, but can also apply force to the glass stopper so that it tilts in the opposite direction relative to the mouth. Therefore, it is possible to move the glass stopper away from the mouth of the glass container in a balanced manner, and the glass stopper can be efficiently removed from the mouth.

[0020] The third invention, the cap removal device, increases the probability of releasing the tight contact between the inner periphery of the mouth of the glass container and the outer periphery of the glass stopper, so that the glass stopper can be reliably tilted relative to the mouth of the glass container and pulled out and removed.

[0021] The fourth invention, the glass stopper removal device, uses a simple mechanism to apply a large force instantaneously to a predetermined area of ​​the glass stopper, thereby enabling the glass stopper removal process to be performed efficiently and at low cost.

[0022] In the fifth invention, the large force generated by the actuator is reliably transmitted to the desired area on the top of the glass stopper via the claws, so that the force that tilts the glass stopper can be transmitted to the glass stopper without waste, ensuring reliable removal of the glass stopper.

[0023] The sixth invention, the cap removal device, makes it possible to apply the large force generated by the actuator to the desired position of the glass stopper in a concentrated manner without waste, thereby enabling the glass stopper to be tilted with a minimum of mechanism, resulting in a cost-effective device.

[0024] In the seventh invention, when the swinging part swings to one side, a torsional force is applied to the glass stopper so that it tilts in one direction relative to the opening, and when the swinging part swings to the other side, a torsional force is applied to the glass stopper so that it tilts in the other direction relative to the opening. Therefore, only one driving part is required for the mechanism that applies force to tilt the glass stopper in two directions relative to the opening, making it possible to create a cost-effective device.

[0025] The cap removal device of the eighth invention allows the positions of both cap tilting operating parts to be freely changed with respect to the glass container set in the container setting part by the first and second moving means, so that the cap removal operation can be performed even for different types of glass containers with different mouth lengths and thicknesses, for example. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cap removal device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a view taken along the arrow II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a view showing the state immediately after the glass stopper is gripped by the two claw portions after FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a diagram showing a state after FIG. 4 in which one of the claws is performing an opening operation. [Figure 6] 6 is a view showing the state immediately after the opening of the volumetric flask shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a cap opening operation performed by the cap opening device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 of a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 5 is a diagram showing a state after FIG. 4 in which one of the claws is performing an opening operation. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a cap removal device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a view showing the state immediately after the glass stopper is gripped by the two claw portions after FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 14] 14 is a view showing a state after FIG. 13 in which one hammer part is performing a cap opening operation. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a cap opening operation using a cap opening device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is merely exemplary in nature. [Example]

[0028] 1 and 2 show a cap removal device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This cap removal device 1 automatically removes a glass stopper 11 that fits into the mouth 10a of a volumetric flask 10 (a glass container) by grinding, and includes a main body frame 2 having a substantially L-shaped structure in side view, a container gripping unit 3 capable of gripping the volumetric flask 10, a stopper gripping unit 4 capable of gripping the glass stopper 11, an air balance cylinder 5 having a slide member 5a, an electric cylinder 6 (actuator) having an electric slider 6a, and a control unit 12 connected to the container gripping unit 3, the stopper gripping unit 4, the air balance cylinder 5, and the electric cylinder 6. For convenience, the volumetric flask 10 is not shown in FIG. 1.

[0029] 3, the glass stopper 11 has a ground joint 11a with a tapered outer periphery that fits into the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10, a neck 11b that is continuous with the ground joint 11a and has a smaller outer diameter than the ground joint 11a, and a top 11c that is continuous with the neck 11b and has a larger outer diameter than the neck 11b. The inner periphery of the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 and the outer periphery of the ground joint 11a are each formed with extremely fine irregularities over their entirety, so that when the ground joint 11a of the glass stopper 11 is fitted into the mouth 10a, the inner periphery of the mouth 10a and the outer periphery of the glass stopper 11 are tightly attached to each other.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the main frame 2 comprises a base plate 2a (container setting section) in the form of a rectangular plate extending along the floor surface, a first support frame 2b with an approximately L-shaped cross section fixed to the upper surface of the base plate 2a at approximately the center, and a second support frame 2c extending straight upward from a position near one longitudinal end of the base plate 2a, with the first support frame 2b supporting the container holding unit 3 and the second support frame 2c supporting the stopper holding unit 4.

[0031] A shallow circular stepped surface 2d is formed in the approximate center of the other longitudinal side region of the base plate 2a, and a volumetric flask 10 is set on this stepped surface 2d.

[0032] The container holding unit 3 is equipped with an air cylinder 31 for holding a container, which is fixed to the front surface of the first support frame 2b and has a pair of slide plates 31a that can be moved toward and away from each other in the width direction of the base plate 2a, and a pair of clamp bodies 32 fixed to each slide plate 31a.

[0033] The clamp body 32 includes a clamp frame 32a that is L-shaped in a side view and a pad member 32b that is made of a relatively soft resin material, and is arranged symmetrically in the width direction of the device.

[0034] Each clamp frame 32a has a rod-shaped portion 32c that extends horizontally toward the front side of the device and crosses above the step surface 2d. The opposing portions of each rod-shaped portion 32c are formed with notches 32d that are cut out in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above, and a pad member 32b is fixed to each notch 32d.

[0035] In the center of the opposing surfaces of each pad member 32b, a concave groove 32e is formed that extends vertically and is open to the top and bottom, forming a triangular cross section. When a volumetric flask 10 is set on the stepped surface 2d and the container-gripping air cylinder 31 is operated so that both slide plates 31a approach each other, the long neck 10b of the volumetric flask 10 is sandwiched between the concave grooves 32e of the pad members 32b of each clamp body 32, thereby fixing the volumetric flask 10. At this time, the center line C1 of the opening 10a of the volumetric flask 10 coincides with the center of the stepped surface 2d.

[0036] The electric cylinder 6 is fixed to the front surface of the second support frame 2c. The air balance cylinder 5 is fixed to the electric slider 6a of the electric cylinder 6, and the height position of the air balance cylinder 5 can be adjusted by sliding the electric slider 6a up and down.

[0037] Furthermore, the plug gripping unit 4 is fixed to the slide member 5a of the air balance cylinder 5, and the height position of the plug gripping unit 4 can be adjusted by sliding the slide member 5a up and down.

[0038] The stopper gripping unit 4 comprises a first mounting bracket 7 with an L-shaped cross section fixed to the front surface of the slide member 5a, an air cylinder 8 for stopper gripping that is suspended from the first mounting bracket 7 and has a pair of sliders 8a that can be moved toward and away from each other in the width direction of the base plate 2a, and a pair of stopper tilting operating parts 9 fixed to each slider 8a, and both stopper tilting operating parts 9 are arranged symmetrically in the width direction of the device across the center line C1 of the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 set on the step surface 2d.

