Content surface treatment device and production line equipped with said device

Abstract

To provide an apparatus capable of automatically and quickly processing the surface of contents filled in a container, and a production line in which the apparatus is installed. [Solution] A content surface treatment device that shapes the surface of the contents inside a container, comprising a pressing part, a support part, and a cylinder part, the pressing part has a contact surface at the bottom that contacts the surface of the contents, the contact surface is shaped to shape the surface of the contents, the support part is a part that connects the pressing part and the cylinder part, and the cylinder part is a part that moves the pressing part and support part back and forth in the vertical direction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for deforming the surface of ingredients packed in a container. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when ingredients are bottled, depending on the ingredients being filled, some of the ingredients may spill out of the bottle, or when seasonings or other ingredients are added to the ingredients, there may be no head space and the ingredients may overflow. As a response, workers checked each bottle during bottling work, and used tools to press against it to prevent spills, or to create depressions for seasonings, etc. However, it is not efficient for workers to only carry out the checking work, and there is also the possibility that abnormalities may be overlooked or foreign matter may be mixed in. Therefore, there was a demand for a device that could automatically and quickly form ingredients to prevent them from spilling out and to add seasonings, etc.

[0003] To solve the above problems, a technical proposal has been made in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-173551 (Patent Document 1). That is, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for surface treatment of a filling, in which the surface of the viscous content in a container is reliably and substantially uniformly leveled, and then a rotating roller slides along the surface so that part of its circumferential surface comes into contact with the surface of the content in the container, and rotates to bite into the surface, leveling the surface of the content.

[0004] However, the technical proposal described in Patent Document 1 requires sliding and rotating the surface of the contents, which takes a certain amount of time and is not efficient.Furthermore, it only makes the surface of the contents approximately uniform, and does not yet solve the above problems.

[0005] The applicant focused on the processing means for the surface of bottled contents in a bottling production line, and came up with the idea of ​​whether it would be possible to process the surface of contents automatically and in a short time.He developed a device that can automatically process the surface of contents by pressing a pressing part that is linked to the up and down movement of a cylinder against the surface of the contents, and this has led to the proposal of the ``content surface processing device and production line in which said device is installed'' in this invention. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-173551 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

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

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a content surface treatment device that shapes the surface of the content inside a container, and is composed of a pressing part, a support part, and a cylinder part. The pressing part has a contact surface at the bottom that contacts the surface of the content, and this contact surface is shaped to shape the surface of the content. The support part is a part that connects the pressing part and the cylinder part, and the cylinder part is a part that moves the pressing part and support part back and forth in the up and down direction.

[0009] The present invention also provides a container in which the contents are a viscous or granular food product.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which the pressing portion is frustum-shaped, the bottom surface which is the contact surface is 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 portions and pressing portions are arranged on one cylinder portion.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention is a production line employing a means in which the content surface treatment device is arranged.

[0014] Furthermore, in the present invention, the production line branches into multiple lines upstream of the content surface treatment device, and has a distribution section that distributes containers to each line, and each line is equipped with a content surface treatment device equipped with sensors, and the distribution section works in conjunction with the sensors to block one line and form a route to the other line. Furthermore, the sensors may be bottle presence / absence inlet side sensors that detect the presence or absence of a container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the content surface treatment device of the present invention, the bottom part of the pressing part, which is connected to the cylinder part and the support part, is provided with a contact surface that contacts the surface of the content, thereby preventing the content from spilling out and enabling surface shaping for seasonings, etc. to be performed automatically and accurately in a short time, thereby contributing to improved production efficiency.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the content surface treatment device of the present invention, the shape of the pressing part is a truncated cone with a smaller bottom, so that when pressed against the content, pressure is concentrated on the contact surface, making it easy to form a recess on the surface of the content.

[0017] Furthermore, according to the content surface treatment device of the present invention, since the pressing portion is cylindrical, pressure is applied evenly to the surface of the content that contacts the contact surface, and therefore the content that comes into contact with the contact surface is pressured downward, particularly toward the gap that occurs when the content is filled, which prevents the content from spilling out and makes it easier to compress the content.

