Content surface treatment device and production line in which the device is installed

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus capable of automatically and quickly performing surface processing on the contents filled in a container, as well as a production line on which the apparatus is installed. [Solution] A surface treatment apparatus for contents that shapes the surface of contents inside a container, comprising a pressing part, a support part, and a cylinder part, wherein the pressing part has a contact surface at its bottom that contacts the surface of the contents, and the contact surface is shaped for shaping the surface of the contents, the support part is the part that connects the pressing part and the cylinder part, and the cylinder part is the part that reciprocates the pressing part and the support part in the vertical direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for deforming the surface of ingredients filled in a container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when filling ingredients into a bottle, depending on the ingredients to be filled, a part of the ingredients may protrude from the bottle, or when adding seasonings or the like to the ingredients, there may be no headspace and it may overflow. As a countermeasure, during the bottling operation, workers check each bottle and press an instrument or the like to prevent protrusion or create a depression for seasonings or the like. However, it is not efficient for workers to only perform the inspection work, and there is also a possibility of overlooking abnormalities or混入 of foreign matters. Therefore, there has been a demand for an apparatus that can automatically and in a short time prevent the ingredients from protruding and perform molding for seasonings or the like.

[0003] In order to solve the above problems, a technical proposal described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-173551 (Patent Document 1) has been made. That is, in Patent Document 1, as a surface treatment of the filling, after reliably leveling the surface of the viscous content in the container substantially uniformly, a part of the circumferential surface of a rotating roller slides along the surface so as to contact the surface of the content in the container and rotates so as to bite in to level the surface of the content. A technical proposal has been made.

[0004] However, in the technical proposal described in Patent Document 1, since the surface of the content is slid and rotated, the work takes a certain amount of time and is not efficient, and it can only level the surface of the content substantially uniformly, and has not yet solved the above problems.

[0005] The applicant, focusing on processing methods for the surface of bottled contents in a bottling production line, conceived the idea of ​​automatically and quickly processing the surface of the contents. This led to the development of a device capable of automatically processing the surface of the contents by pressing a pressing part, linked to the up-and-down movement of a cylinder, against the surface of the contents. This resulted in the proposal of the "contents surface processing device and production line in which the device is installed" in the present invention. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-173551 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an apparatus capable of automatically and quickly performing surface processing on the contents filled in a container, and a production line in which the apparatus is installed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a surface treatment apparatus for contents inside a container, comprising a pressing part, a support part, and a cylinder part, wherein the pressing part has a contact surface at its bottom that contacts the surface of the contents, and the contact surface is shaped for shaping the surface of the contents, the support part is the part that connects the pressing part and the cylinder part, and the cylinder part is the part that reciprocates the pressing part and the support part in the vertical direction.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention employs the means by which the contents are a viscous or granular food product.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention employs a method in which the pressing portion is frustoconical in shape, with the bottom surface which is the contact surface being smaller than the top surface, and a recess corresponding to the contact surface is formed on the surface of the contents.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which the pressing portion is cylindrical, the size of the contact surface is smaller than the opening, and the surface of the contents is formed at a low position below the height of the opening.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which a plurality of support parts and pressing parts are arranged in a single cylinder.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention is a production line that employs a means comprising the arrangement of the aforementioned contents surface treatment device.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention provides that the production line branches into multiple lines upstream of the contents surface treatment device, and each line has a distribution unit that distributes containers to each line, and each line is equipped with a contents surface treatment device that has sensors, and the distribution unit works in conjunction with the sensors to block one line and create a route to the other line. Furthermore, the sensors are configured to be bottle-inlet sensors that detect the presence or absence of a container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the contents surface processing apparatus of the present invention, a contact surface is provided at the bottom of the pressing part, which is connected via a cylinder part and a support part, to contact the surface of the contents. This makes it possible to prevent the contents from spilling out and to perform surface molding for seasonings and the like automatically and accurately in a short time, thereby contributing to improved production efficiency.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the contents surface treatment apparatus of the present invention, the shape of the pressing part is a frustoconical shape with a smaller base, which concentrates pressure on the contact surface when pressing against the contents, making it easy to form recesses on the surface of the contents.

[0017] Furthermore, according to the content surface treatment apparatus of the present invention, since the pressing portion is cylindrical, pressure is evenly applied to the surface of the content that abuts against the contact surface. Therefore, the content that contacts the contact surface is pressured downward, particularly toward the gap generated during the filling of the content, preventing the content from overflowing and facilitating the compression of the content.