[0039] For convenience, one of the plug tilting operation parts 9 in the plug gripping unit 4 will be called a first plug tilting operation part 9A, and the other plug tilting operation part 9 will be called a second plug tilting operation part 9B.

[0040] The stopper-gripping air cylinder 8 constitutes the first moving-away means 13 of the present invention, and is capable of moving both stopper tilting operation units 9 toward and away from each other in the horizontal direction. The air balance cylinder 5 and the electric cylinder 6 constitute the second moving-away means 14 of the present invention, and are capable of moving the stopper-gripping air cylinder 8 toward and away from the base plate 2a on which the volumetric flask 10 is set.

[0041] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A comprises a plate-shaped second mounting bracket 91 fixed to the front surface of the slider 8a, an upper block 92 and a lower block 93 fixed to the front surface of the lower area of ​​the second mounting bracket 91, a gripping frame 94 (frame member) that applies an impact force to the glass stopper 11 during the stopper opening operation, and an air cylinder 95 for opening that has a rod portion 95a (extendable portion) that moves the gripping frame 94 upward.

[0042] The upper block 92 is generally J-shaped when viewed from the front, with the thickness of roughly half of the side closest to the other upper block 92 being thinner than the remaining area. A cap-opening air cylinder 95 is fixed to the top surface of this thinner part with a rod portion 95a extending downward.

[0043] In addition, the lower surface of the front side of the device of the other half of the upper block 92, which is farthest from the upper block 92, is a stepped surface that moves away from the lower block 93, and this stepped surface has an upper accommodating recess 92a that can accommodate one side of the coil spring 96.

[0044] The lower block 93 is generally L-shaped in front view, with the thickness of roughly half of the side closest to the other lower block 93 being thinner than the remaining area. A first insertion hole 93a having a circular cross section that penetrates vertically and allows the rod portion 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95 to be slidably inserted therethrough is formed in this thinner portion.

[0045] In addition, a second insertion hole 93b with a rectangular cross section that penetrates vertically is formed in the front side portion of the device, approximately in the half of the side of the lower block 93 that is farthest from the other lower block 93, and the second insertion hole 93b is located in a position that corresponds to the upper storage recess 92a of the upper block 92.

[0046] The gripping frame 94 is a member having a rectangular cross section that extends in an approximately L-shape, and comprises a first frame 94a that extends vertically, and a second frame 94b that extends horizontally from the lower end of the first frame 94a toward the other gripping frame 94, and a claw portion 94c is formed at the extending end of the second frame 94b.

[0047] The first frame 94a is inserted into the second insertion hole 93b of the lower block 93 so as to be slidable up and down, and a lower accommodating recess 94e capable of accommodating the other side of the coil spring 96 is formed at the upper end of the first frame 94a. In other words, the coil spring 96 biases the gripping frame 94 downward.

[0048] The first frame 94a is adapted to be locked around the periphery of the upper opening of the second insertion hole 93b so as not to drop below a predetermined position.

[0049] A through-hole 94d having a circular cross section and penetrating vertically is formed in the middle of the second frame 94b, and a rod portion 95a of an air cylinder 95 for opening the cap is slidably inserted into the through-hole 94d.

[0050] The extending end surface of the second frame 94b has a V-shaped notch when viewed from above, and the claw portion 94c protrudes horizontally from the lower edge of the extending end surface of the second frame 94b so as to form a V-shape when viewed from above.

[0051] The claw portion 94c is in the form of a plate that can be inserted between the ground joint portion 11a and the top portion 11c of the glass stopper 11.

[0052] A disk-shaped hammer portion 95b having a larger outer diameter than the rod portion 95a is provided at the tip of the rod portion 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95, and the hammer portion 95b comes into contact with the lower periphery of the through hole 94d when the rod portion 95a contracts.

[0053] In addition, the second plug tilting operation unit 9B has the same structure as the first plug tilting operation unit 9A except that it is arranged symmetrically to the first plug tilting operation unit 9A across the center line C1, so it is given the same symbol as the first plug tilting operation unit 9A and detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 2, a laser detection sensor 98 is suspended from the central lower portion of the plug-gripping air cylinder 8 via a suspension frame 97 that is substantially L-shaped in side view.

[0055] The detection sensor 98 projects laser light onto the front side of the device, and when the stopper holding unit 4 is lowered by the air balance cylinder 5, it detects the position of the glass stopper 11 that fits into the mouth 10a of the measuring flask 10 set on the step surface 2d.

[0056] When the volumetric flask 10 is set on the step surface 2d, the control unit 12 operates the container-holding air cylinder 31 so that the two slide plates 31a approach each other, and the pad members 32b of each clamp body 32 clamp the long neck portion 10b of the volumetric flask 10 between the two concave grooves 32e, thereby fixing the volumetric flask 10.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 12 also operates the air balance cylinder 5 to adjust the claws 94c of the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B to the height of the neck 11b of the glass stopper 11 that fits into the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 set on the step surface 2d.

[0058] In addition, as shown in Figure 4, when the claw portions 94c of the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B correspond to the height of the neck portion 11b of the glass stopper 11, the control unit 12 operates the stopper-grasping air cylinder 8 so that both sliders 8a approach each other, thereby inserting the claw portions 94c of the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B between the grinding portion 11a and the top 11c of the glass stopper 11.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 5 , when the claws 94c of the first and second cap tilting units 9A and 9B are inserted between the ground joint 11a and the top 11c of the glass stopper 11, the control unit 12 operates the cap-opening air cylinder 95 of the first cap tilting unit 9A to retract the rod 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95, thereby bringing the hammer 95b into contact with the gripping frame 94. At this time, the control unit 12 controls the slider 8a of the cap-holding air cylinder 8 corresponding to the second cap tilting unit 9B to be in a retractable neutral state. When the control unit 12 operates the cap-opening air cylinder 95 of the second cap tilting unit 9B to retract the rod 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95, thereby bringing the hammer 95b into contact with the gripping frame 94, the control unit 12 controls the slider 8a of the cap-holding air cylinder 8 corresponding to the first cap tilting unit 9A to be in a retractable neutral state.

[0060] When the hammer portion 95b comes into contact with the gripping frame 94, the impact force causes the gripping frame 94 to move upward against the biasing force of the coil spring 96, and the impact force from the hammer portion 95b is indirectly transmitted to the top 11c of the glass stopper 11 via the claw portion 94c.