[0018] Furthermore, according to the content surface treatment device of the present invention, multiple support parts and pressing parts are arranged on one cylinder part, making it possible to perform multiple pressing operations simultaneously with a single operation, and reducing the installation space, contributing to space saving of the entire content surface treatment device.

[0019] Furthermore, in the production line according to the present invention, the content surface treatment device is installed, so that the surface treatment of the content filled in the container can be performed automatically on the line in a short time, which contributes to improving production efficiency.

[0020] Furthermore, the production line according to the present invention has an arrangement in which the line branches into multiple lines upstream of the content surface treatment device, and a distribution section distributes containers to each line, each line having a content surface treatment device equipped with sensors. This provides the excellent effect of preventing containers from concentrating and remaining on one line, and allowing surface treatment to be carried out automatically, efficiently, and in a short time. Furthermore, when the system is branched into multiple lines, the content surface treatment devices are positioned so that they do not face each other on the line, which has the excellent effect of making it possible to check whether there is a problem with the line or device from the opposite position of the device even if an abnormality occurs in the content surface treatment device due to a malfunction such as a bottle being knocked over. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view showing an embodiment of a contents surface treatment device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating surface treatment in a content surface treatment device according to the present invention. [Figure 3]1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating surface treatment in a content surface treatment device according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a production line using a content surface treatment device according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The greatest feature of the content surface treatment device of the present invention and the production line in which said device is installed is that it can automatically and accurately prevent content spillage and shape the surface in a short amount of time on a bottling line for food products, etc. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a content surface treatment device according to the present invention and a production line in which the device is installed will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] The content surface treatment device according to the present invention and the production line in which the device is installed are not limited to the embodiments described below, but can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, i.e., within the scope of the shape, dimensions, material, structure, etc. that can achieve the same functional effects.

[0024] FIG. 1 is an overall view showing an embodiment of a content surface treatment device 1 according to the present invention, where (a) is a side view and (b) is a front view of an embodiment in which a plurality of pressing portions 10 and support portions 20 are connected to one cylinder portion 30. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the surface treatment in the content surface treatment device 1 when the content 3 is a viscous material, where (a) shows the surface before treatment, (b) shows the surface treatment by the pressing unit 10, (c) shows the formation of a recess 4 by surface treatment, and (d) shows the case where an additional material 7 is poured in after the recess 4 is formed. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the surface treatment in the content surface treatment device 1 when the content 3 is a plurality of solids, where (a) shows the state before the surface treatment, (b) shows the surface treatment by the pressing unit 10, (c) shows the exhaust flow path for the air inside the container 2 during the surface treatment, and (d) shows the state after the surface treatment. 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams showing an embodiment of a production line using a content surface treatment device, in which (a) shows the production line before sorting by the sorting unit, and (b) shows the production line after sorting by the sorting unit. The content surface treatment device 1 according to the present invention is mainly composed of a pressing part 10, a support part 20, and a cylinder part 30.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the container 2 used in the content surface treatment device 1 according to the present invention is a bottle-shaped body having an opening 5 on the top surface. The shape and constituent materials may be any of those that are conventionally known. After the pressing operation, a lid is fastened to cover the top of the opening 5, thereby sealing the hollow portion of the container 2. The size of the container 2 and the opening 5 is determined appropriately depending on the size of the contents 3, the amount of filling, and the like.

[0026] The contents 3 filled in the container 2 are assumed to be viscous or granular food, but are not particularly limited. However, for simple liquids, the surface is always flat, so surface processing by the pressing part 10 is unnecessary and is therefore omitted. When the contents 3 are viscous or granular food, the surface of the contents 3 can be easily processed by the pressing part 10. 2, the pressing part 10 is pressed directly against the surface of the contents 3, thereby forming depressions 4 and maintaining the shape. Note that an additional substance 7, such as a content other than the contents 3 or seasoning oil, is poured onto the surface of the contents 3 on which depressions 4 have been formed by the pressing part 10, through a feeding pipe 6 provided downstream of the contents surface treatment device 1. As shown in FIG. 3, a mode in which solid foods such as shallots and mushrooms are filled as the contents 3 is also possible.