[0018] Moreover, according to the content surface treatment apparatus of the present invention, since a plurality of support portions and pressing portions are arranged in one cylinder portion, it becomes possible to simultaneously perform a plurality of pressing operations in one operation, reduce the installation space, and contribute to the space saving of the entire content surface treatment apparatus.

[0019] Furthermore, according to the production line of the present invention, by arranging the content surface treatment apparatus, it becomes possible to automatically and quickly perform surface shaping of the content filled in the container on the line, contributing to the improvement of production efficiency.

[0020] And also, according to the production line of the present invention, by having a distribution unit that branches into a plurality of lines upstream of the content surface treatment apparatus and distributes the containers to each line provided with content surface treatment apparatuses equipped with sensors respectively, the surface treatment can be automatically and efficiently performed in a short time without the containers concentrating and staying in one line, achieving excellent effects. In addition, when branched into a plurality of lines, by arranging the content surface treatment apparatuses at positions not facing each other on the line, even when an abnormality occurs in the content surface treatment apparatus due to problems such as bottle overturning, it is possible to check the presence or absence of problems in the line and the apparatus from the opposing positions of the apparatuses, achieving excellent effects.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] It is an overall view showing an embodiment of the content surface treatment apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a cross-sectional view for explaining the surface treatment in the content surface treatment apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 3]It is a cross-sectional view for explaining the surface treatment in the content surface treatment apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of a production line using the content surface treatment apparatus according to the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] The content surface treatment apparatus according to the present invention and the production line in which the apparatus is arranged are characterized in that in a bottling line for foods and the like, it is possible to automatically and accurately prevent the content from overflowing and perform surface shaping in a short time. Hereinafter, embodiments of the content surface treatment apparatus according to the present invention and the production line in which the apparatus is arranged will be described based on the drawings.

[0023] Note that the content surface treatment apparatus according to the present invention and the production line in which the apparatus is arranged are not limited to the embodiments described below, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention, that is, within the scope of shapes, dimensions, materials, structures, etc. that can exhibit the same operational effects.

[0024] FIG. 1 is an overall view showing an embodiment of the content surface treatment apparatus 1 according to the present invention, (a) is a side view, and (b) is a front view of a mode in which a plurality of pressing portions 10 and supporting portions 20 are connected to one cylinder portion 30. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the surface treatment in the content surface treatment apparatus 1 when the content 3 is a viscous substance, (a) shows before surface processing, (b) shows surface processing by the pressing portion 10, (c) shows the formation of the recess 4 by surface processing, and (d) shows the case where the additive 7 is made to flow in after the formation of the recess 4. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the surface treatment in the content surface treatment apparatus 1 when the content 3 is a plurality of solid substances, (a) shows before surface processing, (b) shows surface processing by the pressing portion 10, (c) shows the discharge flow path of the air inside the container 2 during surface processing, and (d) shows after surface processing. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a production line using a content surface treatment device, where (a) shows the production line before sorting by the sorting unit, and (b) shows the production line during sorting by the sorting unit. The contents surface treatment apparatus 1 according to the present invention mainly consists of a pressing section 10, a support section 20, and a cylinder section 30.

[0025] The container 2 used in the contents surface treatment apparatus 1 according to the present invention is a bottle-shaped body with an opening 5 on its upper surface, as shown in Figure 1. The shape and materials used can be those of conventionally known technology. Furthermore, the hollow portion of container 2 is sealed by fastening the lid that covers the top of the opening 5 after the pressing operation. The size of container 2 and opening 5 will be determined appropriately based on the size and volume of contents 3, etc.

[0026] The contents 3 to be filled into container 2 are expected to be viscous or granular food products, but are not particularly limited. However, simple liquids are excluded because their surface is always flat, eliminating the need for surface processing by the pressing part 10. The fact that the contents 3 are viscous or granular food products makes it easier to process the surface of the contents 3 with the pressing part 10. As shown in Figure 2, the pressing part 10 is pressed directly against the surface of the contents 3, thereby forming a recess 4 and maintaining its shape. Furthermore, additional contents 7, such as other contents or seasoning oil, are added to the surface of the contents 3 where the recess 4 has been formed by the pressing part 10, via an input pipe 6 located downstream of the contents surface processing device 1. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, it is also possible to fill the container with solid food items such as shallots or mushrooms as the contents 3.