[0061] That is, the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A and the second stopper tilting operation unit 9B are configured to indirectly apply an impact force by the hammer portion 95b in a direction away from the mouth portion 10a to a predetermined region of the glass stopper 11 that is located away from the center line C1 of the mouth portion 10a of the glass stopper 11. In other words, the opener air cylinder 95 tilts the glass stopper 11 by indirectly contacting the glass stopper 11 with the rod portion 95a during the contraction operation and applying an impact force.

[0062] The control unit 12 operates the cap-opening air cylinders 95 in the first cap-tilting operation unit 9A and the second cap-tilting operation unit 9B so that the rod portions 95a of the cap-opening air cylinders 95 contract, and then operates the cap-opening air cylinders 95 so that the rod portions 95a extend. When the rod portions 95a extend, the biasing force of the coil spring 96 moves the gripping frame 94 downward to its original position.

[0063] When the claw portions 94c of the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B are inserted between the grinding portion 11a and the top portion 11c of the glass stopper 11, the control unit 12 operates each stopper opening air cylinder 95 in the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B to alternately contract the rod portions 95a of each stopper opening air cylinder 95 by the same number, thereby applying an impact force to the gripping frame 94 via the hammer portion 95b.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, when the claw portions 94c of each stopper tilt operating unit 9 are inserted between the ground joint portion 11a and the top portion 11c of the glass stopper 11 and the glass stopper 11 is removed from the mouth portion 10a of the volumetric flask 10, the control unit 12 operates the stopper-grasping air cylinder 8 so that both sliders 8a approach each other, thereby clamping the neck portion 11b of the glass stopper 11 with the claw portions 94c of the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B, and operates the electric cylinder 6 so that the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B rise, thereby separating the glass stopper 11 from the mouth portion 10a of the volumetric flask 10.

[0065] Next, the operation of removing the glass stopper 11 fitted into the opening 10a of the volumetric flask 10 by the remover 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0066] First, in step SA1, the number of sets of glass stopper 11 removal operations by the removal device 1 is counted. Specifically, since this is the first set of removal operations, 1 is assigned to number i, and then the process proceeds to step SA2.

[0067] In step SA2, the operator sets the volumetric flask 10 on the stepped surface 2d of the base plate 2a, and then presses the start button to operate the device.

[0068] Next, in step SA3, the container-gripping air cylinder 31 is actuated to move the clamp bodies 32 closer together, whereby the long neck portion 10b of the volumetric flask 10 is sandwiched between the concave grooves 32e of the pad members 32b of each clamp body 32, and the volumetric flask 10 is fixed to the stepped surface 2d, and the process proceeds to step SA4.

[0069] In step SA4, the air balance cylinder 5 is actuated to lower the stopper gripping unit 4, and the process proceeds to step SA5. In step SA5, it is determined whether the detection sensor 98 has detected the glass stopper 11 fitting into the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 set on the stepped surface 2d (see FIG. 2).

[0070] If the determination in step SA5 is YES, i.e., if it is determined that a glass stopper 11 is present, proceed to step SA6, where the air balance cylinder 5 is activated and the stopper gripping unit 4 descends a predetermined distance and then stops (see Figure 3).

[0071] The predetermined amount by which the stopper gripping unit 4 descends after the detection sensor 98 detects the glass stopper 11 is a predetermined amount depending on the type of volumetric flask 10 and the type of glass stopper 11. That is, the amount of descent at which the claws 94c of the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A and the second stopper tilting operation unit 9B reach a height corresponding to the neck 11b of the glass stopper 11 is stored in advance in the control unit 12.

[0072] On the other hand, if the determination in step SA5 is NO, that is, if it is determined that the glass stopper 11 is not present, the process returns to step SA4 and the stopper gripping unit 4 is further lowered.

[0073] In step SA6, when the descent of the stopper gripping unit 4 stops, the process proceeds to step SA7, where the stopper gripping air cylinder 8 is activated, causing the first stopper tilting operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilting operating unit 9B to approach each other, and the claws 94c of the first stopper tilting operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilting operating unit 9B to enter between the ground joint 11a and the top 11c of the glass stopper 11 to grip the neck 11b, and then the process proceeds to step SA8 (see Figure 4).

[0074] In step SA8, the air balance cylinder 5 is actuated to raise the stopper gripping unit 4. This brings the claws 94c of the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A and the second stopper tilting operation unit 9B into contact with the tops 11c of the glass stoppers 11, and the process proceeds to step SA9.

[0075] In step SA9, the slider 8a of the cap-grasping air cylinder 8 in the second cap tilting operation unit 9B is set to a neutral state in which it can be extended and retracted, and then the process proceeds to step SA10, in which the cap-opening operation by the first cap tilting operation unit 9A is initiated (see Figure 5).

[0076] Specifically, the rod portion 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95 in the first cap tilting operation unit 9A is extended and retracted twice. As the rod portion 95a contracts, the hammer portion 95b comes into contact with the gripping frame 94, causing the gripping frame 94 to move upward against the biasing force of the coil spring 96, and the impact force from the hammer portion 95b is indirectly transmitted to the top portion 11c of the glass cap 11 via the claw portion 94c. When the impact force is applied to the top portion 11c of the glass cap 11 (region X in FIG. 5), the glass cap 11 changes position slightly, tilting relative to the mouth portion 10a with a predetermined point (point Y in FIG. 5) on the opening periphery of the mouth portion 10a as the fulcrum. As a result, a slight separation occurs between the inner circumferential surface of mouth 10a and the outer circumferential surface of glass stopper 11 in the region opposite to the point on the opening periphery of mouth 10a that serves as a fulcrum for tilting glass stopper 11 (region Z in Figure 5), reducing the maximum static friction force in this region and weakening the minimum force required to pull glass stopper 11 out of mouth 10a. As a result, glass stopper 11 becomes easier to pull out of mouth 10a due to the component of the force applied to glass stopper 11 in the direction along the center line C1 of mouth 10a of volumetric flask 10.

[0077] In step SA10, the rod portion 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95 in the first cap tilting operation unit 9A extends and retracts twice, completing the cap-opening operation in which the claw portion 94c applies impact force to the glass cap 11 twice, and the process proceeds to step SA11.

[0078] In step SA11, the stopper-gripping air cylinder 8 is activated and the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B approach each other, causing the claws 94c of the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B to grip the neck 11b of the glass stopper 11, and then the process proceeds to step SA12, where an operation instruction is output from the control unit 12 to the electric cylinder 6 so that the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B rise, and the process proceeds to step SA13.

