Cap separator
The cap separator addresses the need for power-free and safe cap separation by using a movable arrangement with a gripping mechanism and spiral structure, enabling efficient and hygienic cap removal without power, suitable for diverse installations.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- DAI NIPPON PRINTING CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-22
Smart Images
Figure 2026085031000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cap separator for separating a cap of a bottle with a cap, which has a bottle body and a cap that seals and rotates to attach and detach from the bottle body.
Background Art
[0002] In recent years, the amount of recycled so-called PET bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which are widely used as containers for soft drinks, seasonings, liquor, etc., has been increasing rapidly. Since these caps are made of a different material from the bottle body, from the perspective of recycling, it is required to separate them from the bottle body. In addition, not only PET bottles, but glass bottles containing wine or liquor may have metal caps, and these caps are also required to be separated from the bottle body from the perspective of recycling.
[0003] Also, considering the perspective of recycling work and the risk of rupture during disposal, it is preferable that the person who disposes (the disposer) separates the bottle body and the cap in advance and disposes of the bottle body and the cap separately. On the other hand, many of the conventional technologies for separating the bottle body and the cap require a power source such as electricity, which is costly, and furthermore, it is difficult to install them at the installation locations (disposal locations) of a large number of trash cans. Also, for those without a power source, there is no safe and labor-saving method, and it is considered difficult to spread.
[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a PET bottle processing device comprising: first and second shafts spaced parallel to each other; a driving means for rotating the first and second shafts in opposite directions; a first processing means provided on at least one of the first and second shafts for cutting and removing the cap portion of a PET bottle; a second processing means provided on the first and second shafts for processing the bottle body of a PET bottle; and a bottle guiding means for guiding the PET bottle to the first and second processing means. The device simultaneously performs the cutting and removal of the cap portion by the first processing means and the processing of the bottle body by the second processing means. The processing device described in Patent Document 1 requires a power source and uses a rotating blade as the cutting means, so there is room for improvement in terms of safety.
[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses a PET bottle processing device comprising a positioning unit for positioning a PET bottle in a predetermined location, a cutting unit having a cutting blade for cutting and separating the cap and body of the PET bottle, and a crushing blade for forming a groove in the longitudinal direction of the PET bottle when crushing the PET bottle, wherein the cutting unit is pivotally mounted to the positioning unit so as to be rotatable, and the cutting unit can move toward and away from the positioning unit. Although the PET bottle processing device described in Patent Document 2 does not require a power source, there is room for improvement in terms of safety because it uses a blade as a cutting means.
[0006] Patent Document 3 discloses a cap removal device characterized in that a rotating shaft is formed protruding from one end face of a substantially cylindrical body, to which rotational driving force from a motor is transmitted, and a substantially conical recess is formed on the other end face of the substantially cylindrical body, opening to this other end face and coaxial with the rotating shaft, and a friction body is provided on the inner circumferential surface of this recess, and when the rotating shaft is rotated by the rotational force from the motor and the cap side of a capped bottle is inserted into the recess, the frictional force between the friction body and the cap generated by pushing the bottle causes the cap to rotate integrally with the cylindrical body, thereby removing the cap from the capped bottle. The method using the cap removal device described in Patent Document 3 requires a power source (motor). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]
[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-58449 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-277185 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-247321 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0008] This disclosure is an invention made in view of the above circumstances, and its main objective is to provide a cap separator that does not require a power source and can safely separate the bottle body and cap by only the pushing motion when disposing of a bottle with a cap. [Means for solving the problem]
[0009] This disclosure provides a cap separator for separating the cap of a capped bottle, which has a bottle body and a cap that seals the bottle body and is attached and detached by rotation, the separator comprising: an arrangement part having an arrangement surface on which the cap of the capped bottle is placed and movable in a first direction which is the rotation axis of the cap; a gripping part fixed to the arrangement part for gripping the cap; a rod-shaped spiral structure fixed to the surface of the arrangement part opposite to the arrangement surface so as to extend along the first direction and having a spiral groove formed on its surface; and a fitting part having a through hole through which the spiral structure passes and fitting into the groove of the spiral structure to rotate the spiral structure as the spiral structure moves in the first direction, wherein the arrangement part moves along the first direction when the capped bottle is pushed in, and the distance traveled in the first direction from a first position where gripping of the cap is started to a second position where the arrangement part stops is a distance that is sufficient to ensure the rotation of the spiral structure necessary to remove the cap. [Effects of the Invention]
[0010] According to this disclosure, a cap separator can be provided that does not require a power source and can safely separate the bottle body and cap simply by pushing when disposing of a bottle with a cap. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cap separator in this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cap separator in this disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operating mechanism of the cap separator in this disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operating mechanism of the cap separator in this disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operating mechanism of the cap separator in this disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the gripping portion in this disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the gripping portion in this disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cap separator in this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0012] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to drawings and other figures. However, this disclosure can be implemented in many different ways and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described below. In addition, in order to make the explanation clearer, the drawings may schematically represent the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part compared to the actual form, but these are merely examples and should not limit the interpretation of this disclosure. Furthermore, in this specification and each figure, elements similar to those described above with respect to previously shown figures will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations may be omitted as appropriate.
