Resin container volume reduction device

Abstract

To provide a volume reduction device for resin containers that suppresses cutting defects. [Solution] A volume reduction device 1 for resin containers that reduces the volume of a bottomed cylindrical resin container 2 by cutting it, comprising: a bottom cutting blade 3 for cutting the bottom 22 of the resin container 2; a pusher 5 having a holding part 51 that holds the opening 24 of the resin container 2 when the bottom 22 is cut and moves the resin container 2 along the direction opposite to the bottom cutting blade 3; a side cutting blade 4 provided opposite the pusher 5 with the bottom cutting blade 3 in between, and after the bottom 22 is cut, the pusher 5 pushes the resin container 2, cutting the side of the resin container 2 along the axial direction; and a control unit 6 that controls the advancement and retraction of the bottom cutting blade 3 and the movement of the pusher 5, wherein the control unit 6 moves the pusher 5 together with the resin container 2 to a position where the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is cut by the bottom cutting blade 3, then retracts the pusher 5 so that it moves away from the resin container 2, and cuts the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 with the bottom cutting blade 3.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a volume reducing apparatus for resin containers. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Bottomed cylindrical resin containers for containing drugs and the like are commonly used. When discarded as they are, used resin containers have a large volume and are difficult to handle. Accordingly, it has been considered to reduce the volume of waste by crushing or cutting resin containers. However, resin containers used for drugs and the like are relatively hard, and it is not easy to crush them by stepping on or cut them manually like, for example, PET bottles for beverages. Therefore, volume reducing apparatuses for resin containers, which cut resin containers to reduce the volume of waste, are used.

[0003] The volume reducing apparatus for resin containers disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a bottom cutting blade for cutting the bottom of a resin container, and a side cutting blade for cutting the side surface of the resin container. In this volume reducing apparatus for resin containers, the bottom of the resin container is cut by lowering the bottom cutting blade vertically against the resin container. After cutting the bottom, the bottom cutting blade is retracted, and the resin container is pushed toward the side cutting blade fixed behind the bottom cutting blade, whereby the resin container is cut in the axial direction and discharged out of the apparatus. The bottom of the resin container cut by the bottom cutting blade falls between the bottom cutting blade and the side cutting blade and is discharged out of the apparatus. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0004] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-361591 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0005] However, when the bottom cutting blade was extended downwards to cut the bottom of the resin container, excessive load was sometimes placed on the motor driving the bottom cutting blade, resulting in a cutting failure where the cut was not performed properly.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a volume reduction device for resin containers that suppresses cutting defects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A volume reduction device for resin containers according to one embodiment of the present invention is a volume reduction device for resin containers that reduces the volume of a bottomed cylindrical resin container by cutting it, and is provided so as to be able to extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the resin container, and has a bottom cutting blade for cutting the bottom of the resin container, and is provided opposite to the bottom cutting blade and has a holding part that holds the opening of the resin container when the bottom of the resin container is cut, and is provided so as to be able to move along the direction opposite to the bottom cutting blade, and is configured to move the resin container along the axial direction as it moves, and is provided so as to be opposite to the pusher with the bottom cutting blade in between, The device includes a bottom cutting blade which cuts the bottom of the resin container and retracts the bottom cutting blade, and a side cutting blade which cuts the side of the resin container along the axial direction as the resin container is pushed in as the pusher moves, and a control unit which controls the advancement and retraction of the bottom cutting blade and the movement of the pusher, wherein the control unit moves the pusher together with the resin container from a predetermined starting position toward the bottom cutting blade, moves to a cutting position which is the position where the bottom of the resin container is cut by the bottom cutting blade, and then retracts the pusher so as to move it away from the resin container, and cuts the bottom of the resin container with the bottom cutting blade. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a volume reduction device for resin containers that suppresses cutting defects can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1]This figure shows a volume reduction device for resin containers according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a cross-sectional view of line AA in (a). [Figure 2] This figure shows the resin container volume reduction device 1 when the resin container 2 is set in place; (a) is a perspective view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of (a) along line BB. [Figure 3] Figures (a) to (d) illustrate the behavior when the bottom of a resin container is cut by a bottom cutting blade. [Figure 4] (a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating the operation of a volume reduction device for plastic containers. [Figure 5] (a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating the operation of a volume reduction device for plastic containers. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the operation of a volume reduction device for plastic containers. [Figure 7] (a) to (d) are diagrams showing variations of a vertical blade. [Figure 8] (a) and (b) are diagrams showing variations of a plunger. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 shows a volume reduction device 1 for resin containers according to this embodiment, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of (a). Figure 2 shows the volume reduction device 1 for resin containers with a resin container 2 set inside, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (a).