[0079] In step SA13, it is determined whether the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A and the second stopper tilting operation unit 9B have risen and the electric slider 6a of the electric cylinder 6 has reached the upper limit. If the determination in step SA13 is YES, that is, if the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A and the second stopper tilting operation unit 9B have risen and the glass stopper 11 has been removed from the opening 10a of the volumetric flask 10 (see FIG. 6), the stopper opening operation by the stopper opening device 1 is completed.

[0080] On the other hand, if the judgment in step SA13 is NO, that is, if the first stopper tilting operating part 9A and the second stopper tilting operating part 9B do not rise while the glass stopper 11 remains engaged with the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10, proceed to step SA14.

[0081] In step SA14, slider 8a of cap-gripping air cylinder 8 in first cap tilting operation unit 9A is set to a neutral state in which it can be extended and retracted, and then the process proceeds to step SA15, in which the cap-opening operation by second cap tilting operation unit 9B is initiated.

[0082] Specifically, the rod portion 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95 in the second cap tilting operation unit 9B is extended and retracted twice. As the rod portion 95a contracts, the hammer portion 95b comes into contact with the gripping frame 94, causing the gripping frame 94 to move upward against the biasing force of the coil spring 96. The impact force from the hammer portion 95b is indirectly transmitted to the top portion 11c of the glass stopper 11 via the claw portion 94c. When the impact force is applied to the top portion 11c of the glass stopper 11, the glass stopper 11 changes position slightly, tilting relative to the mouth portion 10a with a predetermined point on the opening periphery of the mouth portion 10a as a fulcrum. This causes a slight separation between the inner circumferential surface of mouth 10a and the outer circumferential surface of glass stopper 11 in the region opposite to the point on the opening periphery of mouth 10a that serves as a fulcrum for tilting glass stopper 11, reducing the maximum static friction force in this region and weakening the minimum force required to pull glass stopper 11 out of mouth 10a. As a result, glass stopper 11 becomes easier to pull out of mouth 10a due to the component of the force applied to glass stopper 11 in the direction along the center line C1 of mouth 10a of volumetric flask 10.

[0083] In step SA15, the rod portion 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95 in the second cap tilting operation unit 9B extends and retracts twice, completing the cap-opening operation in which the claw portion 94c applies impact force to the glass cap 11 twice, and the process proceeds to step SA16.

[0084] In step SA16, the stopper-gripping air cylinder 8 is activated and the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B approach each other, causing the claws 94c of the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B to grip the neck 11b of the glass stopper 11.Then, the process proceeds to step SA17, where an operation instruction is output from the control unit 12 to the electric cylinder 6 so that the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B rise, and the process proceeds to step SA18.

[0085] In step SA18, it is determined whether the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A and the second stopper tilting operation unit 9B have risen and the electric slider 6a of the electric cylinder 6 has reached the upper limit. If the determination in step SA18 is YES, that is, if the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A and the second stopper tilting operation unit 9B have risen and the glass stopper 11 has been removed from the opening 10a of the volumetric flask 10 (see FIG. 6), the stopper opening operation by the stopper opening device 1 is terminated.

[0086] On the other hand, if the judgment in step SA18 is NO, that is, if the first stopper tilting operating part 9A and the second stopper tilting operating part 9B do not rise while the glass stopper 11 remains engaged with the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10, it is determined that one set of the stopper opening operation has been completed, and the process proceeds to step SA19.

[0087] In step SA19, it is determined whether or not five sets of glass stopper 11 opening operations have been completed by the unplugging device 1. In other words, if five sets of glass stopper 11 opening operations have not been completed by the unplugging device 1, the process proceeds to step SA20, where i+1 is assigned to i, and the process returns to step S9.

[0088] On the other hand, when the opening operation of the glass stoppers 11 by the opening device 1 has been completed for five sets, the opening operation by the opening device 1 is terminated.

[0089] As described above, according to Example 1 of the present invention, by applying a force one or more times in a direction away from the neck 10a of the volumetric flask 10 to a predetermined region X of the glass stopper 11 that is away from the center line C1 of the neck 10a, the glass stopper 11 is manipulated in a direction tilting relative to the neck 10a, so that the glass stopper 11 changes its position slightly so that it tilts relative to the neck 10a, with a predetermined point Y on the periphery of the opening of the neck 10a as a fulcrum. As a result, a slight separation occurs between the inner surface of the neck 10a and the outer surface of the glass stopper 11 in region Z, which is opposite to the fulcrum point on the periphery of the opening of the neck 10a, and this reduces the maximum static frictional force in this region, thereby weakening the minimum force required to pull the glass stopper 11 out of the neck 10a. As a result, the glass stopper 11 is easily pulled out from the opening 10a of the volumetric flask 10 by a component of the force applied to the glass stopper 11 in the direction along the center line C1 of the opening 10a of the volumetric flask 10. In this way, the force applied to the glass stopper 11 can be minimized, and the glass stopper 11 can be removed efficiently.

[0090] Furthermore, there is only one type of mechanism for removing the glass stopper 11, and multiple mechanisms such as a rotating mechanism or a vibrating mechanism as in Patent Document 1 are not provided, so the device is simple and can be made low-cost.

[0091] Furthermore, because first stopper-tilting operation unit 9A and second stopper-tilting operation unit 9B are arranged symmetrically across center line C1, it is not only possible to apply force to glass stopper 11 so that glass stopper 11 is tilted relative to opening 10a in only one direction on a predetermined plane, but it is also possible to apply force to glass stopper 11 so that glass stopper 11 is tilted relative to opening 10a in the opposite direction. Therefore, glass stopper 11 can be moved away from opening 10a of volumetric flask 10 in a balanced manner, and glass stopper 11 can be efficiently pulled out of opening 10a.

[0092] Furthermore, because the first stopper-tilting operation unit 9A and the second stopper-tilting operation unit 9B are configured to alternately apply impact forces to the glass stoppers 11 in equal numbers, it is possible to apply impact forces to the glass stoppers 11 so that they are tilted relative to the opening 10a in the opposite direction as well, rather than applying force to the glass stoppers 11 so that they are tilted relative to the opening 10a in only one direction on a predetermined plane. Therefore, it is possible to move the glass stoppers 11 away from the opening 10a of the volumetric flask 10 in a balanced manner, and to efficiently pull out the glass stoppers 11 from the opening 10a.