[0013] In this specification, when expressing the manner of arranging one member above another member, if simply denoted as "above" or "below", unless otherwise specified, it includes both the case where another member is arranged directly above or below so as to contact the certain member, and the case where another member is arranged above or below the certain member via yet another member. Further, in this specification, when expressing the manner of arranging one member on the surface of another member, if simply denoted as "on the surface side" or "on the surface", unless otherwise specified, it includes both the case where another member is arranged directly above or below so as to contact the certain member, and the case where another member is arranged above or below the certain member via yet another member.
[0014] In the present disclosure, there is provided a cap separator for separating a cap of a capped bottle having a bottle body and a cap that seals and rotatably attaches and detaches to the bottle body, the cap separator including: an arrangement portion having an arrangement surface on which the cap of the capped bottle is arranged and being movable in a first direction which is the rotational axis direction of the cap; a gripping portion fixed to the arrangement portion for gripping the cap; a rod-shaped spiral structure fixed to a surface on the opposite side of the arrangement surface of the arrangement portion so as to extend along the first direction and having a spiral groove formed on the surface; and a fitting portion having a through hole through which the spiral structure passes and fitting with the groove of the spiral structure to rotate the spiral structure as the spiral structure moves in the first direction, wherein the arrangement portion moves along the first direction when the capped bottle is pushed in, and the moving distance in the first direction from a first position where gripping of the cap is started to a second position where the arrangement portion stops is a distance capable of ensuring the rotation of the spiral structure necessary for removing the cap.
[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cap separator in this disclosure. The cap separator 10A of this disclosure shown in Figure 1 is a cap separator 10 for separating the cap C of a capped bottle X, which has a bottle body B and a cap C that seals the bottle body B and is attached and detached by rotation. The cap separator 10A has an arrangement surface 1s on which the cap C of the capped bottle X is placed and is movable along a first direction D1 which is the rotation axis of the cap C; a gripping part 2A fixed to the arrangement part 1 for gripping the cap C; a rod-shaped spiral structure 3 fixed to the surface of the arrangement part 1 opposite to the arrangement surface 1s so as to extend along the first direction D1 and having a spiral groove 3a formed on its surface; and a fitting part 4 having a through hole 4s through which the spiral structure 3 passes and fitting into the spiral groove 3a of the spiral structure 3 so as the spiral structure 3 moves in the first direction D1, thereby rotating the spiral structure 3. The cap separator 10A shown in Figure 1 uses the open / close type gripping part 2A shown in Figure 6 as the gripping part 2. The cap separator 10A shown in Figure 1 further has a frame body (not shown), an anti-back part 6 fixed to the frame body, and an arm part 5 fixed to the fitting part 4. The spiral structure 3 is connected to a weight 8 via a wire 7 and a pulley 9.