[0012] The resin container volume reduction device 1 is a device that reduces the volume of waste by cutting used resin containers 2. The resin container 2 is bottomed cylindrical, more specifically bottle-shaped. The resin container 2 has a hollow cylindrical body 21, a bottom 22 that closes one opening of the body 21, and a neck 23 that extends axially from the other opening of the body 21 and has a smaller outer diameter than the body 21, with the end of the neck 23 being open. The resin container 2 also has an opening 24 at the position opposite the bottom 22 where the neck 23 opens outward. The resin container 2 is a container for holding pharmaceuticals, etc., and is harder to crush than PET bottles for beverages, etc. The resin container 2 is made of synthetic resin such as polyethylene. The resin container volume reduction device 1 is used to cut such a relatively hard and difficult-to-crush resin container 2 and reduce the volume of waste.

[0013] The resin container volume reduction device 1 according to this embodiment is mounted on a fully automatic dissolving device that automatically prepares dialysate and is used to reduce the volume of resin containers 2 that contained the stock solution of dialysate. In the fully automatic dissolving device, two types of stock solutions, solution A and solution B, are used when preparing dialysate. Therefore, when preparing dialysate, two resin containers 2, one containing solution A and the other containing solution B, become used. Accordingly, the resin container volume reduction device 1 is configured to cut both resin containers 2 simultaneously.

[0014] The fully automatic dissolving device, after preparing the dialysate, automatically transports the used resin container 2, which contained the stock dialysate, to the built-in resin container volume reduction device 1. The resin container volume reduction device 1 then automatically cuts the used resin container 2 and discharges it outside the device. The details of the resin container volume reduction device 1 are described below.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1(a), (b) and 2(a), (b), the resin container volume reduction device 1 includes a bottom cutting blade 3 for cutting the bottom 22 of the resin container 2, a side cutting blade 4 for cutting the sides (body 21 and neck 23) of the resin container 2 along the axial direction, a pusher 5 for moving the resin container 2, and a control unit 6 that controls the forward and backward movement of the bottom cutting blade 3 and the movement of the pusher 5.

[0016] Furthermore, the resin container volume reduction device 1 has a front plate 7 having through holes 71 into which the resin container 2 is inserted. The front plate 7 is provided so as to be aligned in a substantially vertical direction. The front plate 7 has two through holes 71 so that two resin containers 2 can be cut simultaneously. The front plate 7 is also provided with guide rods 72 for guiding the resin container 2. The guide rods 72 are provided so as to extend vertically (i.e., substantially horizontally) from the surface of the front plate 7. Here, a pair of guide rods 72 are provided in parallel, corresponding to both through holes 71. The resin container 2 is placed between the pair of guide rods 72 so that the axial direction of the resin container 2 coincides with the axial direction of the guide rods 72 (i.e., lying on its side) (see Figures 2(a) and (b)). The resin container 2 is inserted into the through holes 71 of the front plate 7 from the bottom 22 side. Hereinafter, the insertion direction of the resin container 2 (to the right in Figures 1(b) and 2(b)) will be referred to as the front, and the opposite direction (to the left in Figures 1(b) and 2(b)) will be referred to as the rear.