[0027] The pressing part 10 shapes the surface of the contents 3 . The pressing part 10 is frustum-shaped (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 content 3. In addition, the pressing portion 10 is connected to the cylinder portion 30 via the support portion 20 by the connection portion 12 provided on the top surface of the pressing portion 10, but by making the pressing portion 10 removable using screws or the like, it becomes easier to replace it due to maintenance or changes in shape. The pressing part 10 is linked to the up-and-down reciprocating motion of the cylinder part 30, and the contact surface 11 is pressed against the surface of the contents 3, thereby forming the recess 4. Furthermore, the material that constitutes the pressing portion 10 is one that comes into contact with the contents 3, which is food, and furthermore, because the pressing action is performed at short intervals (for example, about once every 5 seconds), a resin material such as silicone or polyamide synthetic fiber that is easy to peel off from the contents 3, water-resistant, corrosion-resistant, durable, and lighter than metal is used. The bottom part of the pressing part 10, which is connected via the cylinder part 30 and the support part 20, is provided with a contact surface 11 that contacts the surface of the contents 3, thereby preventing the contents 3 from spilling out and accurately shaping the surface for seasonings, etc., thereby contributing to improved production efficiency. Furthermore, since the shape of the pressing portion 10 is a truncated cone with a smaller bottom, pressure is concentrated on the contact surface 11 when pressed against the contents 3, making it easier to form a recess 4 on the surface of the contents 3.

[0028] As another form of the pressing portion 10, a cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 3 is preferable. The cylindrical pressing portion 10 has a contact surface 11 that is smaller than the opening 5, and the surface of the contents 3 is formed at a low position that is equal to or lower than the height of the opening 5. The top and bottom surfaces are formed to be approximately the same size. Because the pressing portion 10 is cylindrical, pressure is applied evenly to the surface of the contents 3 that contact the contact surface 11, so that the contents 3 that come into contact with the contact surface 11 are pressured downward, particularly toward any gaps that arise when the contents 3 are filled. This prevents the contents 3 from overflowing, for example by forcing any contents 3 that overflow from the opening 5 into the container 2, and also makes it easier to compress the contents 3.

[0029] The support portion 20 is a portion that connects the pressing portion 10 and the cylinder portion 30 . The support part 20 is composed of a connection bar 21 connected to the pressing part 10 and a support plate 22 connected to the cylinder part 30, and transmits the reciprocating motion in the up and down direction (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "up and down movement") generated by the operation of the cylinder part 30 to the pressing part 10. The support part 20 moves in the same manner in conjunction with the up and down movement caused by the extension and contraction movement of the cylinder part 30, via the support plate 22 connected to the cylinder part 30, and the up and down movement is transmitted to the pressing part 10 via the connection bar 21 provided on the support plate 22.

[0030] The connection bar 21 is a rod-shaped body extending downward from the support plate 22, with its base end connected to the support plate 22 and its tip connected to the connection portion 12. The connecting bar 21 transmits to the pressing part 10 a movement that is the same as the up-and-down reciprocating movement of the cylinder part 30, and uses a rod-shaped body with a smaller diameter than the top surface of the pressing part 10. Furthermore, by combining and arranging the connecting bar 21 with a spring-shaped body, it becomes possible to absorb the load and impact applied to 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 portion 30 and moves in conjunction with the up and down movement of the cylinder portion 30 , and transmits the up and down movement to the pressing portion 10 via the connection bar 21 . 1(a), the support plate 22 is a generally L-shaped plate having surfaces extending horizontally and downwardly. By adopting such a shape, the horizontal surface is connected to the connection bar 21, and the downward surface is connected to the operating plate 31 (described later), thereby efficiently transmitting the up and down movement of the cylinder 30 to the connection bar 21, while widening the connecting surface with the operating plate 31 makes it possible to ensure connection strength.