[0016] In the cap separator 10A shown in Figure 1, the placement unit 1 moves along the first direction D1 when the capped bottle X is pushed in, and the distance L traveled in the first direction D1 from the first position P1 where gripping of the cap begins to the second position P2 where the placement unit 1 stops is a distance that is sufficient to ensure the rotation of the helical structure 3 necessary to remove the cap C. The first position P1 and the second position P2 will be explained using Figures 3 and 4.
[0017] Figures 3 and 4 are schematic process diagrams illustrating the operating mechanism of the cap separator 10 shown in Figure 1. First, as shown in Figure 3(a), with the cap C positioned on the placement surface 1s of the placement section 1, the capped bottle X is pushed in the direction D. FBy being pushed in, the placement part 1, the gripping part 2, and the spiral structure 3 descend along the first direction D1. As shown in FIG. 3(b), when the first claw member 21 of the gripping part 2 hits the anti-back part 6, the first claw member 21 closes, and the gripping hand 23 of the gripping part 2 grips the cap C. Let the position of the placement part 1 at this time be the first position P1. Further, by pushing in the capped bottle X, as shown in FIG. 3(c), while the cap C is being gripped by the gripping part 2, the placement part 1, the gripping part 2, and the spiral structure 3 descend along the first direction D1. The spiral structure 3 passes through the through-hole 4s of the fitting part 4. Since the protrusion (pin) 4p fixed to the side wall of the through-hole 4s of the fitting part 4 is fitted into the spiral groove 3a of the spiral structure 3, the spiral structure 3 rotates as it descends along the first direction D1. As a result, the placement part 1 and the gripping part 2 also rotate, and the cap C gripped by the gripping part 2 rotates, so that it becomes a state of being detached from the capped bottle X. After that, as shown in FIG. 3(d), the placement part 1 is further pushed in the pushing direction D F By being pushed in, the second claw member 22 of the gripping part 2 engages with the pair of arm parts 5 attached to the fitting part 4.
[0018] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4(a), by pushing in the capped bottle X until the placement part 1 stops at the second position P2, the arm part 5 and the second claw member 22 of the gripping part 2 open, and the gripping hand 23 releases the cap C. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the cap C and the bottle body B are separated. Here, the moving distance L of the placement part 1 from the first position P1 where the gripping of the cap C by the gripping part 2 starts to the second position P2 is a distance that can ensure the rotation of the spiral structure 3 necessary to remove the cap C. Next, as shown in FIGS. 4(c) and 4(d), the spiral structure 3 is pulled upward via a pulley by a weight connected by a wire, and returns to the initial position. At this time, the anti-back part 6 rotates, and the gripping part 2 maintains the released state. In FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the first direction is the vertical direction and the pushing direction is the vertically downward direction, but the first direction and the pushing direction in the present disclosure are not limited to these.
[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a cap separator in this disclosure. The cap separator 10B shown in Figure 2 is the same as the cap separator in Figure 1, except that the gripping part 2 uses the fitted gripping part 2B shown in Figure 7, the helical structure 3 does not have a straight groove 3b1, and it does not have the arm part 5 and anti-back part 6 in Figure 1.
[0020] Figure 5 is a schematic process diagram illustrating the operating mechanism of the cap separator 10 shown in Figure 2. First, as shown in Figure 5(a), the capped bottle X is pushed into the gripping part 2 fixed to the placement surface 1s of the placement part 1, thereby placing the cap C on the placement surface 1s of the placement part 1 and gripping the cap C with the gripping part 2 (Figure 5(b)). The position of the placement part 1 at this time is designated as the first position P1. Furthermore, as the capped bottle X is pushed in, the placement part 1, gripping part 2, and spiral structure 3 descend while the cap C remains gripped by the gripping part 2, as shown in Figure 5(c). The spiral structure 3 passes through the through hole 4s of the fitting part 4. Since the projection (pin) 4p fixed to the side wall of the through hole 4s of the fitting part 4 is fitted into the spiral groove 3a of the spiral structure 3, the spiral structure 3 rotates as it moves in the first direction D1. As a result, the placement unit 1 and the gripping unit 2 also rotate, and the cap C, which is gripped by the gripping unit 2, rotates. By pushing the bottle X with the cap in until the placement unit 1 stops at the second position P2, the cap is detached from the bottle X (Figure 5(d)). This separates the cap C from the bottle body B. Next, although not specifically shown, the spiral structure is pulled back to its initial position by a weight connected by a wire via a pulley.
