Cup stacking device

Abstract

To provide a cup stacking apparatus capable of stably stacking cups without complicating a structure of the apparatus.SOLUTION: A cup stacking apparatus 40 that stacks and transports a plurality of bottomed tapered cups P each having a tapered body 100 and a bottom 110, includes: a conveyor section 2c transporting sequentially the plurality of cups P; an upper stack section 41 holding in a vertically stacked state, the cups P that fall from an end of the conveyor section 2c with the bottom 110 facing downward; a lower stack section 42 arranged below the upper stack section 41 and capable of receiving a whole unit U in a state where a certain number of the cups P held by the upper stack section 41 are stacked; and a transfer section receiving the unit U from the lower stack section 42 to transfer it to a subsequent step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a cup stacking device.

Background Art

[0002] [[ID=ll]] Conventionally, for example, a container stacker described in Patent Document 1 is known. In this container stacker, cup-shaped containers (workpieces) used for instant foods and the like are stacked (piled up) in a certain number and transferred to a subsequent process. The container stacker includes an adsorption drum supported rotatably around a horizontal axis, a parallel conveyor that feeds out the workpieces adsorbed and supported by the adsorption drum to a conveyance path, a pusher plate that cooperates with the parallel conveyor to stack the workpieces, and a discharge means that discharges the stacked workpieces from the conveyance path. In recent years, there has been a demand for metal cups having a tapered body, for example, as described in Patent Document 2.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There is a desire to stably stack cups such as those in Patent Document 2 without complicating the structure of the device.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cup stacking device that can stably stack cups without complicating the structure of the device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a cup stacking device for stacking and transporting a plurality of bottomed tapered cups, each having a tapered body and a bottom, comprising: a conveyor section for sequentially transporting the plurality of cups; an upper stack section for holding the cups, which fall from the end of the conveyor section with their bottoms facing downwards, in a stacked state in the vertical direction; a lower stack section positioned below the upper stack section and capable of receiving a certain number of the cups held by the upper stack section as a stacked unit; and a transport section for receiving the unit from the lower stack section and transporting it to a subsequent process.

[0007] In the cup stacking device of the present invention, cups falling from the end of the conveyor section to the upper stacking section are stacked vertically by their own weight. When stacking a certain number of cups, conventional components such as the suction drum and pusher plate described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-104434) are unnecessary, simplifying the structure of the device while stably stacking cups.

[0008] Furthermore, after stacking a certain number of cups in the upper stacking section, the stacked cups (layered cups) can be moved as a unit to the lower stacking section, and then the entire unit can be transported to the next process by the transfer section. This allows for stable transport of the stacked cups. Based on the above, according to the present invention, cups can be stably stacked without complicating the structure of the device. Furthermore, the stacked cup units can be stably transported.

[0009] In embodiment 2 of the present invention, the conveyor section extends inclined upward as it approaches the upper stack section along the horizontal direction, and the cups are transported to the conveyor section in a posture in which the bottom of the cup faces downstream in the transport direction and the open end of the cup body faces upstream in the transport direction, as described in embodiment 1.

[0010] In this case, the conveyor transports the cups with the cups facing diagonally upwards. The bottom of the cup is directed downstream (diagonally upwards) in the direction of transport, and the open end of the body is directed upstream (diagonally downwards) in the direction of transport, and the cups are transported by the conveyor. In the above configuration, the opening end, which has a larger diameter than the bottom, faces diagonally downwards, resulting in a more stable transport posture for the cups carried by the conveyor. As a result, the cups that fall into the upper stacking section are stacked accurately and stably.

[0011] Furthermore, the cups that naturally fall into the upper stack section are positioned upright. In other words, since the cups are inserted into the upper stack section from their small-diameter bottom, the open ends of the cups are less likely to get caught on the inner circumferential wall of the upper stack section, allowing for smooth stacking.

[0012] A third aspect of the present invention may be a cup stacking device according to aspect 1 or 2, comprising: a measuring unit for measuring the number of cups transported from the conveyor unit to the upper stack unit; a stopper for restricting the movement of the cups from the upper stack unit to the lower stack unit; and a control unit that, when the measuring unit has measured a certain number of cups, releases the restriction by the stopper and moves the unit from the upper stack unit to the lower stack unit.