[0093] Furthermore, the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A and the second stopper tilting operation unit 9B tilt the glass stopper 11 by indirectly contacting the glass stopper 11 and applying an impact force when the rod portion 95a of the stopper-opening air cylinder 95 contracts, so that the large force generated by the stopper-opening air cylinder 95 is reliably transmitted via the claw portion 94c to the desired area on the top portion 11c of the glass stopper 11. Therefore, the force that tilts the glass stopper 11 can be transmitted to the glass stopper 11 without waste, and the glass stopper 11 can be removed reliably.

[0094] Furthermore, the positions of the first stopper tilt operating part 9A and the second stopper tilt operating part 9B relative to the volumetric flask 10 set on the stepped surface 2d of the base plate 2a can be freely changed by the first contacting and separating means 13 and the second contacting and separating means 14. Therefore, for example, the stopper can be opened even for different types of volumetric flasks 10 having different lengths and thicknesses of the openings 10a.

[0095] In Example 1 of the present invention, when the rod portion 95a of the air cylinder 95 for opening is contracted, the hammer portion 95b comes into contact with the gripping frame 94 and the impact force is applied to the glass stopper 11 via the claw portion 94c. However, the configuration may also be such that when the rod portion 95a of the air cylinder 95 for opening is extended, the hammer portion 95b comes into contact with the gripping frame 94 and the impact force is applied to the glass stopper 11 via the claw portion 94c. [Example]

[0096] 8 shows a cap removal device 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this second embodiment, the structure of the cap removal device 1 is partially different from that of the first embodiment, so the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and only the other different parts will be described.

[0097] The stopper-gripping air cylinder 8 of Example 2 is attached to a swing table 99 (swinging unit) whose swing axis C2 extends in the front-to-rear direction of the device, i.e., in the horizontal direction intersecting the center line C1, and the swing table 99 can be swung about the swing axis C2 by a drive motor 100 that can rotate forward and backward. The swing table 99 and drive motor 100 constitute a swing mechanism 15 of the present invention.

[0098] A rectangular parallelepiped suspension block 90 is attached to the front surface of the lower region of the second mounting bracket 91 of the second embodiment, and the upper end of the first frame 94a of the gripping frame 94 is fixed to the lower surface of the suspension block 90.

[0099] 9, in a state in which the claws 94c of the first and second stopper tilting operation units 9A and 9B are inserted between the grinding portion 11a and the top 11c of the glass stopper 11, the control unit 12 of the second embodiment operates the drive motor 100 to swing the swing table 99 to one side, thereby bringing the claws 94c of the gripping frame 94 of the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A into contact with the top 11c of the glass stopper 11. At this time, the control unit 12 controls the slider 8a of the stopper gripping air cylinder 8 corresponding to the second stopper tilting operation unit 9B to be in a neutral state in which it can freely extend and retract.

[0100] The claws 94c of the gripping frame 94, which come into contact with the top portion 11c of the glass stopper 11 while swinging, apply a twisting force to the glass stopper 11.

[0101] That is, first stopper tilting operation unit 9A is configured to directly apply a twisting force by claw 94c in the direction away from mouth 10a to a predetermined region (top 11c) of glass stopper 11 at a position away from mouth 10a of glass stopper 11 and offset from center line C1 of mouth 10a. In other words, swinging mechanism 15 tilts glass stopper 11 by directly contacting glass stopper 11 and applying a twisting force when claw 94c swings.

[0102] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the control unit 12 operates the drive motor 100 to swing the swing table 99 to the other side when the claws 94c of the first and second stopper tilting units 9A and 9B are inserted between the ground joint 11a and the top 11c of the glass stopper 11. This causes the claws 94c of the gripping frame 94 of the second stopper tilting unit 9B to contact the top 11c of the glass stopper 11. At this time, the control unit 12 controls the slider 8a of the stopper gripping air cylinder 8 corresponding to the first stopper tilting unit 9A to be in a neutral state where it can expand and contract. In this case, the claws 94c of the gripping frame 94, which swing and come into contact with the top 11c of the glass stopper 11, apply a twisting force to the glass stopper 11, thereby tilting the glass stopper 11.

[0103] The detailed flow of the operation of opening the glass stopper 11 fitted into the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 by the stopper opening device 1 of Example 2 is the same as that of Embodiment 1, except that the claw portions 94c of the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A and the second stopper tilting operation unit 9B apply a twisting force to the glass stopper 11 by the swinging action of the swinging mechanism 15, thereby pulling out the glass stopper 11 from the mouth 10a, and therefore a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0104] As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, when the swinging table 99 swings to one side, a torsional force is applied to the glass stopper 11 so as to tilt it in one direction relative to the opening 10a, and when the swinging table 99 swings to the other side, a torsional force is applied to the glass stopper 11 so as to tilt it in the other direction relative to the opening 10a. Therefore, only one driving part is required for the mechanism that applies a force so that the glass stopper 11 is tilted in two directions relative to the opening 10a, making it possible to create a cost-effective device. [Example]

[0105] 10 and 11 show a cap removal device 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this third embodiment, the structure of the cap removal device 1 is partially different from that of the first embodiment, so the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and only the other different parts will be described.

[0106] The base plate 2a of Example 3 does not have the stepped surface 2d as in Example 1, and is configured not to hold the volumetric flask 10. In Example 3, the volumetric flask 10 is set on the first support frame 2b.

[0107] The first support frame 2b of Example 3 comprises a support plate 20a that extends vertically and whose upper half region is narrower than its lower half region, and a rectangular mounting plate 20b that extends horizontally from the lower edge of the support plate 20a toward the front of the device, and is configured to set a volumetric flask 10 on the mounting plate 20b.

[0108] A container gripping unit 3 is fixed to the upper and lower midpoints of the front surface of the support plate 20a. The clamp body 32 of Example 2 is T-shaped in side view and has a shape thinner in the upper and lower directions than the clamp body 32 of Example 1. Furthermore, the clamp body 32 of Example 2 is integrally formed from a resin material.

[0109] A container confirmation sensor 21 is attached to the lower part of support plate 20a via sensor bracket 20c. This container confirmation sensor 21 has a light-emitting unit 21a located on one side of mounting plate 20b and a light-receiving unit 21b located on the other side, and is configured to detect that a volumetric flask 10 has been set on mounting plate 20b when the laser light projected from light-emitting unit 21a to light-receiving unit 21b is blocked.

[0110] The second support frame 2c of Example 3 comprises a back frame 22a in the form of a rectangular plate extending vertically, a top plate frame 22b in the form of a rectangular plate extending horizontally from the upper edge of the back frame 22a toward the front of the device, a first side plate frame 22c in an L-shape in a side view extending toward the front of the device from a position near the top of one side edge of the back frame 22a, and a second side plate frame 22d in the form of a strip extending toward the front of the device from the other side edge of the back frame 22a and extending from the top plate frame 22b to the base plate 2a, and an electric cylinder 6 is attached to the center of the front of the back frame 22a in a position extending vertically.