[0021] As shown in Figure 5, the placement section 1 moves along the first direction D1 as the capped bottle X is pushed in, and the distance L of the placement section 1 to the second position P2, from the first position P1 where the gripping section 2 begins to grip the cap C, is a distance that ensures the rotation of the spiral structure 3 necessary to remove the cap C.
[0022] The cap separator 10 of this disclosure does not require a power source. Therefore, it is inexpensive and effective in reducing environmental impact in terms of energy. Furthermore, because it does not require a power source, there are no restrictions on the installation location, and it can be installed, for example, in plazas such as train stations and parks, and in numerous waste disposal areas within facilities. In addition, since the bottle body and cap can be separated by only the action of discarding a bottle with a cap (a pushing action), the cap can be separated with little difference from the action of discarding it in a conventional trash can. Moreover, since the cap separator 10 of this disclosure does not require a blade, the cap can be separated safely.
[0023] Furthermore, with the cap separator of this disclosure, the bottle body and cap can be separated simply by holding the capped bottle in your hand, inserting it into the cap separator, and pushing it in. Therefore, since the cap can be separated without touching the cap separator with your hands, it is preferable from a hygienic standpoint.
[0024] The components of the cap separator in this disclosure will be described in detail below.
[0025] 1. Placement part The cap separator in this disclosure has an arrangement part that has an arrangement surface on which the cap of a capped bottle is placed, and is movable along a first direction which is the rotation axis of the cap. For example, when disposing of a used capped bottle, the person disposing of the bottle holds the capped bottle in their hand, presses the top surface of the cap against the arrangement surface of the arrangement part, and pushes it in, so that the arrangement part moves in the pushing direction D along the first direction D1. F Move to [location].
[0026] The gripping section and the spiral structure, which will be described later, are fixed to the placement section, and the placement section, gripping section, and spiral structure are movable together in the first direction.
[0027] In this disclosure, when the position of the placement part 1 when gripping the cap C is initiated is defined as the first position P1, and the position of the placement part 1 when it stops is defined as the second position P2, the travel distance L in the first direction D1 from the first position P1 to the second position P2 is set to a distance that ensures the rotation of the spiral structure necessary to remove the cap. The position of the placement part refers to the center position of the placement part in the first direction D1. The placement part 1 stops, for example, by hitting the fitting part 4. The above travel distance L is preferably 10 cm or more and 22 cm or less. If the travel distance L is too short, the angle of the spiral shape becomes steeper, increasing the force required for rotation, and consequently the force required to push, making it difficult to turn. If the travel distance L is too long, the length of L becomes longer than the length of the PET bottle body (approximately 22 cm), requiring more effort compared to the action of throwing it in a typical trash can. On the other hand, since there is no problem in terms of functionality, the travel distance L is not limited to the above range.
[0028] The shape of the placement section is not particularly limited, but examples include columnar members with rectangular, circular, or polygonal cross-sections.
[0029] 2.Grip part The gripping portion in this disclosure is not particularly limited as long as it is a member that is fixed to the placement portion and capable of gripping the cap. The structure of the gripping portion is not particularly limited, but examples include the opening / closing type gripping portion 2A shown in Figure 6 and the fitting type gripping portion 2B shown in Figure 7.
[0030] The opening / closing gripping section 2A in Figure 6 includes a pair of first claw members 21 fixed to the placement section 1, sandwiching the placement section 1, a pair of second claw members 22 that interlock with the pair of first claw members 21, and a pair of gripping hands 23 fixed to the pair of first claw members 21 for gripping the cap. When the pair of first claw members 21 close, the gripping hands 23 grip the cap, and when the pair of second claw members 22 open, the gripping hands 23 release the cap.