[0027] The pressing part 10 is used to shape the surface of the contents 3. The pressing portion 10 is frustoconical (tapered), with the bottom surface, which is the contact surface 11, being smaller than the top surface, and a recess 4 corresponding to the contact surface 11 is formed on the surface of the contents 3. Furthermore, the pressing portion 10 is connected to the cylinder portion 30 via the support portion 20 by a connecting portion 12 provided on the top surface of the pressing portion 10. By making the pressing portion 10 removable using screws or the like, maintenance and replacement due to changes in shape become easier. The pressing portion 10 is linked to the vertical reciprocating motion of the cylinder portion 30, and the contact surface 11 is pressed against the surface of the contents 3, thereby forming the recess 4. Furthermore, the material constituting the pressing part 10 is one that comes into contact with the contents 3, which are food, and since the pressing action is performed at short intervals (for example, once every 5 seconds), a resin material such as silicon or polyamide synthetic fiber is used that is easily detached from the contents 3, has water resistance, corrosion resistance, durability, and is lighter than metal. The bottom portion of the pressing portion 10, which is connected to the cylinder portion 30 via the support portion 20, is provided with a contact surface 11 that contacts the surface of the contents 3. This prevents the contents 3 from spilling out and allows for accurate surface molding for seasonings, etc., contributing to improved production efficiency. Furthermore, regarding the shape of the pressing portion 10, since it is a frustoconical shape with a smaller base, pressure is concentrated on the contact surface 11 when pressed against the contents 3, making it easy to form a recess 4 on the surface of the contents 3.

[0028] As an alternative form of the pressing portion 10, a cylindrical shape as shown in Figure 3 is preferable. The cylindrical pressing portion 10 has a contact surface 11 that is smaller than the opening 5, so that the surface of the contents 3 is formed at a low position, below the height of the opening 5. Also, the top and bottom surfaces are formed to be approximately the same size or similar. Because the pressing portion 10 is cylindrical, pressure is applied evenly to the surface of the contents 3 that comes into contact with the contact surface 11. As a result, pressure is applied downwards to the contents 3 in contact with the contact surface 11, particularly towards the gap created during the filling of the contents 3. This prevents the contents 3 from spilling out, such as pushing the contents 3 that have protruded from the opening 5 back into the container 2, and also facilitates the compression of the contents 3.

[0029] The support portion 20 is the part that connects the pressing portion 10 and the cylinder portion 30. The support section 20 consists of a connecting bar 21 connected to the pressing section 10 and a support plate 22 connected to the cylinder section 30, and transmits the vertical reciprocating motion (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "vertical movement") generated by the operation of the cylinder section 30 to the pressing section 10. The support section 20, connected to the cylinder section 30 by a support plate 22, performs the same movement in conjunction with the vertical movement caused by the extension and retraction of the cylinder section 30, and the vertical movement is transmitted to the pressing section 10 via a connecting bar 21 provided on the support plate 22.

[0030] The connecting bar 21 is a rod-shaped body that extends downward from the support plate 22, with its base end connected to the support plate 22 and its tip connected to the connecting part 12. The connecting bar 21 transmits motion to the pressing part 10 that is similar to the reciprocating motion in the vertical direction by the cylinder part 30, and a rod-shaped body with a smaller diameter than the top surface of the pressing part 10 is used. Furthermore, by arranging the connecting bar 21 in combination with a spring-like body, it becomes possible to absorb the load and impact on the support plate 22 when the pressing part 10 is pressed against the contents 3.

[0031] The support plate 22 is connected to the cylinder section 30 and operates in conjunction with the vertical movement of the cylinder section 30, transmitting the vertical motion to the pressing section 10 via the connecting bar 21. Furthermore, the shape of the support plate 22 is a roughly L-shaped plate with surfaces extending laterally and downward, as shown in Figure 1(a). By adopting this shape, the connecting bar 21 is connected to the lateral surface and the operating plate 31 (described later) is connected to the downward surface, allowing for efficient transmission of the vertical movement of the cylinder section 30 to the connecting bar 21, while also ensuring connection strength by widening the connection surface with the operating plate 31.