[0017] The bottom cutting blade 3 serves to cut the bottom 22 of the resin container 2. The bottom cutting blade 3 is provided in front of the front plate 7 and adjacent to the front plate 7. The bottom cutting blade 3 is provided so as to be able to advance in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the resin container 2. In the present embodiment, by rotating the bottom cutting blade 3 with a motor 31, the bottom cutting blade 3 is advanced from above to below in the vertical direction, and the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is configured to be cut by the bottom cutting blade 3. By advancing the bottom cutting blade 3 downward, the bottoms 22 of the two resin containers 2 respectively inserted into the two through holes 71 are cut substantially simultaneously. The bottom 22 of the resin container 2 cut by the bottom cutting blade 3 is discharged downward through a discharge port 81 provided between the bottom cutting blade 3 and a side cutting blade 4 arranged in front of the bottom cutting blade 3 (see Fig. 5(a)).

[0018] The pusher 5 serves to move the resin container 2 and to hold the opening 24 of the resin container 2 when cutting the bottom 22. The pusher 5 is provided opposite to the bottom cutting blade 3, and is provided so as to be movable along the direction opposite to the bottom cutting blade 3 (that is, forward and backward). The pusher 5 has a holding portion 51 that holds the opening 24 of the resin container 2 when cutting the bottom 22. In the present embodiment, two holding portions 51 are provided on the pusher 5 corresponding to two resin containers 2. The holding portion 51 corresponding to the relatively large-diameter resin container 2 (the holding portion 51 on the right front side in Fig. 1(a)) includes an abutment portion 511 that axially abuts against the opening 24 of the resin container 2, and a flange portion 512 that extends axially forward from the peripheral edge of the abutment portion 511 and is provided to face the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral edge of the opening 24 of the resin container 2 (the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 23). The holding portion 51 corresponding to the relatively small-diameter resin container 2 (the holding portion 51 on the left rear side in Fig. 1(a)) is configured to hold the resin container 2 by clamping both sides of the resin container 2.

[0019] The pusher 5 is provided with a moving mechanism 52 that moves the pusher 5 forward and backward. The moving mechanism 52 includes a rail 521 extending in the front-rear direction, and a motor (not illustrated) that moves the pusher 5 along the rail 521. Drive control of the motor is performed by the control unit 6. By moving the pusher 5 forward via the moving mechanism 52, the resin container 2 is moved forward along with the movement of the pusher 5.

[0020] The side cutting blade 4 is for cutting the side surface of the resin container 2, that is, the body portion 21 and the neck portion 23 of the resin container 2 along the axial direction. The side cutting blade 4 is provided so as to face the pusher 5 with the bottom cutting blade 3 interposed therebetween, and is provided in front of the bottom cutting blade 3. The side cutting blade 4 includes a vertical blade 41 provided along the advancing direction of the bottom cutting blade 3 (that is, provided along the vertical direction), and a horizontal blade 42 extending in a direction perpendicular to the vertical blade 41 (that is, provided along the horizontal direction), and is formed in a cross shape as a whole. The side cutting blade 4 is fixed onto the base 8 so as not to move along with the movement of the pusher 5. Note that two side cutting blades 4 are provided corresponding to the two resin containers 2. A side cutting blade 4 (not illustrated) corresponding to a resin container 2 having a relatively small outer diameter may be configured of only the vertical blade 41 or only the horizontal blade 42.

[0021] After the bottom portion 22 of the resin container 2 is cut by the bottom cutting blade 3 and the bottom cutting blade 3 is retracted upward, the resin container 2 is pushed forward along with the movement of the pusher 5, whereby four positions on the side surface (the body portion 21 and the neck portion 23) of the resin container 2 are cut along the axial direction by the vertical blade 41 and the horizontal blade 42 of the side cutting blade 4, and the resin container 2 is divided into four parts (see FIG. 6). The cut resin container 2 (the body portion 21 and the neck portion 23 divided into four parts) is discharged out of the apparatus from the front of the side cutting blade 4.

[0022] The control unit 6 controls the forward and backward movement of the bottom cutting blade 3 and the movement of the plunger 5. The control unit 6 is implemented by appropriately combining computing elements, memory, software, interfaces, etc. The control unit 6 controls the forward and backward movement of the bottom cutting blade 3 by controlling the motor 31. In addition, the control unit 6 controls the movement of the plunger 5 along the rail 521, that is, the forward and backward movement of the plunger 5, by controlling a motor (not shown) of the moving mechanism 52. The control unit 6 may also be installed in the control unit of a fully automatic melting machine equipped with a resin container volume reduction device 1.