[0031] As shown in Figure 1, the opening and closing gripping part 2A is used together with the anti-back part 6 and the arm part 5 to grip and release the cap C. For example, as shown in Figure 3(b), the gripping part 2A is pushed in the D direction. F As it moves, the first claw member 21 closes by being pressed by the anti-back portion 6, and the gripping hand 23 grips the cap C. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4(a), the second claw member 22 opens by engaging with the arm portion 5, releasing the gripping state of the cap C by the gripping hand 23.
[0032] Figure 7(a) is a schematic top view illustrating a fitted grip portion 2B, and Figure 7(b) is a cross-sectional view AA' of Figure 7(a). As shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the opening / closing grip portion 2B has an insertion hole 28 for inserting a cap. The insertion hole 28 is preferably a through hole. Generally, the side surface of a cap has an uneven shape formed on it to prevent the hand from slipping when opening it. The fitted grip portion 2B is a cylindrical member in which an uneven shape 25 consisting of linear recesses and linear protrusions is formed on the inner wall of the insertion hole 28, which fits with the uneven shape of the side surface of the cap.
[0033] As shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the fitting-type gripping portion 2B preferably has a first insertion hole 281 and a second insertion hole 282 that share the same central axis but have different hole diameters. The diameter of the first insertion hole 281 is smaller than the diameter of the second insertion hole 282. In this case, it is preferable that a first uneven shape 25a is formed on the inner wall of the first insertion hole 281, and a second uneven shape 25b is formed on the inner wall of the second insertion hole 282. By providing insertion holes of different sizes in this way, it is possible to accommodate caps of different diameters. That is, a cap with a large diameter can be fitted into the second uneven shape 25b on the inner wall of the second insertion hole 282, and a cap with a small diameter can be fitted into the first uneven shape 25a on the inner wall of the first insertion hole 281.
[0034] Furthermore, it is preferable that the inner wall of the insertion hole 28 has a region where the uneven shape 25 is formed (fitting region) R1 and a region where the uneven shape 25 is not formed (non-fitting region) R2. In Figure 7, the inner wall of the first insertion hole 281 and the inner wall of the second insertion hole 282 each have three fitting regions R1 and three non-fitting regions R2 alternately formed in the circumferential direction. If the diameter of the cap is larger than the tip diameter of the uneven shape 25 (dotted circle in Figure 7(a)) and the uneven shape 25 is formed all around, the cap may be difficult to fit. On the other hand, having a non-fitting region allows the cap to bulge (escape) into the non-fitting region, making it easier to fit the cap.
[0035] As shown in Figure 5(b), by pushing the capped bottle X onto the fitted gripping part 2B fixed to the placement part 1, the cap C is placed on the placement surface 1s of the placement part 1, and the cap C can be gripped by the gripping part 2B.
[0036] 3.Spiral structure The helical structure in this disclosure is a rod-shaped member that is fixed to the surface opposite to the placement surface of the placement portion so as to extend along a first direction, and has a helical groove formed on its surface.
[0037] The spiral grooves formed on the surface of the spiral structure engage with the fitting portion described later, causing the spiral structure to rotate as it moves in the first direction. The number of helical turns of the spiral grooves is preferably 1.5 or more, and more preferably 2 or more. On the other hand, the number of helical turns of the grooves is preferably 2.5 or less.
[0038] As shown in Figure 1, the spiral structure 3 may have a first linear groove 3b1 connected to the spiral groove 3a on the side of the spiral groove 3a arrangement portion 1. By having the first linear groove 3b1, as shown in Figures 3(d) to 4(a), the second claw member 22 of the gripping portion 2 engages with the arm portion 5 and then the spiral structure 3 can be moved in the first direction D1 (downward in Figures 3(d) to 4(a)) without rotating, allowing the second claw member 22 to open smoothly. Therefore, the grip of the cap C by the gripping hand 23 of the gripping portion 2 can be quickly released.