[0032] The support plate 22 is equipped with a position adjustment rail 23 that allows adjustment of the lateral position of the connecting bar 21, and a fixing lever 24 that fixes the position. The position adjustment rail 23 and the fixing lever 24 are provided to adjust the pressing position of the pressing part 10 to match the position of the opening 5, which varies depending on the type of container 2. When adjusting the position, the lock by the fixing lever 24 is released and the support part 20 is moved laterally along the track of the position adjustment rail 23. After adjusting the position, the position of the support part 20 is fixed by locking the fixing lever 24, making it possible to adjust the position of the pressing part 10 without using tools.

[0033] The cylinder section 30 is the part that causes the pressing section 10 and the support section 20 to reciprocate in the vertical direction. The specific structure of the cylinder section 30 can be any conventionally known technology. For example, a cylinder section 30 can be used in which vertical movement is performed by injecting and discharging compressed air, and the range and speed of vertical movement can be adjusted by the amount and velocity of compressed air inflow. Furthermore, the vertical movement range of the cylinder section 30 is appropriately adjusted according to the required distance for the pressing operation, such as the depth of the recess 4 to be formed in the contents 3, as shown in Figure 1(a). For example, if the distance from the opening 5 to the contents 3 is 2 cm and a 2 cm recess 4 is to be formed, the distance between the bottom surface of the pressing section 10 and the opening 5 is also taken into consideration, and the operating range is set to 4 cm or more, preferably 5 cm.

[0034] An operating plate 31 is provided on the top surface of the cylinder portion 30 to transmit the vertical movement of the cylinder portion 30 to the support plate 22 of the support portion 20. As shown in Figure 1(a), the operating plate 31 is a roughly L-shaped plate with surfaces extending laterally and downward. By adopting this shape, the top surface of the cylinder portion 30 is connected to the laterally oriented surface, and the support plate 22 is connected to the downward oriented surface, making it possible to efficiently transmit the vertical movement of the cylinder portion 30 while ensuring the strength of the connection portion with the support plate 22.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the cylinder portion 30 is equipped with an upper limit detection sensor 33a and a lower limit detection sensor 33b in order to determine the operating range of the pressing portion 10 by the vertical movement of the cylinder portion 30. In addition, a detection bar 32 is positioned on the operating plate 31 and moves up and down along with the vertical movement of the cylinder portion 30, and the position is confirmed by each sensor. In order to determine the operating range of the pressing portion 10 by the vertical movement of the cylinder portion 30, an upper limit detection sensor 33a is provided to detect when the cylinder portion 30 is at the upper limit position of the pressing portion 10. The mounting position of the upper limit detection sensor 33a is determined by the object to be detected. For example, as shown in Figure 1(a), a detection bar 32 that moves up and down along with the upward movement of the cylinder part 30 (hereinafter also referred to as "upward movement") is arranged on the operating plate 31. If the upper limit detection sensor 33a detects the status of the detection bar 32, and the upper limit detection sensor 33a turns ON when the pressing part 10 presses, the pressing part 10 is considered to have reached the upper limit position, and the upward movement of the cylinder part 30 is stopped and switched to downward movement (hereinafter also referred to as "downward movement"). Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, where the contents surface treatment device 1 is installed on a production line 40 using a belt conveyor 41, if the cylinder section 30 is in a position other than the upper limit, the control is such that the partition plates 44a and 44b do not operate in order to prevent the container 2 from moving during vertical movement. To determine the operating range of the pressing portion 10 by the vertical movement of the cylinder portion 30, a lower limit detection sensor 33b is provided at the lower limit position of the pressing portion 10. The mounting position of the lower limit detection sensor 33b is determined by the object to be detected. For example, as shown in Figure 1(a), if a detection bar 32 that moves up and down with the downward movement of the cylinder part 30 is arranged on the operating plate 31, and the lower limit detection sensor 33b detects the status of the detection bar 32, then when the pressing part 10 presses, the pressing part 10 is considered to have reached the lower limit position, and the downward movement of the cylinder part 30 is stopped and switched to upward movement. By adopting an configuration that includes such an upper limit detection sensor 33a and a lower limit detection sensor 33b, it becomes easier to set the upper and lower limits that need to be adjusted by the container 2. Furthermore, it is also preferable that the cylinder part 30 automatically moves upward if there is no detection by the lower limit detection sensor 33b for a certain period of time during downward movement. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to prevent damage to the container 2 due to excessive downward movement and to prevent accidents such as workers' hands or arms getting caught. A bottle presence / absence sensor 34 is provided to detect the container 2 in order to determine when to start the downward movement of the pressing part 10 by the cylinder part 30. When the bottle presence sensor 34 detects the container 2 (ON), the pressing part 10 is set to move downward. As shown in Figure 1, the bottle presence sensor 34 is mounted near the middle of the container 2 to facilitate detection of the presence or absence of a bottle. Furthermore, in order to accurately press the pressing part 10 against the surface of the contents 3 filled in the container 2, the downward movement of the pressing part 10 is initiated after a predetermined time (approximately 1 second) has elapsed since the bottle presence sensor 34 detected the container 2.

