Barrel reversing device

Abstract

To provide a barrel reversing device capable of suppressing cost and reducing labor required for maintenance.SOLUTION: The barrel reversing device 1 includes a conveyance part 10 which has a barrel conveyance space D1 formed in an area surrounded by a plurality of rod-like members 11 extending obliquely to a vertical-direction D2 and a horizontal-direction 10b and in which a barrel B is conveyed while being reversed in the barrel conveyance space 10b. The conveying part 10 has an entrance part 13 where the barrel B enters the barrel conveying space 10b, and an exit part 14 which is arranged at a position lower than the entrance part 13 and where the barrel B reversed in the barrel conveying space 10b exits from the barrel conveying space 10b. The angle of the outlet portion 14 with respect to the horizontal plane is smaller than the angle of the inlet portion 13 with respect to the horizontal plane.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a barrel inverting device for inverting a barrel. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a keg inverting device that inverts an inverted keg into which beer has been poured to an upright position. The keg inverting device is equipped with a roller conveyor that separates the keg for quality inspection from the beer kegging production line and transports it to the inspection location, and an inverting unit that actually inverts the keg.

[0003] The roller conveyor is composed of an upstream roller conveyor located upstream of the turning point in the barrel transport path, and a downstream roller conveyor located downstream of the turning point in the barrel transport path. Each of the upstream roller conveyor and the downstream roller conveyor is composed of a plurality of rotating rollers.

[0004] The barrels are tilted between the upstream roller conveyor and the reversing section. The reversing section has a reinforced roller located downstream of the upstream roller conveyor, a fixed bar that supports the tilted barrels, and two support rollers that support the horizontal barrels. The two support rollers are rotated by a drive mechanism.

[0005] The reversing section further includes a fixed bar and a strengthening roller that receive kegs that are about to turn over under their own weight through two support rollers. The fixed bar and the strengthening roller are provided upstream of the downstream roller conveyor. The kegs are tilted between the fixed bar and the strengthening roller and the downstream roller conveyor, and are raised when they land on the downstream roller conveyor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-104623 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the barrel inversion device described above, the upstream roller conveyor and downstream roller conveyor each have multiple rollers, and multiple rollers must be rotated. The barrel inversion device has a drive mechanism that rotates two support rollers. This can result in high installation and operation costs, as well as significant maintenance effort, such as part replacement.

[0008] The present disclosure aims to provide a barrel inversion device that can reduce costs and the labor required for maintenance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] (1) The barrel inversion device according to the present disclosure has a barrel transport space formed in an area surrounded by a plurality of rod-shaped members extending obliquely relative to the vertical and horizontal directions, and includes a transport section through which barrels are transported while being inverted in the barrel transport space. The transport section has an inlet section through which the barrels enter the barrel transport space, and an outlet section located at a lower position than the inlet section through which the inverted barrels exit the barrel transport space. The angle of the outlet section relative to the horizontal plane is smaller than the angle of the inlet section relative to the horizontal plane.

[0010] This barrel inverting device has multiple rod-shaped members extending obliquely relative to the vertical and horizontal directions, and a barrel transport space is formed in an area surrounded by the multiple rod-shaped members. The barrel transport space is located inside the transport section of the barrel inverting device, and the barrels are transported while being inverted in the barrel transport space. The transport section has an inlet section through which the barrels enter the barrel transport space and an outlet section through which the inverted barrels exit the barrel transport space, with the outlet section located at a lower position than the inlet section. Therefore, by entering the barrels into the barrel transport space through the inlet section, the barrels are transported while being inverted by their own weight, eliminating the need for a drive mechanism for rotational drive, etc. This reduces the costs of installing and operating the equipment and the labor required for maintenance. Furthermore, since the transport section is composed of multiple rod-shaped members extending obliquely, the installation space for the barrel inverting device can be reduced. However, barrels are heavier than cans and other items, and are therefore more likely to tip over during inversion and transport. In contrast, in the barrel inverting device, the angle of the outlet section relative to the horizontal plane is smaller than the angle of the inlet section relative to the horizontal plane. Therefore, since the angle of the outlet section relative to the horizontal plane is small, the inclination of the barrels at the outlet section can be made gentler, preventing the barrels from tipping over after being inverted and transported.