[0039] As shown in Figure 1, the spiral structure 3 may have a second linear groove 3b2 connected to the spiral groove 3a on the opposite side of the arrangement portion 1 of the spiral groove 3a. By having the second linear groove 3b2, as shown in Figures 3(a) to 3(b) and Figures 5(a) to 5(b), the movable part (arrangement portion, gripping portion, and spiral structure) can be moved in the first direction D1 (downward in Figures 3(a) to 3(b) and Figures 5(a) to 5(b)) without rotating until the cap C is gripped by the gripping portion 2. Therefore, the cap C can be quickly gripped by the gripping portion 2.
[0040] 4. Fitting part The fitting portion in this disclosure is a member having a through hole through which the helical structure passes, and which fits into a groove of the helical structure, causing the helical structure to rotate by moving in a first direction. Preferably, the fitting portion is fixed without moving in the first direction, and preferably fixed to a frame body as described later.
[0041] As shown in Figure 1, the fitting portion 4 preferably has a pin 4p fixed to the inner wall of the through hole 4s. A rotational force is applied to the helical structure as the pin 4p passes through the groove of the helical structure which moves in the first direction.
[0042] When the above-described open / close type gripping part is used as the gripping part, it is preferable that a pair of openable / closable arm parts are attached to the fitting part. As shown in Figure 3(d), the pair of arm parts 5 engage with the second claw member 22 of the gripping part 2. As the pair of arm parts 5 open, the second claw member 22 opens, thereby releasing the grip of the cap C by the gripping hand 23 (Figure 4(a)).
[0043] 5. Frame The cap separator preferably has a frame body that encloses the placement section, gripping section, and spiral structure, and to which the fitting section is fixed. The frame body may also have an anti-back section fixed to it. The frame body preferably has an insertion opening for inserting a bottle with a cap.
[0044] 6. Others The cap separator in this disclosure may have an auxiliary mechanism to assist the rotation and movement of the arrangement section and the helical structure. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cap separator having an auxiliary mechanism. As shown in Figure 8, the auxiliary mechanism 80 includes, for example, rotatable bearings 80a and 80b arranged at the top and bottom of the helical structure 3, support bodies 81a and 81b that support 80a and 80b, a slide rail 83, and slide rail blocks 82a and 82b to which the support bodies 81a and 81b are fixed and which can slide vertically along the slide rail 83. By separating the parts that support vertical sliding and rotation along the helical shape in this way, the movement can be made smoother and the life of the parts can be extended.
[0045] 7. Cap Separator The cap separator in this disclosure can be used in a waste container. The waste container, for example, comprises the cap separator in this disclosure, a bottle body storage container, and a cap storage container. In this case, it is preferable that the cap separator in this disclosure and the bottle body storage container are integrated or connected so that the separated bottle body is housed in the bottle body storage container from the cap separator. Similarly, it is preferable that the cap separator in this disclosure and the cap storage container are integrated or connected so that the separated cap is housed in the cap storage container from the cap separator.
[0046] The cap separator in this disclosure may be positioned so that the first direction is vertical, horizontal, or inclined. When the first direction is vertical, it is preferable to position the cap separator so that the spiral structure is on the lower side relative to the positioning section. In this case, the person disposing of the waste can separate the cap by holding the bottle with the cap in their hand and pushing it downward into the cap separator. Alternatively, the cap separator may be positioned so that the spiral structure is on the upper side relative to the positioning section. In this case, the person disposing of the waste can separate the cap by holding the bottle with the cap in their hand and pushing it upward into the cap separator. In this case, it is not necessary to have a mechanism (for example, the wire, weight, and pulley shown in Figure 1) for returning the positioning section, gripping section, and spiral structure to their initial positions, as they will descend due to gravity. Furthermore, when the first direction is horizontal, the person disposing of the waste can separate the cap by holding the bottle with the cap in their hand and pushing it horizontally into the cap separator.
[0047] 8. Bottle with cap The capped bottle to be separated in this disclosure comprises a bottle body and a cap that seals the bottle body and is attached and detached by twisting. Examples of capped bottles include used PET bottles and glass bottles (jars) with caps. In recent years, containers made of aluminum or the like that have a shape substantially similar to PET bottles have become available, and this method can also be applied to such aluminum bottles.