[0036] When arranging the contents surface treatment device 1, it is preferable that a plurality of support parts 20 and pressing parts 10 are arranged in a single cylinder part 30, as shown in Figure 1(b). By arranging multiple support parts 20 and pressing parts 10 in a single cylinder section 30, it becomes possible to perform multiple pressing operations simultaneously in a single operation, while also reducing the installation space and contributing to overall space saving of the contents surface processing device 1. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by making the length of the support plate 22 and position adjustment rail 23 include the adjustment portion for the lateral pressing position of the pressing portion 10, it becomes possible to adjust the lateral position of each pressing portion 10 according to the size of the container 2 used in the production line 40, thereby enabling accurate pressing work. Furthermore, when the pressing portion 10, which is equipped with multiple support portions 20 and pressing portions 10, moves downward, as shown in Figure 1(b), the pressing portion 10 on the inlet side is equipped with a bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35, and the pressing portion 10 on the outlet side is equipped with a bottle presence / absence outlet side sensor 36. Furthermore, when the presence or absence of a bottle sensor 35 at the inlet and the presence or absence of a bottle sensor 36 detect the presence or absence of a container 2, the pressing unit 10 moves downward, allowing the pressing operation to be performed on multiple containers 2 simultaneously.

[0037] The operation of the contents surface treatment apparatus 1 according to the present invention, which has the above configuration, will be explained with reference to the figures. First, the operation of the contents surface treatment device 1 will be explained based on Figure 1(a). First, when the cylinder portion 30 moves up and down, the vertical movement is transmitted to the support plate 22 via the operating plate 31 connected to the top surface of the cylinder portion 30. Furthermore, the vertical movement of the cylinder portion 30 is also transmitted to the pressing portion 10 via the connecting bar 21 provided on the support plate 22. Furthermore, the detection bar 32 is connected to the operating plate 31, and the vertical movement of the detection bar 32 is detected by the upper limit detection sensor 33a and the lower limit detection sensor 33b. In addition, when the bottle presence / absence outlet side sensor 36 is ON and the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35 is ON, the cylinder part 30 moves downward and the pressing operation is performed. If the lower limit detection sensor 33b detects an ON during the downward movement, the vertical movement of the cylinder part 30 is switched from downward to upward. As the vertical movement of the cylinder portion 30 is transmitted to the pressing portion 10, pressure is applied up to the lower limit of the pressing portion 10 even after contact with the surface of the contents 3, enabling surface molding of the contents 3.

[0038] Next, the mode of operation when the contact surface 11 is frustoconical will be explained based on Figure 2. The contents 3 filled into container 2 are granular, and additional material 7 is filled after the recess 4 is formed. First, a container 2 filled with contents 3 is positioned below the pressing part 10 (Figure 2(a)). The pressing part 10 presses its contact surface 11 against the surface of contents 3, forming a recess 4 (Figure 2(b)). The pressing part 10 leaves the surface of contents 3 and returns to its initial position, but because contents 3 is granular, the recess 4 formed on the surface does not collapse and maintains its shape (Figure 2(c)). Additional material 7 is then filled into the contents 3, which now has a recess 4 formed on its surface by the pressing part 10, from the input pipe 6 (Figure 2(d)). The shape of the pressing portion 10 is a frustoconical shape with a smaller base. As a result, when pressing the contents 3, pressure is concentrated on the contact surface 11, while the contents 3 are spread out along the inclined sides, making it easy to form the recess 4.