[0013] In this case, when a certain number of cups are stacked in the upper stack section, this stacked cup unit can be automatically moved to the lower stack section. This allows for efficient stacking of cups.

[0014] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a cup stacking device according to the third aspect, wherein the upper stacking portion is provided with a holding portion capable of holding the cups, and the control unit temporarily holds the cups in the holding portion while the restriction by the stopper is released.

[0015] In this case, when the stacked cup unit stacked in the upper stack is moved to the lower stack by releasing the restriction imposed by the stopper, even if a new cup is supplied to the upper stack from the conveyor, this cup is temporarily held by the holding unit. Therefore, when the unit moves downward, problems such as newly supplied cups entering (falling into) the lower stack are suppressed.

[0016] In embodiment 5 of the present invention, the lower stacking section may be a cup stacking device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the lower stacking section is arranged to extend in the vertical direction and is rotatable between a receiving position in which the unit can be received from the upper stacking section and a receiving position in which the unit is transferred to the transfer section.

[0017] In this case, the lower stack section is positioned as a receiving position that extends vertically, allowing it to stably receive stacked cup units from the upper stack section. Furthermore, the lower stack section is positioned as a transfer position that extends horizontally, allowing it to stably transfer the units it holds to the transfer section.

[0018] In embodiment 6 of the present invention, the transfer unit may be a cup stacking device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 5, comprising a lift unit that moves the units supplied from the lower stack unit upward, and a transfer table to which the units are supplied from the lift unit that has moved upward.

[0019] In this case, even if the stacked cup units are transferred from the lower stacking section to the transfer section at a low position, the lift section moves the units upward, allowing them to be transferred on a transfer platform located at a higher position. This improves work efficiency when transferring units. Furthermore, it becomes possible to keep the overall height of the device small, increasing the flexibility of the layout when installing the device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the cup stacking device of the above aspect of the present invention, the cups can be stably stacked without complicating the structure of the device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view (half-sectional view) showing the cup of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view showing the cup washing and drying system of the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view showing a part of the cup stacking device of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view showing an enlarged part of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a front view showing the view from arrow V in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view showing an enlarged part of FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front view showing a part of the cup stacking device of the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a top view showing a part of the cup stacking device of the present embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] The cup washing and drying system 1 of an embodiment of the present invention and the cup stacking device 40 included therein will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. In this specification, the cup washing and drying system 1 may be simply referred to as the system, and the cup stacking device 40 may be simply referred to as the device.

[0023] The cup washing and drying system 1 is a system for washing, draining, drying, and stacking the bottomed tapered cup P as shown in FIG. 1. In addition, the "stacking" in the present embodiment refers to stacking a plurality of cups P so that another cup P is accommodated in one cup P. The cup P is made of metal, specifically, made of aluminum, aluminum alloy, or the like. The cup P is integrally formed by a single member.

[0024] Cup P is formed into a predetermined cup shape in a cup manufacturing device (can manufacturing device), such as a bottle necker (not shown), which is located prior to the cup washing and drying system 1. More specifically, the cup manufacturing apparatus manufactures cups P of a predetermined shape by applying multiple types of molding processes, including die processing and rotary processing, to a bottomed cylindrical DI can (intermediate molded can) not shown in the diagram. The DI can is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape by applying a cupping process (drawing process), DI process (drawing and ironing process), trimming process, printing process, painting process, etc., to a disc-shaped blank punched out from a sheet material such as aluminum or aluminum alloy in a process prior to the cup manufacturing apparatus.

[0025] First, let's explain cup P by referring to Figure 1. In this embodiment, the central axis of the cup P is referred to as the cup axis A. The cup P comprises a tapered body portion 100 and a bottom portion 110. The diameter dimension of the cup P is largest at the open end 100a of the body portion 100. In this embodiment, the outer diameter dimension of the open end 100a (and the curled portion 105 described later) is, for example, about φ86 mm. The inner diameter dimension of the open end 100a is, for example, about φ80 mm. In this embodiment, the height dimension of cup P along the cup axis A (cup height dimension) is, for example, about 146 mm. Although not specifically shown in the figures, in modified cup P of this embodiment, the cup height dimension may be, for example, about 116 mm or about 85 mm.