[0032] The support plate 22 is provided with a position adjustment rail 23 that allows the lateral position of the connection bar 21 to be adjusted, and a fixing lever 24 that fixes the position. The position adjustment rail 23 and the fixed lever 24 are provided to adjust the pressing position of the pressing part 10 to match the position of the opening 5, which differs depending on the type of container 2. When adjusting the position, the lock by the fixed 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 fixed lever 24, and the position of the pressing part 10 can be adjusted without using tools.

[0033] The cylinder portion 30 is a portion that causes the pressing portion 10 and the support portion 20 to reciprocate in the up and down direction. The specific structure of the cylinder unit 30 may be any known technology. For example, the cylinder unit 30 moves up and down by injecting and discharging compressed air into and from the cylinder unit 30, and the range and speed of the movement of the up and down movement can be adjusted by adjusting the amount and speed of the compressed air flowing in. 1(a), the range of vertical movement by the cylinder part 30 is adjusted as appropriate depending on the distance required for the pressing operation, which depends on factors such as the depth of the recess 4 to be formed in the content 3. For example, if the distance from the opening 5 to the content 3 is 2 cm and a 2 cm recess 4 is to be formed, the range of operation is set to 4 cm or more, preferably 5 cm, taking into consideration the distance between the bottom surface of the pressing part 10 and the opening 5.

[0034] An operating plate 31 is provided on the top surface of the cylinder portion 30 to transmit the up and down movement of the cylinder portion 30 to the support plate 22 of the support portion 20 . 1(a), the operating plate 31 is a generally L-shaped plate having surfaces extending horizontally and downwardly. By adopting such a shape, the horizontal surface is connected to the top surface of the cylinder part 30, and the downward surface is connected to the support plate 22, thereby efficiently transmitting the up and down movement of the cylinder part 30 while ensuring the strength of the connection part with the support plate 22.

[0035] 1, in order to determine the operating range of the pressing part 10 due to the up and down movement of the cylinder part 30, the cylinder part 30 is provided with an upper limit detection sensor 33a and a lower limit detection sensor 33b. In addition, a detection bar 32 is disposed on the operating plate 31 and moves up and down together with the up and down movement of the cylinder part 30, and the position is confirmed by each sensor. In order to determine the operating range of the pressing unit 10 due to the up and down movement of the cylinder unit 30, an upper limit detection sensor 33a is provided at the upper limit position of the pressing unit 10 to detect that the cylinder unit 30 is at the upper limit. The mounting position of the upper limit detection sensor 33a is determined depending on the object to be detected. For example, as shown in FIG. 1(a), if a detection bar 32 that moves up and down together with the upward movement of the cylinder part 30 (hereinafter also referred to as "upward movement") is arranged on the operating plate 31 and the upper limit detection sensor 33a detects the status of the detection bar 32, when the upper limit detection sensor 33a turns ON when pressed by the pressing part 10, it is assumed that the pressing part 10 has reached the upper limit position, and the upward movement by the cylinder part 30 is stopped and switched to downward movement (hereinafter also referred to as "downward movement"). In addition, in an embodiment in which the content surface treatment device 1 is installed on a production line 40 using a belt conveyor 41 as shown in Figure 4, when the cylinder section 30 is at a position other than the upper limit, the partition plates 44a and 44b are controlled not to operate in order to prevent the container 2 from moving during up and down movement. In order to determine the operating range of the pressing part 10 due to the up and down movement of the cylinder part 30, a lower limit detection sensor 33b is provided at the lower limit position of the pressing part 10. The mounting position of the lower limit detection sensor 33b is determined depending on the object to be detected. For example, as shown in FIG. 1(a), in a configuration in which a detection bar 32 that moves up and down together 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, if the lower limit detection sensor 33b turns ON when pressed by the pressing part 10, it is assumed that the pressing part 10 has reached the lower limit position, and the downward movement by the cylinder part 30 is stopped and switched to upward movement. By adopting such an embodiment in which the upper limit detection sensor 33a and the lower limit detection sensor 33b are provided, it becomes easy to set the upper and lower limit positions that need to be adjusted depending on the container 2. Also, it is preferable that the cylinder unit 30 automatically moves upward if there is no detection by the lower limit detection sensor 33b for a certain period of time during the downward movement. By adopting such an embodiment, it is possible to prevent damage to the container 2 due to excessive downward movement, and also to prevent accidents such as workers' hands or arms getting caught. A bottle presence / absence sensor 34 is provided to detect the container 2 to determine whether the cylinder 30 should start moving the pressing part 10 downward. When the bottle presence sensor 34 detects the container 2 (ON), the pressing unit 10 is set to perform a downward movement. 1, the bottle presence sensor 34 is attached near the middle of the container 2 so that it is easy to detect whether a bottle is present. In addition, in order to accurately press the pressing part 10 against the surface of the contents 3 filled in the container 2, the pressing part 10 starts to move downward a predetermined time (about 1 second) after the bottle presence sensor 34 detects the container 2.