[0011] (2) In the above (1), the outlet may have an extension in which the rod-shaped member located above the barrel among the plurality of rod-shaped members extends further than the rod-shaped members located other than above the barrel. In this case, the existence of the extended rod-shaped member above the barrel exiting the outlet can prevent the barrel from tipping over due to the rod-shaped member located above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present disclosure, costs can be reduced and maintenance efforts can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a barrel inverting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a side view showing the barrel inverting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a rod-shaped member and a covering member of the barrel inverting device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a barrel inversion device according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted as appropriate. The drawings may be partially simplified or depicted schematically to facilitate understanding, and the dimensional proportions and the like are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0015] The barrel is, for example, a beverage barrel that contains a beverage. The barrel is made of, for example, stainless steel. The beverage contained in the barrel is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a carbonated beverage having a sparkling property, such as beer, happoshu (low-malt beer), sparkling wine, sour, highball, or a carbonated soft drink.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example barrel inversion device 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the barrel inversion device 1. For example, the barrel inversion device 1 is installed in a beverage production factory. The beverage production factory has a washing device that washes the transported barrels B and a filling device that fills the washed barrels B with a beverage, and the barrel inversion device 1 is installed, for example, upstream of the washing device on the transport path of the barrels B. The barrels B inverted by the barrel inversion device 1 may be transported to a residual pressure inspection and tightening device that inspects the residual pressure inside the barrels B. The barrels B are, for example, empty barrels that are not filled with a beverage. The weight of the barrels B is, for example, 3 kg or more and 4 kg or less.

[0017] For example, barrel B is stored after its exterior has been cleaned. If the nozzle of barrel B is facing up at this time, foreign matter may adhere to the nozzle during storage. Therefore, to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the nozzle, barrel B is stored with the nozzle facing down. The barrel inverting device 1 inverts barrel B with the nozzle facing down before cleaning barrel B. Hereinafter, the state in which the nozzle of barrel B is facing down may be referred to as the inverted state, and the state in which the nozzle of barrel B is facing up may be referred to as the upright state. The barrel inverting device 1 considers the inverted barrel B to be in the upright state. The barrel inverting device 1 inverts, for example, 100 barrels B per hour.

[0018] The barrel inversion device 1 has, for example, a plurality of pillar members 2 extending along the vertical direction D1, and a plurality of beam members 3 extending along the horizontal direction D2 between the plurality of pillar members 2. The barrel inversion device 1 has, for example, a barrel placement section 4 on which barrels B before being inverted (for example, in an inverted state) are placed, and a conveying path 5 along which barrels B pass after being inverted (for example, in a normal state).

[0019] The barrel inversion device 1 includes a conveying section 10 having a barrel conveying space 10b formed in an area surrounded by a plurality of rod-shaped members 11 extending obliquely relative to the vertical direction D1 and the horizontal direction D2. The barrel placement section 4, the conveying section 10, and the conveying path 5 are arranged in this order along the barrel B conveying direction D3.

[0020] The conveying path 5 is located at a lower position than the barrel placement section 4, and the barrels B placed on the barrel placement section 4 are conveyed to the conveying path 5 through the conveying section 10. "Low" means that it is located relatively vertically downward, that is, close to the installation surface (e.g., the floor) of the barrel inverting device 1. In the conveying section 10, the barrels B move diagonally downward under their own weight and are inverted.

[0021] For example, barrel B is placed on a pallet, and the barrel B placed on the pallet is grasped by the hand of the robot palletizer R and placed on the barrel placement section 4. The barrel B placed on the barrel placement section 4 is transported by its own weight inside the transport section 10. The barrel placement section 4 extends, for example, along the horizontal direction D2.

[0022] The conveying section 10 extends diagonally downward from the barrel placement section 4 toward the conveying path 5. For example, the barrel inverting device 1 has a gate-shaped section 6. The gate-shaped section 6 is formed by a pair of pillar members 2 aligned along the width direction D4 of the barrel inverting device 1, and a beam member 3 extending in the width direction D4 at the upper portion of the pair of pillar members 2. The width direction D4 is a horizontal direction and a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction D3. The conveying section 10 passes through the gate-shaped section 6.

[0023] The barrel inverting device 1 has, for example, a plurality of portal sections 6. The portal sections 6 are lined up along the conveying direction D3. The portal sections 6 include, for example, a first portal section 6A and a second portal section 6B located between the first portal section 6A and the conveying path 5. The height of the first portal section 6A is greater than the height of the second portal section 6B.