[0111] A rectangular opening 22e that penetrates vertically is formed in the center of the top frame 22b on the rear frame 22a side, and the upper part of the electric cylinder 6 faces the upper side of the top frame 22b through this opening 22e.

[0112] In Example 3, the first support frame 2b is fixed to the electric slider 6a of the electric cylinder 6, rather than the stopper gripping unit 4. That is, in Example 3, the volumetric flask 10 set on the first support frame 2b is raised and lowered by the electric cylinder 6.

[0113] The detection sensor 98 of the third embodiment is suspended from the front underside of the top frame 22b via a suspension frame 97. The detection sensor 98 of the third embodiment is a proximity sensor, and is capable of detecting the glass stopper 11, which is fitted into the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 raised by the electric cylinder 6, at a predetermined height.

[0114] The plug gripping unit 4 of the third embodiment is fixed to the first side plate frame 22c and the second side plate frame 22d.

[0115] An air cylinder 8 for gripping a stopper is attached to the second side plate frame 22d side of the extension portion provided on the front side of the device above the first side plate frame 22c, and both sliders 8a of the air cylinder 8 for gripping a stopper are adapted to move toward and away from each other in the front-to-rear direction of the device.

[0116] A gripping frame 94 is fixed to each slider 8a, and the electric cylinder 6 raises the volumetric flask 10 so that the neck 11b of the glass stopper 11 that fits into the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 is at a height corresponding to the claws 94c of each gripping frame 94. Then, by bringing both sliders 8a closer together, the glass stopper 11 can be gripped by the claws 94c of both gripping frames 94.

[0117] The first stopper tilt operating unit 9A of Example 3 is fixed to the front edge of the device at the bottom of the first side plate frame 22c, while the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B of Example 3 is fixed to the front edge of the device at the top of the second side plate frame 22d, and the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B are arranged symmetrically in the width direction of the device across the center line C1 of the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 set in the container holding unit 3.

[0118] A cap-opening air cylinder 95 is fixed to the front side of the second mounting bracket 91 of the first cap tilt operation unit 9A so that a rod portion 95a extends obliquely upward toward the center line C1.

[0119] That is, the air cylinder 95 for unplugging in Example 3 is configured so that the rod portion 95a extends and contracts in a direction intersecting the center line C1 and in an oblique direction away from the opening portion 10a of the volumetric flask 10.

[0120] Hammer portion 95b of Example 3 is a short, columnar member made of a resin material, and is designed not to damage glass stopper 11 when it comes into contact with glass stopper 11.

[0121] In addition, the second plug tilting operation unit 9B has the same structure as the first plug tilting operation unit 9A except that it is arranged symmetrically to the first plug tilting operation unit 9A across the center line C1, so it is given the same symbol as the first plug tilting operation unit 9A and detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0122] The control unit 12 of Example 3 operates the electric cylinder 6 to raise the electric cylinder 6 so that the claws 94c of the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B correspond to the height of the neck 11b of the glass stopper 11 that fits into the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 when it is set on the first support frame 2b.

[0123] Furthermore, with the claws 94c of the first and second cap tilting operation units 9A and 9B inserted between the ground joint 11a and the top 11c of the glass stopper 11, the control unit 12 operates the cap-opening air cylinder 95 of the first cap tilting operation unit 9A to extend the rod 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95, thereby bringing the hammer 95b into contact with the top 11c of the glass stopper 11. At this time, the control unit 12 controls both sliders 8a of the cap-gripping air cylinder 8 to be in a neutral state in which they can be extended and retracted.

[0124] That is, the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A is configured to directly apply an impact force by the hammer unit 95b in a direction away from the mouth 10a to a predetermined region (region X) of the glass stopper 11 that is located away from the center line C1 of the mouth 10a of the glass stopper 11. That is, the opener air cylinder 95 tilts the glass stopper 11 by directly contacting the glass stopper 11 with the rod unit 95a during the extension operation and applying an impact force.

[0125] The control unit 12 operates the cap-opening air cylinder 95 so that the rod portion 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95 in the first cap tilting operation unit 9A extends, and then operates the cap-opening air cylinder 95 so that the rod portion 95a contracts to its original position.

[0126] When the claw portions 94c of the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B are inserted between the grinding portion 11a and the top 11c of the glass stopper 11, the control unit 12 operates each stopper opening air cylinder 95 by alternately extending the rod portions 95a of each stopper opening air cylinder 95 of the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B by the same number, thereby applying an impact force to the top 11c of the glass stopper 11 via the hammer portion 95b.

[0127] Furthermore, when the claw portions 94c of the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B are inserted between the ground portion 11a and the top portion 11c of the glass stopper 11 and the glass stopper 11 is removed from the mouth portion 10a of the volumetric flask 10, the control unit 12 operates the stopper gripping air cylinder 8 so that both sliders 8a approach each other, thereby clamping the neck portion 11b of the glass stopper 11 with the claw portions 94c of both gripping frames 94, and operates the electric cylinder 6 so that the volumetric flask 10 descends, thereby separating the mouth portion 10a of the volumetric flask 10 from the glass stopper 11.

[0128] Next, the operation of removing the glass stopper 11 fitted into the opening 10a of the volumetric flask 10 by the remover 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0129] First, in step SB1, the number of sets of the glass stopper 11 removal operation by the removal device 1 is counted. Specifically, since this is the first set of the removal operation, 1 is substituted into the number i, and then the process proceeds to step SB2.

[0130] In step SB2, the operator sets the volumetric flask 10 on the mounting plate 20b of the first support frame 2b, and then presses the start button to operate the device.

[0131] Next, in step SB3, the container-gripping air cylinder 31 is actuated to move the clamp bodies 32 closer together, whereby the long neck portion 10b of the volumetric flask 10 is sandwiched between the concave grooves 32e of each clamp body 32, and the volumetric flask 10 is fixed to the container-gripping unit 3, and the process proceeds to step SB4.

[0132] In step SB4, the electric cylinder 6 is actuated to raise the volumetric flask 10 fixed to the container-holding unit 3, and the process proceeds to step SB5. In step S5, it is determined whether the detection sensor 98 has detected the glass stopper 11, which fits into the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 fixed to the container-holding unit 3, at a predetermined height (see FIGS. 12 and 13).

[0133] If the determination in step SB5 is YES, that is, if it is determined that the glass stopper 11 has reached a predetermined height position, the process proceeds to step SB6, where the upward movement of the volumetric flask 10 is stopped, and the process proceeds to step SB7.