[0036] When disposing the contents surface treatment device 1, a mode in which a plurality of support parts 20 and pressing parts 10 are disposed on one cylinder part 30 as shown in FIG. 1(b) is preferable. By arranging multiple support parts 20 and pressing parts 10 on one cylinder part 30, it is possible to perform multiple pressing tasks simultaneously with a single operation, and the installation space is reduced, contributing to space saving of the entire content surface treatment device 1. In addition, in this embodiment, by making the support plate 22 and position adjustment rail 23 have a length that includes the adjustment of the pressing position of the pressing section 10 in the lateral direction, it is possible to adjust the lateral position of each pressing section 10 according to the size of the container 2 used in the production line 40, and perform accurate pressing work. Furthermore, when the pressing section 10, which is arranged with a plurality of support sections 20 and pressing sections 10, moves downward, as shown in Figure 1(b), the pressing section 10 on the entrance side is provided with a bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35, and the pressing section 10 on the exit side is provided with a bottle presence / absence outlet side sensor 36. When the detection of the container 2 by the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35 and the bottle presence / absence outlet side sensor 36 is ON, the pressing section 10 moves downward, thereby performing the pressing operation on multiple containers 2 simultaneously.

[0037] The operation of the content surface treatment device 1 according to the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the operation of the content surface treatment device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1(a). First, when the cylinder part 30 moves up and down, the up and down movement is transmitted to the support plate 22 via the operating plate 31 connected to the top surface of the cylinder part 30. Furthermore, the up and down movement of the cylinder part 30 is also transmitted to the pressing part 10 via the connection bar 21 provided on the support plate 22. Furthermore, the detection bar 32 is connected to the operating plate 31, and the up and down movement of the detection bar 32 is detected by the upper limit detection sensor 33a and the lower limit detection sensor 33b. Furthermore, 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. Then, when the detection by the lower limit detection sensor 33b is ON during the downward movement, the up and down movement by the cylinder part 30 is switched from downward movement to upward movement. The up and down movement of the cylinder section 30 is transmitted to the pressing section 10, so that pressure is applied up to the lower limit position of the pressing section 10 even after it abuts against the surface of the contents 3, making it possible to shape the surface of the contents 3.

[0038] Next, the operation when the contact surface 11 is frustum-shaped will be described with reference to FIG. The contents 3 filled in the container 2 are granular, and after the recesses 4 are formed, additional materials 7 are filled in. First, the container 2 filled with the contents 3 is placed below the pressing part 10 (Fig. 2(a)). The pressing part 10 presses the contact surface 11 against the surface of the contents 3, forming a recess 4 (Fig. 2(b)). The pressing part 10 moves away from the surface of the contents 3 and returns to its initial position, but because the contents 3 are granular, the recess 4 formed on the surface maintains its shape without collapsing (Fig. 2(c)). The contents 3, with the recess 4 formed on the surface by the pressing part 10, are filled with the additional material 7 from the input tube 6 (Fig. 2(d)). Since the shape of the pressing portion 10 is a truncated cone with the bottom being smaller, when pressed against the contents 3, pressure is concentrated on the contact surface 11, and the contents 3 are pushed out along the inclined side, making it easy to form the recess 4.