[0024] For example, the barrel inverting device 1 has an inclined section 7 located between the barrel placement section 4 and the conveying section 10. A barrel B placed on the barrel placement section 4 is pushed onto the inclined section 7 by, for example, another barrel B placed on the barrel placement section 4, and moves along the inclined section 7. The inclined section 7 is, for example, a free conveyor. In this case, the barrel B moves diagonally downward on the inclined section 7 due to its own weight.

[0025] The conveying section 10 has a barrel conveying space 10b formed in an area surrounded by a plurality of rod-shaped members 11. The number of rod-shaped members 11 is, for example, four. However, the number of rod-shaped members 11 is not particularly limited. In the barrel conveying space 10b, the barrel B is conveyed diagonally downward by its own weight while being turned over.

[0026] The rod-shaped members 11 are made of, for example, metal (stainless steel, for example). The conveying section 10 is made of a plurality of twisted rod-shaped members 11, and the barrels B are turned over by passing them through a barrel conveying space 10b formed between the plurality of twisted rod-shaped members 11. The plurality of rod-shaped members 11 are also called a twist chute.

[0027] The rod-shaped member 11 is, for example, a round rod. That is, the cross section of the rod-shaped member 11 cut along a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the rod-shaped member 11 extends has a circular shape. For example, the diameter of the rod-shaped member 11 is greater than 4 mm. The diameter of the rod-shaped member 11 may be 5 mm or more, 6 mm or more, 7 mm or more, 8 mm or more, or 9 mm or more. The diameter of the rod-shaped member 11 may be 16 mm or less, 15 mm or less, 14 mm or less, 13 mm or less, 12 mm or less, or 11 mm or less. The diameter of the rod-shaped member 11 may be, for example, 10 mm or less. When the diameter of the rod-shaped member 11 is 10 mm or less, the rod-shaped member 11 can be easily bent by hand. As described above, the diameter of the rod-shaped member 11 can be changed as appropriate.

[0028] For example, the barrel inverting device 1 has a support mechanism 12 that supports a plurality of rod-shaped members 11. The support mechanism 12 has, for example, a frame-shaped portion 12b through which the plurality of rod-shaped members 11 pass, and a support portion 12c that supports the frame-shaped portion 12b while being fixed to the gate-shaped portion 6. The support mechanism 12 has a plurality of frame-shaped portions 12b and a plurality of support portions 12c.

[0029] Frame portion 12b is disposed, for example, obliquely with respect to vertical direction D1. Frame portion 12b is disposed so as to surround multiple rod-shaped members 11. Support portion 12c has, for example, a pair of pillars extending downward from portal portion 6 and a beam connecting the pair of pillars to each other, and supports frame portion 12b below the beam.

[0030] The conveying section 10 has an entrance section 13 where the barrels B enter the barrel conveying space 10b, and an exit section 14 where the barrels B that have been inverted in the barrel conveying space 10b exit the barrel conveying space 10b. The exit section 14 is located at a lower position than the entrance section 13. In other words, the height from the installation surface of the barrel inverting device 1 to the exit section 14 is lower than the height from the installation surface of the barrel inverting device 1 to the entrance section 13.

[0031] For example, the conveying section 10 has a first inclined section 15 located between the entrance section 13 and the exit section 14, a second inclined section 16 located between the entrance section 13 and the first inclined section 15, and a third inclined section 17 located between the first inclined section 15 and the exit section 14. In the conveying section 10, the entrance section 13, the second inclined section 16, the first inclined section 15, the third inclined section 17, and the exit section 14 are arranged in this order along the conveying direction D3.