[0134] On the other hand, if the determination in step SB5 is NO, that is, if it is determined that the glass stopper 11 has not reached the predetermined height position, the process returns to step SB4 and the container gripping unit 3 continues to rise.

[0135] In step SB7, the stopper gripping air cylinder 8 is activated, bringing both gripping frames 94 closer together, and the claws 94c of both gripping frames 94 enter between the ground joint 11a and the top 11c of the glass stopper 11 to grip the neck 11b, and then the process proceeds to step SB8.

[0136] In step SB8, each slider 8a of the cap-gripping air cylinder 8 is set to a neutral state in which it can be extended and retracted, and then the process proceeds to step SB9, in which the cap-opening operation by the first cap-tilting operation unit 9A is initiated (see FIG. 14).

[0137] Specifically, the rod portion 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95 in the first cap tilting operation unit 9A is extended and retracted twice. As the rod portion 95a extends, the hammer portion 95b comes into contact with the top portion 11c of the glass cap 11. That is, the impact force of the hammer portion 95b is directly transmitted to the top portion 11c of the glass cap 11 (area X in FIG. 14). When the impact force is applied to the top portion 11c of the glass cap 11, the glass cap 11 changes its position slightly, tilting relative to the mouth portion 10a with a predetermined point on the opening periphery of the mouth portion 10a as a fulcrum (point Y in FIG. 14). As a result, a slight separation occurs between the inner circumferential surface of mouth 10a and the outer circumferential surface of glass stopper 11 in the region opposite to the point on the opening periphery of mouth 10a that serves as a fulcrum for tilting glass stopper 11 (region Z in Figure 14), reducing the maximum static friction force in this region and weakening the minimum force required to pull glass stopper 11 out of mouth 10a. As a result, glass stopper 11 becomes easier to pull out of mouth 10a due to the component of the force applied to glass stopper 11 in the direction along the center line C1 of mouth 10a of volumetric flask 10.

[0138] In step SB9, the rod portion 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95 in the first cap tilting operation unit 9A extends and retracts twice, and when the cap-opening operation in which the hammer portion 95b applies impact force to the glass cap 11 twice is completed, the process proceeds to step SB10.

[0139] In step SB10, the stopper-holding air cylinder 8 is activated and the two holding frames 94 approach each other, causing the claws 94c of the two holding frames 94 to grip the neck 11b of the glass stopper 11.Then, the process proceeds to step SB11, where an operation command is output from the control unit 12 to the electric cylinder 6 so that the volumetric flask 10 fixed to the container holding unit 3 descends, and the process proceeds to step SB12.

[0140] In step SB12, it is determined whether or not the volumetric flask 10 fixed to the container-holding unit 3 has descended and the electric slider 6a of the electric cylinder 6 has reached the lowering end. If the determination in step SB12 is YES, that is, if the volumetric flask 10 fixed to the container-holding unit 3 has descended and the glass stopper 11 has been removed from the opening 10a of the volumetric flask 10, the capping operation by the capping device 1 is completed.

[0141] On the other hand, if the judgment in step SB12 is NO, that is, if the volumetric flask 10 fixed to the container holding unit 3 does not descend while the glass stopper 11 remains engaged with the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10, proceed to step SB13.

[0142] In step SB13, each slider 8a of the cap-gripping air cylinder 8 is set to a neutral state in which it can be extended and retracted, and then the process proceeds to step SB14, in which the cap-opening operation by the second cap-tilting operation unit 9B is started.

[0143] Specifically, the rod portion 95a of the cap-opening air cylinder 95 in the second cap-tilting operation unit 9B is extended and retracted twice. As the rod portion 95a extends, the hammer portion 95b contacts the top 11c of the glass stopper 11. That is, the impact force from the hammer portion 95b is directly transmitted to the top 11c of the glass stopper 11. When the impact force is applied to the top 11c of the glass stopper 11, the glass stopper 11 changes its position slightly, tilting relative to the mouth portion 10a around a predetermined point on the opening periphery of the mouth portion 10a. This causes a slight separation between the inner circumferential surface of the mouth portion 10a and the outer circumferential surface of the glass stopper 11 in a region opposite the point on the opening periphery of the mouth portion 10a that serves as the fulcrum for the glass stopper 11 to tilt. This reduces the maximum static friction in this region, thereby weakening the minimum force required to pull the glass stopper 11 out of the mouth portion 10a. As a result, the glass stopper 11 becomes easier to pull out from the opening 10a by the component of the force applied to the glass stopper 11 in the direction along the center line C1 of the opening 10a of the volumetric flask 10.

[0144] In step SB14, rod portion 95a of air cylinder 95 for cap opening in second cap tilting operation unit 9B extends and retracts twice, and when the cap opening operation in which hammer portion 95b applies impact force to glass cap 11 twice is completed, the process proceeds to step SB15.

[0145] In step SB15, the stopper-holding air cylinder 8 is activated and both holding frames 94 move closer together, causing the claws 94c of both holding frames 94 to grip the neck 11b of the glass stopper 11.Then, the process proceeds to step SB15, and an operation command is output from the control unit 12 to the electric cylinder 6 so that the volumetric flask 10 fixed to the container holding unit 3 descends, and the process proceeds to step SB17.

[0146] In step SB17, it is determined whether the volumetric flask 10 fixed to the container-holding unit 3 has descended and the electric slider 6a of the electric cylinder 6 has reached the lowering end. If the determination in step SB17 is YES, that is, if the volumetric flask 10 fixed to the container-holding unit 3 has descended and the glass stopper 11 has been removed from the opening 10a of the volumetric flask 10, the capping operation by the capping device 1 is terminated.

[0147] On the other hand, if the judgment in step SB17 is NO, that is, if the volumetric flask 10 fixed to the container holding unit 3 does not descend while the glass stopper 11 remains engaged with the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10, proceed to step SB18.

[0148] In step SB18, it is determined whether the set number of times the glass stopper 11 has been opened by the opener 1 is five. In other words, if the glass stopper 11 has not been opened five times by the opener 1, the process proceeds to step SB19, where i+1 is assigned to i, and the process returns to step S7.

[0149] On the other hand, if the opening operation of the glass stopper 11 by the opening device 1 is the fifth time, the opening operation by the opening device 1 is terminated.