[0039] Furthermore, the mode of operation when the pressing portion 10 is cylindrical will be explained based on Figure 3. The contents 3 filled in container 2 are solid. First, the container 2 filled with contents 3 is positioned below the pressing part 10 (Figure 3(a)). The pressing part 10 presses its contact surface 11 against the surface of the contents 3, flattening the surface of the contents 3 (Figure 3(b)). The pressing part 10 continues to press against the contents 3, eliminating any gaps created during the filling of the contents 3 and removing any residual air from inside the container 2 (Figure 3(c)). The pressing part 10 then moves away from the surface of the contents 3 and returns to its initial position, but because the contents 3 is a compressed or compressed solid, it maintains its compressed or compressed state without damaging its surface (Figure 3(d)). Because the pressing portion 10 is cylindrical, pressure is applied evenly to the surface of the contents 3 that come into contact with the contact surface 11. As a result, pressure is applied downwards to the contents 3 that are in contact with the contact surface 11, particularly towards the gaps created during the filling of the contents 3. This prevents the contents 3 from spilling out of the opening 5 and allows for compression and pushing of the contents 3 while reducing the gaps between the contents 3.

[0040] One possible configuration for using the contents surface treatment device 1 is to install it on a production line 40 having a belt conveyor 41, as shown in Figure 4. In this production line 40 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "the line"), it is preferable that it be branched into multiple lines as shown in the figure, with each branched line having a content surface treatment device 1. This allows for efficient surface treatment while preventing the accumulation of containers 2 on the line. In this case, the content surface treatment device 1 installed on one line and the content surface treatment device 1 installed on another line are positioned so as not to face each other or overlap on the line. Because the content surface treatment devices 1 are positioned so as not to face each other on the line, even if a malfunction occurs in the content surface treatment device 1 due to a defect such as a bottle tipping over, it is possible to check for malfunctions in the device from the opposite position on the line, which is an excellent effect. In addition, it becomes easier to adjust the lateral direction of the pressing part 10 in accordance with changes in the container 2. The contents surface treatment device 1 installed in the line is naturally equipped with a bottle presence / absence inlet sensor 35 and a bottle presence / absence outlet sensor 36 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "sensors"). These sensors are used to determine downward movement due to pressing operations, but they can also be used to detect the presence or absence of containers 2 on the line flowing toward the contents surface treatment device 1, and will be used to determine line branching by the distribution unit 43 described later.

[0041] The belt conveyor 41 is a means of transporting the container 2 and is arranged from the stage before the pressing operation by the contents surface treatment device 1 to the stage after the pressing operation. The specific structure of the belt conveyor 41 can be any conventionally known technology, and the belt portion of the belt conveyor 41 that contacts the bottom surface of the container 2 should be made of a material that can transport the container 2 without damaging its bottom surface, such as rubber or resin. However, in the branching section where the line is divided using the distribution unit 43 described later, the bottom surface of the container 2 should be made of a slippery material to allow the line to move smoothly.

[0042] The production line 40, which branches into multiple lines, branches into multiple lines upstream of the contents surface treatment device 1 and has a distribution unit 43 that distributes containers 2 to each line. When the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35a on production line 40A is ON and the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35b on production line 40B is OFF, the distribution unit 43 operates to distribute containers 2 to production line 40B. Subsequently, when the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35b on production line 40B is ON and a certain period of time (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "delay time") has elapsed, the distribution unit 43 operates to distribute containers 2 to production line 40A. The distribution unit 43 works in conjunction with sensors provided in the contents surface treatment device 1 to block one line and create a route to the other line. The sensors can be any sensors capable of determining branching, for example, branching is determined by the detection result of a bottle presence / absence inlet-side sensor 35 that detects the presence or absence of a container 2 on the inlet side of the contents surface treatment device 1. The distribution unit 43 is composed of a rod-shaped or plate-shaped body that can rotate within a predetermined range (a range in which one line can be blocked) around a fixed base end, and its operation is determined by detection by a sensor. When the distribution unit 43 is activated, it rotates from one line towards the other line, blocking one line while forming a route toward the destination line. The distribution unit 43 provides excellent advantages, such as enabling efficient surface treatment across multiple lines without containers 2 accumulating in a single line.

[0043] The delay time in the above configuration is set by the user, taking into consideration the production speed of the containers 2 flowing on the belt conveyor 41, the pressing speed of the contents surface treatment device 1, and so on.