[0032] The angle of the outlet portion 14 with respect to the horizontal plane is smaller than the angle of the inlet portion 13 with respect to the horizontal plane. That is, the inclination of the outlet portion 14 with respect to the horizontal plane is gentler than the inclination of the inlet portion 13 with respect to the horizontal plane. For example, the angle of the second inclined portion 16 with respect to the horizontal plane is the same as the angle of the inlet portion 13 with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0033] For example, the angle of the first inclined portion 15 with respect to the horizontal plane is larger than the angle of the inlet portion 13 with respect to the horizontal plane (or the angle of the second inclined portion 16 with respect to the horizontal plane). The angle of the third inclined portion 17 with respect to the horizontal plane is, for example, smaller than the angle of the first inclined portion 15 with respect to the horizontal plane and larger than the angle of the outlet portion 14 with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0034] As described above, the inclination with respect to the horizontal plane is greatest at the first inclined section 15, second greatest at the entrance section 13, second inclined section 16, and third inclined section 17, and smallest at the exit section 14. Therefore, the speed of the barrel B in the conveying section 10 is constant at the entrance section 13 and second inclined section 16, increases at the first inclined section 15, and decreases at the third inclined section 17 and the exit section 14. Therefore, the conveying speed of the barrel B can be increased at the first inclined section 15, and then decreased at the third inclined section 17 and the exit section 14, making it less likely that the barrel B will tip over at the exit section 14.

[0035] For example, the outlet portion 14 has an extension portion 18 in which, among the multiple rod-shaped members 11, the rod-shaped member 11b located above the barrel B extends further than the rod-shaped members 11 located other than above the barrel B. At the extension portion 18, the rod-shaped member 11b located above the barrel B comes into contact with the barrel B. This prevents the barrel B from falling over.

[0036] For example, the barrel inverting device 1 includes a covering member 19 that covers the rod-shaped member 11. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the covering member 19 and the rod-shaped member 11 when cut along a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the covering member 19 and the rod-shaped member 11 extend. In Figures 1 and 2, the covering member 19 is omitted from the illustration to avoid complication.

[0037] For example, the covering member 19 is rod-shaped and extends along the rod-shaped member 11. The cross section of the covering member 19 along a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the covering member 19 extends is, for example, C-shaped. The covering member 19 is made of a material that is softer than the rod-shaped member 11. Therefore, by bending the covering member 19, it is possible to attach and detach the covering member 19 to and from the rod-shaped member 11.

[0038] The covering member 19 is made of, for example, a material softer than the material of the barrel B. The covering member 19 is made of, for example, a resin. As an example, the covering member 19 is made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. The covering member 19 has an anti-static function. The covering member 19 is, for example, treated with a UV-resistant (ultraviolet ray-resistant) coating.

[0039] The covering member 19 has slidability and abrasion resistance. Therefore, the barrel B is smoothly transported while in contact with the covering member 19 that covers the rod-shaped member 11. As described above, the covering member 19 is made of a soft material, and therefore can be easily cut. In other words, the covering member 19 is cuttable. Therefore, the covering member 19 can be cut and attached to any position on the rod-shaped member 11.

[0040] The covering member 19 is attached, for example, to a portion of the plurality of rod-shaped members 11 that will receive a strong impact from the barrel B (for example, a portion of the plurality of rod-shaped members 11 that is located below the barrel B). However, the covering member 19 can be attached to any position on the plurality of rod-shaped members 11.

[0041] Next, the effects obtained from the barrel inverting device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The barrel inverting device 1 has a plurality of rod-shaped members 11 extending obliquely relative to the vertical direction D1 and the horizontal direction D2, and a barrel transport space 10b is formed in the area surrounded by the plurality of rod-shaped members 11. The barrel transport space 10b is provided in the transport section 10 of the barrel inverting device 1, and the barrels B are transported while being inverted in the barrel transport space 10b. The transport section 10 has an inlet section 13 through which the barrels B enter the barrel transport space 10b and an outlet section 14 through which the inverted barrels B exit the barrel transport space 10b, and the outlet section 14 is located at a lower position than the inlet section 13. Therefore, by placing the barrels B through the inlet section 13 in the barrel transport space 10b, the barrels B are transported while being inverted by their own weight, eliminating the need for a drive mechanism requiring power for rotational drive, etc.

[0042] Conventionally, barrels B have been turned over from an inverted state to an upright state manually, requiring a large amount of labor to turn over 100 barrels B per hour. In contrast, in this embodiment, the barrel turning device 1 turns over 100 barrels B per hour under its own weight. This significantly reduces the labor required to turn over the barrels B.

[0043] Furthermore, the barrel turning device 1 does not have a drive mechanism that requires electricity, which reduces the costs of installing and operating the equipment and reduces the labor required for maintenance. Furthermore, the conveying section 10 is composed of multiple rod-shaped members 11 that extend diagonally, which reduces the installation space required for the barrel turning device 1.