[0150] As described above, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the air cylinder 95 for opening is arranged so that the rod portion 95a extends in a direction intersecting the center line C1 of the opening portion 10a and in a diagonal direction away from the opening portion 10a to apply an impact force directly to the glass stopper 11, so that the large force generated by the air cylinder 95 for opening can be applied in a concentrated manner without waste to the desired position of the glass stopper 11. Therefore, the glass stopper 11 can be tilted with a minimum of mechanism, resulting in an inexpensive device.

[0151] In the third embodiment of the present invention, when the rod portion 95a of the air cylinder 95 for opening is extended, the hammer portion 95b comes into contact with the top 11c of the glass stopper 11 to apply the impact force. However, the configuration may be such that when the rod portion 95a of the air cylinder 95 for opening is contracted, the hammer portion 95b comes into contact with the top 11c of the glass stopper 11 to apply the impact force.

[0152] Furthermore, in Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention, the glass stopper 11 is pulled out from the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 by tilting using two stopper tilt operating units 9, the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A and the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B. However, the structure may also be such that only the first stopper tilt operating unit 9A is provided, or the structure may also be such that only the second stopper tilt operating unit 9B is provided.

[0153] Furthermore, in Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention, the first stopper tilting operation unit 9A and the second stopper tilting operation unit 9B apply impact force to the glass stopper 11 alternately twice each via each claw portion 94c, but the impact force may be applied alternately once each, or may be applied alternately a different number of times.

[0154] Furthermore, in Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention, the uncorking operation is terminated if the glass stopper 11 does not come off the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 after five sets of repeated uncorking operations using the uncorking device 1. However, the uncorking operation does not have to be terminated after five sets of repeated operations, and the uncorking operation may be terminated after two to four sets of repeated operations, or after six or more sets of repeated operations.

[0155] Furthermore, in Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention, the tilting operation is performed on the neck 10a of the volumetric flask 10 by applying an impact force directly or indirectly to the glass stopper 11, but the tilting operation may also be performed on the neck 10a of the volumetric flask 10 by applying a pressure force directly or indirectly to the glass stopper 11.

[0156] Furthermore, the cap removal device 1 of Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention pulls out a glass stopper 11 whose neck 11b has an outer shape smaller than that of the ground joint 11a from the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10, but can also pull out a glass stopper 11 whose neck 11b has an outer shape larger than that of the ground joint 11a.

[0157] Furthermore, in the first and third embodiments of the present invention, an air cylinder is used as the actuator for applying an impact force to the glass stopper 11, but an electric cylinder or other types of cylinders, or a solenoid or the like may also be used.

[0158] The cap removal device 1 of Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention is used to remove the glass stopper 11 that fits into the mouth 10a of the volumetric flask 10 by grinding, but it can also be applied to remove the glass stopper 11 that fits into the mouth of other types of glass containers from the mouth. [Industrial Applicability]

[0159] It is suitable for use in a cap removal device that can automatically remove glass caps that fit onto the mouth of a glass container by grinding. [Explanation of symbols]

[0160] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Cap removal device 2... Main body frame 2a... Base plate (container setting section) 2b... First support frame 2c... Second support frame 2d... Step surface 3... Container gripping unit 4... Stopper gripping unit 5... Air balance cylinder 5a... Slide member 6... Electric cylinder (actuator) 6a... Electric slider 7... First mounting bracket 8... Stopper gripping air cylinder 8a... Slider 9... Stopper tilt operation section 9A... First stopper tilt operation section 9B... Second stopper tilt operation section 10... Volumetric flask (glass container) 10a... Mouth section 10b... Long neck section 11... Glass stopper 11a... Ground joint section 11b... Neck section 11c... Top section 12... Control section 13... First contact / separation means 14... Second contact / separation means 15... Swing mechanism 20a... Support plate 20b... Placement plate 20c... Sensor bracket DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21...container confirmation sensor 21a...light-emitting portion 21b...light-receiving portion 22a...back frame 22b...top plate frame 22c...first side plate frame 22d...second side plate frame 22e...opening 31...air cylinder for gripping container 31a...slide plate 32...clamp body 32a...clamp frame 32b...pad member 32c...rod-shaped portion 32d...notch portion 32e...concave groove 90...hanging block 91...second mounting bracket 92...upper block 92a...upper accommodating recess 93...lower block 93a...first insertion hole 93b...second insertion hole 94...gripping frame (frame member) 94a...first frame 94b...second frame 94c...claw portion 94d...through hole 94e...lower accommodating recess 95...air cylinder for opening cap 95a... Rod portion 95b... Hammer portion 96... Coil spring 97... Hanging frame 98... Detection sensor 99... Oscillating table (oscillating portion) 100... Drive motor C1... Center line C2... Oscillating axis

Claims

1. A cap removal device capable of automatically removing a glass cap that fits onto the mouth of a glass container by grinding, A cap opening device characterized by having a cap tilting operation unit that operates the glass cap in a direction tilting relative to the mouth by applying force in a direction away from the mouth one or more times to a predetermined area of ​​the glass cap that is away from the mouth and offset from the center line of the mouth.

2. The cap removal device according to claim 1, A cap opening device characterized in that a pair of the cap tilting operation units are provided symmetrically on either side of the center line.

3. The cap removal device according to claim 2, The cap removal device is characterized in that each of the cap tilting operation units is configured to apply force to the glass caps alternately in equal numbers.

4. The cap removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The stopper tilting operation unit is characterized in that the stopper opening device is equipped with an actuator that tilts the glass stopper by directly or indirectly contacting the glass stopper and applying an impact force when the extension or contraction unit is extended or contracted.

5. The cap removal device according to claim 4, The glass stopper comprises a ground joint that fits into the mouth, a neck that is provided continuously with the ground joint, and a top that is provided continuously with the neck and has a larger outer shape than the neck, The stopper tilting operation unit has a claw portion that can be inserted between the grinding portion and the top, and is characterized by being equipped with a frame member that indirectly transmits the impact force applied when the telescopic portion is extended or contracted to the top of the glass stopper via the claw portion.

6. The cap removal device according to claim 4, The actuator is arranged so that the extension or contraction portion extends or contracts in a direction intersecting the center line and in a diagonal direction away from the mouth portion to apply an impact force directly to the glass stopper.

7. The cap removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The stopper tilting operation unit is characterized in that the stopper opening device is equipped with a swing mechanism in which a swing unit that can swing around a swing axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the center line contacts the glass stopper when swinging and applies a twisting force to tilt the glass stopper.

8. The cap removal device according to claim 2 or 3, a container setting section in which the glass container can be set; a first moving means for moving the two stopper tilting operation units closer to and farther from each other in a horizontal direction; a second contacting and separating means capable of moving the container setting section and the first contacting and separating means toward and away from each other in the vertical direction.

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