[0023] Here, we will explain the behavior when the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is cut. Figures 3(a) to 3(d) illustrate the behavior when the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is cut by the bottom cutting blade 3. As shown in Figures 3(a) to 3(d), when the bottom 22 is cut while the opening 24 of the resin container 2 is held by the plunger 5, the resin container 2 is pushed toward the plunger 5 when the bottom cutting blade 3 is advanced downwards, and the resulting repulsive force is applied to the bottom cutting blade 3. As a result, the direction of travel of the bottom cutting blade 3 tilts axially forward (towards the bottom 22), causing variations in the thickness of the cut bottom 22. Consequently, the cut bottom 22 of the resin container 2 may get stuck between the bottom cutting blade 3 and the side cutting blade 4 and become jammed without being discharged. For example, widening the gap between the bottom cutting blade 3 and the side cutting blade 4 can suppress clogging at the bottom 22 of the cut resin container 2. However, in that case, the size of the resin container volume reduction device 1 would increase, and the area occupied by the resin container volume reduction device 1 when mounted on the fully automatic dissolution device would increase, which is undesirable.

[0024] Therefore, in this embodiment, the vertical blade 41 of the side cutting blade 4 is provided with a tapered portion 41a, which is tapered so that at least a part of it is tapered away from the bottom cutting blade 3 as it moves forward in the direction of the bottom cutting blade 3 (i.e., downward). As shown in Figure 1(b), in this embodiment, the entire vertical blade 41 is tapered from top to bottom in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to increase the distance between the bottom cutting blade 3 and the side cutting blade 4 as it moves downward, closer to the discharge port 81, while maintaining a small size for the resin container volume reduction device 1. As a result, even if there is variation in the thickness of the bottom 22 of the cut resin container 2, the bottom 22 of the cut resin container 2 is less likely to get caught between the bottom cutting blade 3 and the side cutting blade 4, and it is possible to suppress the bottom 22 of the cut resin container 2 from becoming clogged and not being discharged. The shortest distance between the bottom cutting blade 3 and the side cutting blade 4 should be greater than the maximum thickness of the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 cut by the bottom cutting blade 3.

[0025] Furthermore, as explained in Figures 3(a) to 3(d), when cutting the bottom 22 of the resin container 2, the direction of travel of the bottom cutting blade 3 tilts toward the bottom 22, which can cause the load on the motor 31 driving the bottom cutting blade 3 to become too large, potentially resulting in a cutting failure where the bottom 22 is not cut properly, and potentially causing the motor 31 to malfunction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 6 moves the plunger 5 together with the resin container 2 toward the bottom cutting blade 3 from a predetermined starting position, moves it to the cutting position where the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is cut by the bottom cutting blade 3, and then moves the plunger 5 backward so that it moves away from the resin container 2, and in that state the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is cut by the bottom cutting blade 3. This makes it possible for the resin container 2 to move backward and relieve the load when the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is cut by the bottom cutting blade 3. As a result, it is possible to suppress excessive load on the motor 31 driving the bottom cutting blade 3.

[0026] The distance the plunger 5 is retracted from the cutting position should be at least greater than the thickness of the bottom cutting blade 3. Also, if the plunger 5 is retracted too far from the cutting position, the holding portion 51 of the plunger 5 will no longer be able to hold the resin container 2, and there is a risk that the resin container 2 will fall off the guide rod 72 when the bottom 22 is cut. For this reason, the control unit 6 should control the retraction of the plunger 5 so that at least a part of the eaves portion 512 remains facing the outer circumferential surface of the periphery of the opening 24 of the resin container 2 when the plunger 5 is retracted from the cutting position.