[0044] However, barrels B are heavier than cans and the like, and are therefore more likely to tip over when being inverted and transported. In contrast, in the barrel inverting device 1, the angle of the outlet 14 relative to the horizontal plane is smaller than the angle of the inlet 13 relative to the horizontal plane. Therefore, because the angle of the outlet 14 relative to the horizontal plane is small, the inclination of the barrels B at the outlet 14 can be made gentler, and the inverted and transported barrels B can be prevented from tipping over.

[0045] As described above, each of the multiple rod-shaped members 11 may be round, and the diameter of each of the multiple rod-shaped members 11 may be greater than 4 mm. In this case, since the multiple rod-shaped members 11 are round, the barrels B can be transported smoothly in the barrel transport space 10b. Furthermore, since the diameter of each of the multiple rod-shaped members 11 is greater than 4 mm, the strength of the multiple rod-shaped members 11 can be increased to a level that will not cause any problems even if the barrels B are placed on them.

[0046] As described above, the barrel inversion device 1 may include a covering member 19 that covers the rod-shaped member 11 and is detachable from the rod-shaped member 11. In this case, the covering member 19 covers the rod-shaped member 11, thereby protecting the rod-shaped member 11 and preventing deterioration of the rod-shaped member 11. The covering member 19 is detachable from the rod-shaped member 11. Therefore, the covering member 19 can be attached only to necessary locations on the rod-shaped member 11, and the covering member 19 can be easily replaced.

[0047] As described above, the covering member 19 may be made of a material softer than the material of the barrel B. In this case, since the covering member 19 is made of a material softer than the barrel B, the barrel B can be smoothly transported while being in contact with the covering member 19.

[0048] As described above, the outlet 14 may have an extension 18 in which, of the multiple rod-shaped members 11, the rod-shaped member 11b located above the barrel B extends further than the rod-shaped members 11 located other than above the barrel B. In this case, the presence of the rod-shaped member 11b extending above the barrel B exiting the outlet 14 can prevent the barrel B from tipping over due to the rod-shaped member 11b located above.

[0049] The above describes an embodiment of the barrel inversion device according to the present disclosure. However, the barrel inversion device according to the present disclosure is not limited to the content of the above-described embodiment, and may be modified within the scope of the gist described in the claims. In other words, the shape, size, material, number, and arrangement of each part of the barrel inversion device according to the present disclosure can be changed as appropriate within the scope of the above gist.

[0050] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the barrel inversion device 1 is provided upstream of the cleaning device on the transport path of the barrel B. However, the location where the barrel inversion device 1 is disposed is not limited to the above example and can be changed as appropriate. In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the barrel inversion device 1 inverts the barrel B from an inverted state to an upright state. However, the barrel inversion device 1 may also be a device that inverts the barrel B from an upright state to an inverted state. Furthermore, the barrel B does not have to be an empty barrel, but may be a barrel filled with a beverage. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1...barrel inversion device, 2...column member, 3...beam member, 4...barrel placement section, 5...conveying path, 6...gate-shaped section, 6A...first gate-shaped section, 6B...second gate-shaped section, 7...inclined section, 10...conveying section, 10b...barrel conveying space, 11, 11b...rod-shaped members, 12...support mechanism, 12b...frame-shaped section, 12c...support section, 13...inlet section, 14...outlet section, 15...first inclined section, 16...second inclined section, 17...third inclined section, 18...extension section, 19...covering member, B...barrel, D1...vertical direction, D2...horizontal direction, D3...conveying direction, D4...width direction, R...robot palletizer.

Claims

1. A barrel transport space is formed in an area surrounded by a plurality of rod-shaped members extending obliquely relative to the vertical and horizontal directions, and a transport unit is provided in which barrels are transported while being turned over in the barrel transport space. The conveying unit is an inlet portion where the barrels enter the barrel transport space; An outlet portion that is located at a lower position than the inlet portion and is a portion where the inverted barrels in the barrel transport space exit from the barrel transport space; and The angle of the outlet with respect to the horizontal plane is smaller than the angle of the inlet with respect to the horizontal plane. Barrel inversion device.

2. The outlet portion has an extension portion, which is a portion where the rod-shaped member located above the barrel among the plurality of rod-shaped members extends further than the rod-shaped members located other than above the barrel. The barrel inverting device according to claim 1.

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