[0039] Furthermore, the operation mode when the pressing portion 10 is cylindrical will be described with reference to FIG. The content 3 filled in the container 2 is a solid. First, the container 2 filled with the contents 3 is placed below the pressing part 10 (Fig. 3(a)). The pressing part 10 presses the contact surface 11 against the surface of the contents 3, flattening the surface of the contents 3 (Fig. 3(b)). The pressing part 10 continues to press against the contents 3, eliminating any gaps that occurred when the contents 3 were filled, while also removing any remaining air in the container 2 (Fig. 3(c)). The pressing part 10 moves away from the surface of the contents 3 and returns to its initial position, but because the contents 3 are a compressed or pressed solid, the compressed or pressed state is maintained without destroying the surface (Fig. 3(d)). Since 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, and therefore the contents 3 that come into contact with the contact surface 11 are pressured downward, particularly toward the gaps that are created when the contents 3 are filled, which prevents the contents 3 from spilling out of the opening 5 and also makes it possible to compress and push in the contents 3 while reducing the gaps between the contents 3.

[0040] As an embodiment of using the content surface treatment device 1, it is possible to arrange the content surface treatment device 1 on a production line 40 having a belt conveyor 41 as shown in FIG. A suitable production line 40 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "line") is one that branches into multiple lines as shown in the figure, with a content surface treatment device 1 installed on each branch. This allows for efficient surface treatment while preventing containers 2 from accumulating on the line. The content surface treatment devices 1 installed on one line and the content surface treatment devices 1 installed on the other lines are positioned so that they do not face each other and do not overlap. Positioning the content surface treatment devices 1 so that they do not face each other on the line provides the excellent advantage of allowing confirmation of the presence or absence of a malfunction in the device from the opposing positions on the line, even if an abnormality occurs in the content surface treatment device 1 due to a malfunction such as a bottle tipping. Furthermore, the pressing unit 10 can be easily adjusted horizontally in response to changes in the container 2. The content surface treatment device 1 disposed on the line is naturally provided with a bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35 and a bottle presence / absence outlet side sensor 36 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as sensors). These sensors are used to determine downward movement due to the pressing work, but can also be used as sensors to detect the presence or absence of containers 2 on the line flowing toward the content surface treatment device 1, and are used to determine line branching by the sorting unit 43 described below.

[0041] The belt conveyor 41 is a means for transporting the containers 2, and is arranged from the front stage to the rear stage of the pressing operation by the content surface treatment device 1. The specific structure of the belt conveyor 41 may be any one that uses conventionally known technology, and the belt portion of the belt conveyor 41 that comes into contact with the bottom surface of the container 2 is made of a material that can transport the container 2 without damaging the bottom surface, such as rubber or resin. However, for the branching portion where the lines are sorted using the sorting unit 43 described below, a material that allows the bottom surface of the container 2 to slide easily is used so that the lines can move smoothly.

[0042] The production line 40, which branches into multiple lines, branches into multiple lines upstream of the content surface treatment device 1 and has a sorting unit 43 that sorts containers 2 to each line, and 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 sorting unit 43 operates to sort containers 2 to the production line 40B side. After that, when the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35b on production line 40B is ON and a certain time (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "delay time") has elapsed, the sorting unit 43 operates to sort containers 2 to the production line 40A side. The sorting unit 43 is linked to sensors provided in the content surface treatment device 1 to block one line and form a route to the other line. The sensors may be any sensors capable of determining branching, and branching is determined based on the detection result of the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35 that detects the presence or absence of the container 2 on the inlet side of the contents surface treatment device 1, for example. The distribution unit 43 is composed of a rod-shaped or plate-shaped body that can rotate within a predetermined range (a range that can block one of the lines) around a fixed base end, and its operation is determined by detection by a sensor. When the distribution unit 43 is in operation, it rotates from one line toward the other line, blocking one of the lines and forming a route toward the line to which it is to be distributed. By providing the sorting section 43, the containers 2 do not remain in one line, and the surface treatment can be efficiently carried out on a plurality of lines, which is an excellent effect.