[0027] (Operation of the volume reduction device 1 for resin containers) Next, the operation of the resin container volume reduction device 1 will be described. First, as shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), used resin containers 2 are set between the pair of guide rods 72. It is desirable that the setting of the resin containers 2 be performed automatically by the fully automatic dissolving device equipped with the resin container volume reduction device 1. At this time, the plunger 5 is in a predetermined starting position.

[0028] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 4(a), the control unit 6 moves the plunger 5 forward, moving it to the cutting position. As the plunger 5 moves, the resin container 2 moves forward, and the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is inserted into the through hole 71 of the front plate 7. Then, as shown in Figure 4(b), the control unit 6 slightly retracts the plunger 5, moving it to the retracted position. Then, as shown in Figure 5(a), the control unit 6 drives the motor 31 to advance the bottom cutting blade 3 downward, cutting the bottom 22 of the resin container 2. At this time, because the plunger 5 is separated from the resin container 2, the axial load can be relieved and the load on the motor 31 can be reduced.

[0029] Furthermore, the cut bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is discharged downward from the discharge port 81 between the bottom cutting blade 3 and the side cutting blade 4, and is discharged outside the device. In this embodiment, the vertical blade 41 of the side cutting blade 4 is tapered so that it moves further away from the bottom cutting blade 3 towards the bottom, so even if the thickness of the cut bottom 22 of the resin container 2 varies, the cut bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is less likely to get caught between the bottom cutting blade 3 and the side cutting blade 4. After cutting the bottom 22 of the resin container 2, as shown in Figure 5(b), the control unit 6 drives the motor 31 to retract the bottom cutting blade 3 upward.

[0030] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 6, the control unit 6 moves the plunger 5 forward, and consequently moves the resin container 2 forward, pushing the resin container 2 into the side cutting blade 4. As a result, the sides of the resin container 2 (i.e., the body portion 21 and the neck portion 23) are cut along the axial direction by the vertical blade 41 and horizontal blade 42 of the side cutting blade 4, dividing it into four parts. The divided resin container 2 is then discharged outside the device.

[0031] (A modified example of vertical blade 41) In this embodiment, we have described a case where the entire vertical blade 41 is a tapered portion 41a formed so that it moves away from the bottom cutting blade 3 towards the bottom. However, the invention is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if at least a part of the vertical blade 41 is a tapered portion 41a. For example, as shown in Figure 7(a), the lower part of the vertical blade 41 may be a tapered portion 41a, and the upper part may be a second tapered portion 41b that moves away from the bottom cutting blade 3 towards the top. Also, as shown in Figure 7(b), there may be a flat portion 41c that is not inclined between the second tapered portion 41b and the tapered portion 41a. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7(c), the second tapered portion 41b may be omitted, and the upper part may be a flat portion 41c and the lower part may be a tapered portion 41a. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7(d), there may be a tapered portion 41a in the center, with flat portions 41c above and below it. In this way, the shape of the vertical blade 41 can be changed as appropriate.

[0032] (A variation of the pusher 5) As shown in Figure 8(a), the plunger 5 may have a load-absorbing member 513 at the contact portion 511 that contacts the opening 24 of the resin container 2 at its holding portion 51. The load-absorbing member 513 elastically contacts the resin container 2 and is intended to absorb the axial load generated when the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is cut. In Figure 8(a), the load-absorbing member 513 is made of cushioning rubber or resin. By having the load-absorbing member 513, it becomes possible to absorb the axial load on the resin container 2 generated when the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is cut, and it becomes possible to suppress excessive load on the motor 31 that drives the bottom cutting blade 3.

[0033] The load-absorbing member 513 is not limited to rubber or resin having cushioning properties. For example, as shown in Figure 8(b), the load-absorbing member 513 may consist of a plate-shaped member 513a that contacts the resin container 2 and a spring member 513b that supports the plate-shaped member 513a. When the plunger 5 has a load-absorbing member 513, the control to retract the plunger 5 before cutting the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 may be omitted.

[0034] (Operation and Effects of the Embodiment) According to the embodiments described above, the following actions and effects can be obtained.