[0048] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. The embodiments described above are illustrative, and any configuration that is substantially identical to the technical idea described in the claims of this disclosure and achieves similar effects is included within the technical scope of this disclosure.
[0049] Thus, the present disclosure provides, for example, the following inventions.
[0050] [1] A cap separator for separating the cap of a capped bottle, comprising a bottle body and a cap that seals the bottle body and is attached and detached by rotating, An arrangement portion having an arrangement surface on which the cap of the cap-equipped bottle is placed, and which is movable in a first direction which is the rotation axis direction of the cap, A gripping portion for gripping the cap is fixed to the aforementioned arrangement portion, A rod-shaped spiral structure, which has spiral grooves formed on its surface, is fixed to the surface of the arrangement portion opposite to the arrangement surface, extending along the first direction, It has a through hole through which the helical structure passes, and a fitting portion that fits into the groove of the helical structure, causing the helical structure to rotate as it moves in the first direction, A cap separator, wherein the arrangement part moves along the first direction when the capped bottle is pushed in, and the distance traveled in the first direction from a first position where gripping of the cap begins to a second position where the arrangement part stops is a distance that ensures the rotation of the helical structure necessary to remove the cap. [2] The gripping portion is a cylindrical member having an insertion hole for inserting the cap, and having an uneven shape formed on the inner wall of the insertion hole that fits with the uneven shape formed on the side surface of the cap. A cap separator according to [1], fixed to the arrangement surface of the arrangement portion. [3] The gripping portion comprises a pair of first claw members fixed to the arrangement portion, sandwiching the arrangement portion; a pair of second claw members that interlock with the pair of first claw members; and a pair of gripping hands fixed to the pair of first claw members for gripping the cap. When the pair of first claw members close, the gripper grips the cap. The cap separator according to [1], wherein the gripper releases the cap when the pair of second claw members open. [4] The cap separator is the cap separator according to any one of [1] to [3], having a frame that surrounds the arrangement portion, the gripping portion, and the helical structure, and to which the fitting portion is fixed. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0051] 1 … Placement section 2 … Gripping part 3 … Spiral structure 4. Fitting part 5… Arm section 6… Anti-back section 7… Wire 8... weight 9 ... Pulley 10… Cap separator
Claims
1. A cap separator for separating the cap of a capped bottle, comprising a bottle body and a cap that seals the bottle body and is attached and detached by rotating, An arrangement portion having an arrangement surface on which the cap of the cap-equipped bottle is placed, and which is movable in a first direction which is the rotation axis direction of the cap, A gripping portion for gripping the cap is fixed to the aforementioned arrangement portion, A rod-shaped spiral structure, which has spiral grooves formed on its surface, is fixed to the surface of the arrangement portion opposite to the arrangement surface, extending along the first direction, It has a through hole through which the helical structure passes, and a fitting portion that fits into the groove of the helical structure, causing the helical structure to rotate as it moves in the first direction, A cap separator, wherein the arrangement part moves along the first direction when the capped bottle is pushed in, and the distance traveled in the first direction from a first position where gripping of the cap begins to a second position where the arrangement part stops is a distance that ensures the rotation of the helical structure necessary to remove the cap.
2. The gripping portion is, A cylindrical member having an insertion hole for inserting the cap, the inner wall of the insertion hole has an uneven shape that fits with the uneven shape formed on the side surface of the cap, The cap separator according to claim 1, which is fixed to the arrangement surface of the arrangement portion.
3. The gripping portion comprises a pair of first claw members fixed to the arrangement portion, sandwiching the arrangement portion; a pair of second claw members that interlock with the pair of first claw members; and a pair of gripping hands fixed to the pair of first claw members for gripping the cap. When the pair of first claw members close, the gripper grips the cap. The cap separator according to claim 1, wherein the gripper releases the cap when the pair of second claw members open.
4. The cap separator according to claim 1, wherein the cap separator has a frame that surrounds the arrangement portion, the gripping portion, and the helical structure, and to which the fitting portion is fixed.