[0043] The delay time in the above embodiment is set by the user in consideration of the speed at which the containers 2 flowing on the belt conveyor 41 are produced, the speed at which the contents surface treatment device 1 is pressing the containers, and the like.

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

[0045] The belt conveyor 41 is provided with an auxiliary fence 42 to prevent the containers 2 from falling outside the production line 40 or from moving too loosely. The auxiliary fences 42 are provided on the longitudinal sides of the belt conveyor 41 and along the flow path of the containers 2 in the production line 40. By providing the auxiliary fence 42, when the content surface treatment device 1 is pressed, the longitudinal direction is fixed by the abutment of the containers 2 against each other, and the lateral direction is fixed by the auxiliary fence 42, thereby providing the excellent effect of fixing the position of the opening 5.

[0046] The operation of the production line 40 using the content surface treatment device 1 according to the present invention configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. The content surface treatment device 1 can simultaneously form recesses 4 in six containers 2. The production line 40 is composed of two lanes: a production line 40A equipped with the content surface treatment device 1A, and a production line 40B equipped with the content surface treatment device 1B. The belt conveyor 41 provided as the production line 40 continues to operate at a constant speed from bottom to top in FIG. 4. First, the flow of lanes on the production line 40A will be described with reference to FIG. 4(a). First, the containers 2 flowing along the auxiliary fence 42a on the belt conveyor 41 are blocked and held back by a partition plate 44a provided in the content surface treatment device 1A. Then, when the number of containers 2 held back reaches six, a partition plate 44b is closed, preventing the containers 2 held back by the partition plate 44a from moving freely and closing the flow path, thereby holding back the containers 2 flowing from the upstream side. After the partition plate 44b is closed, the content surface treatment device 1A performs a pressing operation, and the six containers 2 in which the recesses 4 are formed flow downstream as the partition plate 44a is opened. Then, after the last of the containers 2 passes through the partition plate 44a, the partition plate 44a closes, blocking the flow path, and the partition plate 44b opens, allowing the containers 2 that were blocked upstream to flow up to the partition plate 44a and be blocked there again. This action makes it possible to perform surface treatment on the contents 3 without the containers 2 being moved freely by the belt conveyor 41 which continues to operate.

[0047] Next, the flow when the lane is switched from production line 40A to production line 40B by the operation of sorting unit 43 will be explained with reference to Figure 4(b). The sorting unit 43 sorts the contents by the ON / OFF state of bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35a on production line 40A and the ON / OFF state of bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35b on production line B. The delay time is a fixed time, for example, about 5 seconds. The operation of content surface treatment device 1B is the same as that of content surface treatment device 1A, so a description thereof will be omitted. First, the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35a, which detects the container 2 being pressed by the content surface treatment device 1A, remains ON. Also, the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35b on the production line 40B side remains OFF because there is no container 2. When the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35a is ON and the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35b is OFF, the sorting unit 43 rotates to block the production line 40A and forms a route toward the production line 40B. The containers 2 flowing on the belt conveyor 41 follow the flow path to the production line 40B formed by the sorting unit 43, and flow along the auxiliary fence 42b toward the content surface treatment device 1B. Then, as soon as the pressing operation by the content surface treatment device 1B is completed, the partition plate 44b is opened, and the containers 2 flow toward the partition plate 44a. As the container 2 flows into the contents surface treatment device 1B, the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35b turns ON. Then, after a certain time has passed since the bottle presence / absence inlet side sensor 35b turned ON, the sorting unit 43 rotates to block the production line 40B, forming a route toward the production line 40A. By distributing the containers 2 to different lanes through the operation of the distribution unit 43, even if the number of containers 2 flowing in exceeds the operating speed of the content surface treatment device 1A, the containers 2 can be surface treated in a different lane without being held up on the production line 40A, which is an excellent effect.