[0044] The belt conveyor 41 used in the production line 40 operates continuously in one direction (towards the downstream side) to increase production efficiency. Similarly, the containers 2 transported by the belt conveyor 41 also flow continuously towards the downstream side. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, a partition plate 44a is provided on the downstream side of the contents surface treatment device 1, and a partition plate 44b is provided on the upstream side of the contents surface treatment device 1, respectively, so that the movement of the containers 2 stops when the contents surface treatment device 1 is in operation. The partition plate 44a is positioned downstream of the contents surface treatment device 1 and blocks the containers 2 flowing along the belt conveyor 41 downstream of the contents surface treatment device 1, thereby preventing the opening 5 from shifting during the pressing operation. After the pressing operation is completed, the partition plate 44a is opened, and after all the containers 2 that have undergone the pressing operation have passed through the partition plate 44a, the partition plate 44a is closed again, blocking the containers 2 undergoing the pressing operation. The partition plate 44b is positioned upstream of the contents surface treatment device 1 and blocks the containers 2 flowing along the belt conveyor 41 upstream of the contents surface treatment device 1, preventing other containers 2 from flowing into the contents surface treatment device 1 during the pressing operation. After all containers 2 have passed through the partition plate 44a and the partition plate 44a is closed again, the partition plate 44b is opened, and the containers 2 that were blocked upstream flow into the contents surface treatment device 1.

[0045] The belt conveyor 41 is equipped with an auxiliary fence 42 to prevent the containers 2 from falling outside the production line 40 or moving around excessively. The auxiliary fence 42 is installed along the longitudinal side of the belt conveyor 41 and along the flow path of the container 2 in the production line 40. The provision of the auxiliary fence 42 provides excellent benefits, such as fixing the position of the opening 5 during the pressing operation of the contents surface treatment device 1, by fixing the longitudinal direction by contact between the containers 2 and the short direction by the auxiliary fence 42.

[0046] The operation of a production line 40 using the contents surface treatment apparatus 1 according to the present invention, which has the above configuration, will be explained with reference to Figure 4. The contents surface treatment device 1 can simultaneously form recesses 4 in six containers 2. The production line 40 consists of two lanes: production line 40A equipped with the contents surface treatment device 1A, and production line 40B equipped with the contents surface treatment device 1B. The belt conveyor 41 provided as part of the production line 40 operates at a constant speed from bottom to top as shown in Figure 4. First, the flow of the production line 40A will be explained using Figure 4(a). First, the containers 2 flowing along the auxiliary fence 42a on the belt conveyor 41 are blocked and dammed by the partition plate 44a provided in the contents surface treatment device 1A. Then, when there are six dammed containers 2, the partition plate 44b is blocked, preventing the containers 2 dammed by the partition plate 44a from moving and blocking the flow path, thereby damming up the containers 2 flowing from the upstream side. After the partition plate 44b closes, the contents surface treatment device 1A performs a pressing operation, and the six containers 2, which have recesses 4 created, flow downstream as the partition plate 44a opens. Then, after the last end of the containers 2 has passed the partition plate 44a, the flow path is blocked when the partition plate 44a closes, and as the partition plate 44b opens, the containers 2 that were being held up upstream flow up to the partition plate 44a and are held up there as well. This action makes it possible to perform surface processing on the contents 3 without causing the container 2 to move around due to the continuously operating belt conveyor 41.

[0047] Next, the flow when the lane switches from production line 40A to production line 40B due to the operation of the distribution unit 43 will be explained with reference to Figure 4(b). The distribution unit 43 will perform distribution based on the ON / OFF status of the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35a on production line 40A and the ON / OFF status of the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35b on production line B. The delay time is a fixed time, for example, about 5 seconds. Note that the operation of the contents surface treatment device 1B is the same as that of the contents surface treatment device 1A and will therefore be omitted. First, the bottle presence / absence sensor 35a, which detects the container 2 being pressed by the contents surface treatment device 1A, remains ON. Also, the bottle presence / absence sensor 35b on the production line 40B remains OFF because there is no container 2 present. The distribution unit 43 rotates to block production line 40A and form a route toward production line 40B when the bottle presence / absence inlet sensor 35a is turned ON and the bottle presence / absence inlet sensor 35b is turned OFF. The containers 2 flowing on the belt conveyor 41 follow the flow path to the production line 40B formed by the distribution unit 43 and move along the auxiliary fence 42b towards the contents surface treatment device 1B. Once the pressing operation by the contents surface treatment device 1B is complete, the partition plate 44b is opened, and the containers 2 move towards the partition plate 44a. When container 2 flows into the contents surface processing device 1B, the bottle presence / absence inlet sensor 35b turns ON. After the bottle presence / absence inlet sensor 35b turns ON, after a certain period of time, the distribution unit 43 rotates to close the production line 40B and forms a route toward the production line 40A. The sorting unit 43 distributes the contents to a different lane, which has the excellent effect of allowing surface processing to be performed on a different lane even if the number of containers 2 flowing in exceeds the operating speed of the contents surface processing device 1A, without causing the containers 2 to accumulate in the production line 40A.