[0035] (1) In the resin container volume reduction device 1 according to this embodiment, the control unit 6 moves the plunger 5 together with the resin container 2 toward the bottom cutting blade 3 from a predetermined starting position, moves it to the cutting position which is the position where the bottom cutting blade 3 cuts the bottom 22 of the resin container 2, and then moves the plunger 5 backward so that it moves away from the resin container 2, and cuts the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 with the bottom cutting blade 3. As a result, when the bottom 22 of the resin container 2 is cut by the bottom cutting blade 3, the resin container 2 moves toward the plunger 5 to relieve the load, and excessive load is suppressed on the motor 31 that drives the bottom cutting blade 3. As a result, it is possible to suppress cutting defects and motor 31 failures.

[0036] (2) In this embodiment, the holding portion 51 of the plunger 5 has a contact portion 511 that abuts against the opening 24 of the resin container 2 in the axial direction, and a canopy portion 512 that extends axially from the peripheral edge of the contact portion 511 and is provided to face the outer peripheral surface of the periphery of the opening 24 of the resin container 2. The control unit 6 controls the retraction of the plunger 5 so that at least a part of the canopy portion 512 remains facing the outer peripheral surface of the periphery of the opening 24 of the resin container 2 when the plunger 5 is retracted from the cutting position. This makes it possible to suppress problems such as the resin container 2 falling off the guide rod 72 without being held by the holding portion 51 when the bottom portion 22 is cut.

[0037] (3) In this embodiment, the control unit 6 controls the retraction of the plunger 5 so that the distance from the cutting position to the retracted position is at least equal to or greater than the thickness of the bottom cutting blade 3. This makes it possible to more reliably reduce the load on the bottom 22 during cutting and suppress cutting defects.

[0038] (4) The contact portion 511 may also have a load-absorbing member 513 that elastically contacts the resin container 2 and absorbs the axial load generated when the bottom portion 22 of the resin container 2 is cut. This makes it possible to absorb the load when the bottom portion 22 is cut and to suppress cutting defects, etc.

[0039] (5) The load-absorbing member 513 may be made of rubber or resin that has cushioning properties. This allows the load when the bottom 22 is cut to be absorbed by the rubber or resin that has cushioning properties.

[0040] (6) The load-absorbing member 513 may have a plate-shaped member 513a that contacts the resin container 2 and a spring member 513b that supports the plate-shaped member 513a. This allows the elasticity of the spring member 513b to absorb the load when the bottom 22 is cut.

[0041] (Summary of the embodiments) Next, the technical concept understood from the embodiments described above will be described using the reference numerals and other symbols from the embodiments. However, the reference numerals and other symbols in the following description are not limited to the components in the claims that are specifically shown in the embodiments.

[0042] [1] A volume reduction device (1) for resin containers that cuts and reduces the volume of a bottomed cylindrical resin container (2), the device being provided so as to be able to advance in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the resin container (2), and having a bottom cutting blade (3) for cutting the bottom (22) of the resin container (2), and having a holding part (51) provided opposite to the bottom cutting blade (3) and holding the opening (24) of the resin container (2) when the bottom (22) of the resin container (2) is cut, and being provided so as to be able to move along the direction opposite to the bottom cutting blade (3), and configured to move the resin container (2) along the axial direction as it moves, and a bottom cutting blade (3) provided so as to be opposite to the pusher (5) with the bottom cutting blade (3) in between, and the bottom of the resin container (2) A resin container volume reduction device (1) comprising: a side cutting blade (4) that cuts the bottom (22) and retracts the bottom cutting blade (3), and as the resin container (2) is pushed in as the plunger (5) moves, the side of the resin container (2) is cut along the axial direction; and a control unit (6) that controls the advancement and retraction of the bottom cutting blade (3) and the movement of the plunger (5), wherein the control unit (6) moves the plunger (5) together with the resin container (2) from a predetermined starting position toward the bottom cutting blade (3), moves to a cutting position which is the position where the bottom (22) of the resin container (2) is cut by the bottom cutting blade (3), and then retracts the plunger (5) so as to move away from the resin container (2), and cuts the bottom (22) of the resin container (2) with the bottom cutting blade (3).