[0048] The basic configuration and operation of the content surface treatment device 1 according to the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the above embodiment or the drawings. For example, it is possible to enlarge the surface area of ​​the recesses 4 after surface treatment by processing the contact surface 11 into an uneven or sawtooth shape rather than a flat surface, thereby further promoting the penetration of the additive 7.

[0049] As described above, the content surface treatment device 1 of the present invention is capable of forming recesses 4 on the surface of the content 3 and pushing overflowing content 3 into the container 2 by using the pressing part 10 which is linked to the up and down movement of the cylinder part 30. In a bottling line for food etc., by placing the content surface treatment device 1 on a production line 40 which uses a belt conveyor 41, it is possible to accurately prevent overflowing of the content 3 and form the surface automatically and in a short time. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] The present invention is a device that can easily form recesses on the surface by pressing a pressing part, which is linked to the up and down movement of a cylinder, against the contents inside the container, and can be used in various bottling processes for pharmaceuticals and other products that require processing of the surface of the contents or filling of the contents, in addition to food. Therefore, it is believed that the "content surface treatment device" of the present invention has great industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1. Content surface treatment device 1A Content surface treatment device (production line 40A side) 1B Content surface treatment device (production line 40B side) 2 containers 3 Contents 4 recess 5 Opening 6 Inlet tube 7 Addendum 10 Pressing part 11 Contact part 12 Connection 20 Support part 21 Connection Bar 22 Support plate 23 Position adjustment rail 24 Fixing lever 30 Cylinder section 31 Operation board 32 Detection Bar 33a Upper limit detection sensor 33b Lower limit detection sensor 34 Bottle presence sensor 35 Bottle presence / absence inlet sensor 35a Bottle presence / absence sensor at inlet (production line 40A side) 35b Bottle presence / absence sensor at inlet (production line 40B side) 36 Bottle presence / absence outlet sensor 40 production lines 40A production line 40B Production Line 41 Conveyor Belt 42 Auxiliary fence 42a Auxiliary fence (production line 40A side) 42b Auxiliary fence (production line 40B side) 43 Sorting section 44a Partition plate (downstream side) 44b Partition board (upstream side)

Claims

1. A content surface treatment device for shaping the surface of a content in a container, It comprises a pressing part, a support part, and a cylinder part, The pressing part has a contact surface at the bottom that contacts the surface of the contents, and the contact surface has a shape for shaping the surface of the contents; The support portion is a portion that connects the pressing portion and the cylinder portion, The cylinder portion is a portion that causes the pressing portion and the support portion to reciprocate in the up and down direction, A content surface treatment device characterized in that a plurality of support parts and pressing parts are arranged on one cylinder part.

2. 2. The content surface treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the content is a viscous or granular food product.

3. The content surface treatment device according to claim 2, characterized in that the pressing portion is frustum-shaped, the bottom surface which is the contact surface is smaller than the top surface, and a recess corresponding to the contact surface is formed on the surface of the content.

4. The content surface treatment device 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 content is formed at a low position below the height of the opening.

5. A production line, characterized in that the content surface treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is disposed therein.

6. The production line branches into a plurality of lines upstream of the content surface treatment device, and has a sorting unit that sorts containers to each line, Each line is equipped with a surface treatment device for the contents, each equipped with sensors.

6. The production line according to claim 5, wherein the distribution unit blocks one line and forms a route to the other line in cooperation with sensors.

7. 7. The production line according to claim 6, wherein the sensors are bottle presence / absence sensors on the inlet side for detecting the presence or absence of a container.

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