[0048] The basic configuration and operation of the contents surface treatment apparatus 1 according to the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the configurations shown in the above embodiments and drawings. For example, it is conceivable that the contact surface 11 may be processed not to be flat but to be uneven or sawtooth in shape to increase the surface area of ​​the recesses 4 after surface processing, thereby further promoting the penetration of the additional material 7.

[0049] As described above, the contents surface treatment apparatus 1 according to the present invention is capable of forming recesses 4 on the surface of the contents 3 or pushing overflowing contents 3 into the container 2 by a pressing part 10 that is linked to the vertical movement of the cylinder part 30. By placing the contents surface treatment apparatus 1 in a production line 40 using a belt conveyor 41 in a bottling line for food products, it becomes possible to automatically and quickly prevent contents 3 from overflowing and accurately shape the surface. [Industrial applicability]

[0050] This invention provides a device that can easily form recesses on the surface of a container by pressing a pressing part, which is linked to the vertical movement of a cylinder, against the contents inside the container. It can be used not only for food but also in various bottling processes for pharmaceuticals and other products that require surface processing of contents or filling of contents. Therefore, we believe that the industrial applicability of the "content surface processing device" according to this invention is great. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1. Surface treatment device for contents 1A Surface treatment device for contents (production line 40A side) 1B Surface treatment device for contents (production line 40B side) 2 containers 3 Contents 4 recesses 5 Openings 6 Inlet tube 7 Additional items 10 Pressing part 11 Contact part 12 Connection part 20 Support part 21 Connection Bar 22 Support plate 23 Position adjustment rail 24. Locking lever 30 Cylinder section 31 Operating board 32 detection bars 33a Upper limit detection sensor 33b Lower limit detection sensor 34 Bottle presence / absence sensor 35. Inlet-side sensor for checking the presence or absence of bottles. 35a Bottle presence / absence sensor on the inlet side (production line 40A side) 35b Bottle presence / absence sensor on the inlet side (production line 40B side) 36. Bottle presence / absence sensor on the outlet side 40 Production Lines 40A Production Line 40B Production Line 41 Belt conveyor 42 Auxiliary fence 42a Auxiliary fence (on the production line 40A side) 42b Auxiliary fence (on the production line 40B side) 43 Sorting section 44a Divider plate (downstream side) 44b Divider plate (upstream side)

Claims

1. A surface treatment apparatus for contents that shapes the surface of contents inside a container, It consists of a pressing part, a support part, and a cylinder part. The pressing portion has a contact surface at the bottom that contacts the surface of the contents, and this contact surface is shaped to form the surface of the contents. The support section is the part that connects the pressing section and the cylinder section. The contents surface treatment apparatus is characterized in that the cylinder portion is the part that causes the pressing portion and the support portion to reciprocate in the vertical direction.

2. The contents surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the contents are a viscous or granular food product.

3. The pressing portion is frustoconical in shape, with the bottom surface which is the contact surface being smaller than the top surface, and a recess corresponding to the contact surface is formed on the surface of the contents, as described in claim 2.

4. The content surface processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the pressing portion is cylindrical, the size of the contact surface is smaller than the opening, and the surface of the contents is formed at a low position below the height of the opening.

5. The contents surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of support parts and pressing parts are arranged in a single cylinder.

6. A production line characterized by having a contents surface treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The aforementioned production line branches into multiple lines upstream of the contents surface treatment device, and each line has a distribution unit that distributes containers to it. Each line is equipped with a surface treatment device for the contents, each with its own sensors. The production line according to claim 6, characterized in that the distribution unit, in conjunction with sensors, blocks one line and forms a route to the other line.

8. The production line according to claim 7, characterized in that the sensors are bottle presence / absence sensors for detecting the presence or absence of a container at the bottle inlet.

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