[0043] [2] The holding portion (51) has a contact portion (511) that abuts against the opening (24) of the resin container (2) in the axial direction, and a canopy portion (512) that extends in the axial direction from the peripheral edge of the contact portion (511) and is provided to face the outer peripheral surface of the opening periphery (24) of the resin container (2), and the control unit (6) controls the retraction of the pusher (5) so that at least a part of the canopy portion (512) faces the outer peripheral surface of the opening (24) of the resin container (2) when the pusher (5) is retracted from the cutting position, the volume reduction device (1) for a resin container according to [1].

[0044] [3] The control unit (6) controls the retraction of the plunger (5) so that the distance from the cutting position to the retracted position is at least equal to or greater than the thickness of the bottom cutting blade (3), as described in [2].

[0045] [4] The resin container volume reduction device (1) according to [2], wherein the contact portion (511) elastically contacts the resin container (2) and has a load absorbing member (513) that absorbs the axial load generated when the bottom portion (22) of the resin container (2) is cut.

[0046] [5] The load-absorbing member (513) is made of cushioning rubber or resin, as described in [4], for the volume reduction device (1) for resin containers.

[0047] [6] The load-absorbing member (513) comprises a plate-shaped member (513a) that contacts the resin container (2) and a spring member (513b) that supports the plate-shaped member (513a), as described in [4].

[0048] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments described above do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, it should be noted that not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential for solving the problem of the invention. Moreover, the present invention can be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1…Volume reduction device for resin containers 2…Plastic containers 22...bottom 3…Bottom cutting blade 31…motor 4…Side cutting blade 41…Vertical blade 42...Side blade 5... Pusher 51...Holding part 511...Abutting part 512...Eaves 6…Control Unit

Claims

1. A volume reduction device for resin containers that reduces the volume of a bottomed cylindrical resin container by cutting it, The bottom cutting blade is provided so as to be able to extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the resin container, and cuts the bottom of the resin container, A pusher is provided opposite the bottom cutting blade and has a holding portion that holds the opening of the resin container when the bottom of the resin container is cut, and is provided so as to be movable along the direction opposite to the bottom cutting blade, and is configured to move the resin container along the axial direction as it moves, A side cutting blade is provided opposite the pusher, sandwiching the bottom cutting blade, and after the bottom cutting blade cuts the bottom of the resin container and retracts the bottom cutting blade, the resin container is pushed in as the pusher moves, thereby cutting the side of the resin container along the axial direction, The system includes a control unit that controls the reciprocating movement of the bottom cutting blade and the movement of the pusher, The control unit moves the plunger together with the resin container toward the bottom cutting blade from a predetermined starting position, moves it to a cutting position which is the position where the bottom of the resin container is cut by the bottom cutting blade, then retracts the plunger so as to move it away from the resin container, and cuts the bottom of the resin container with the bottom cutting blade. Volume reduction device for resin containers.

2. The holding portion has a contact portion that abuts against the opening of the resin container in the axial direction, and a canopy portion that extends from the peripheral edge of the contact portion in the axial direction and is provided to face the outer peripheral surface of the opening of the resin container. The control unit controls the retraction of the plunger so that, when the plunger is retracted from the cutting position, at least a portion of the eaves portion faces the outer circumferential surface of the opening of the resin container. The volume reduction device for resin containers according to claim 1.

3. The control unit controls the retraction of the plunger so that the distance from the cutting position to the retraction position is at least equal to or greater than the thickness of the bottom cutting blade. The volume reduction device for resin containers according to claim 2.

4. The contact portion elastically contacts the resin container and has a load-absorbing member that absorbs the axial load generated when the bottom of the resin container is cut. The volume reduction device for resin containers according to claim 2.

5. The load-absorbing member is made of rubber or resin that has cushioning properties. The volume reduction device for resin containers according to claim 4.

6. The load-absorbing member comprises a plate-shaped member that contacts the resin container and a spring member that supports the plate-shaped member. The volume reduction device for resin containers according to claim 4.

Images