[0026] In this embodiment, the direction in which the cup axis A extends is called the cup axis direction. Within the cup axis direction, the direction from the bottom 110 toward the open end 100a of the body 100 is called the opening side, and the direction from the open end 100a toward the bottom 110 is called the bottom side. The direction perpendicular to the cup axis A is called the cup diameter direction. Within the cup diameter direction, the direction approaching the cup axis A is called the inside of the cup diameter direction, and the direction moving away from the cup axis A is called the outside of the cup diameter direction. The direction in which the cup rotates around the cup axis A is called the cup circumferential direction.

[0027] The body portion 100 is a roughly tapered cylindrical shape centered on the cup axis A. The diameter of the body portion 100 increases (expands) as it moves towards the opening side in the direction of the cup axis. The body portion 100 has a bottom cylindrical portion 101, a bottom stepped portion 102, an open cylindrical portion 103, an open stepped portion 104, a curled portion 105, and a tapered portion 106.

[0028] The bottom cylindrical portion 101 is located at the bottom end of the body portion 100 in the direction of the cup axis. The bottom cylindrical portion 101 is cylindrical with the cup axis A as its center. The bottom cylindrical portion 101 has the smallest diameter in the body portion 100. The outer diameter of the bottom cylindrical portion 101 is, for example, about φ66 mm.

[0029] The bottom step portion 102 is tapered cylindrical with respect to the cup axis A. The bottom step portion 102 expands in diameter towards the opening side in the cup axial direction. The bottom step portion 102 is positioned adjacent to the opening side in the cup axial direction of the bottom cylindrical portion 101. The bottom step portion 102 connects to the end of the bottom cylindrical portion 101 on the opening side in the cup axial direction.

[0030] The open-side cylindrical portion 103 is positioned at the open end 100a of the body portion 100. The open-side cylindrical portion 103 is cylindrical with the cup axis A as its center. The diameter of the open-side cylindrical portion 103 is larger than the diameter of the bottom-side cylindrical portion 101.

[0031] The opening-side stepped portion 104 is positioned at the opening end 100a of the body portion 100. The opening-side stepped portion 104 is tapered cylindrical with the cup axis A as its center. The diameter of the opening-side stepped portion 104 increases as it approaches the opening side in the cup axis direction. The opening-side stepped portion 104 is positioned adjacent to the bottom side in the cup axis direction of the opening-side cylindrical portion 103. The opening-side stepped portion 104 is connected to the bottom end of the opening-side cylindrical portion 103 in the cup axis direction.

[0032] The curled portion 105 is positioned at the open end 100a of the body portion 100. The curled portion 105 is formed projecting outward in the cup diameter direction from the open end 100a. The curled portion 105 is annular in shape with the cup axis A as its center. The curled portion 105 extends around the entire circumference of the cup. The curled portion 105 has the largest diameter in the body portion 100. The inner end of the curled portion 105 in the cup diameter direction is connected to the open end of the open side cylindrical portion 103 in the cup axial direction.

[0033] Specifically, the curled portion 105 protrudes outward in the cup diameter direction from the edge on the opening side in the cup axial direction at the opening end 100a, and is folded back inward in the cup diameter direction from the bottom side in the cup axial direction. The shape of the curled portion 105 in the longitudinal cross-section along the cup axis A is approximately circular ring-shaped. Of the circular ring shape represented in the longitudinal cross-section of the curled portion 105, a part of the circumference located at the inner end in the cup diameter direction is open, and the inside and outside of the curled portion 105 are in communication through this opening.

[0034] The width dimension of the curled portion 105 (dimension in the cup diameter direction) is, for example, about 3 to 5 mm. The height dimension of the curled portion 105 (dimension in the cup axis direction) is, for example, about 2 to 4 mm. The dimension of the gap provided between the outer circumferential surface of the opening side cylindrical portion 103 and the curled portion 105 is, for example, about 1 to 2 mm.

[0035] The tapered portion 106 is located in the intermediate part of the body portion 100, between the two ends in the cup axial direction. The tapered portion 106 is a tapered cylindrical shape centered on the cup axis A. The diameter of the tapered portion 106 increases towards the opening side in the cup axial direction. The tapered portion 106 is located between the bottom-side stepped portion 102 and the opening-side stepped portion 104 in the cup axial direction. The bottom-side end of the tapered portion 106 in the cup axial direction is connected to the opening-side end of the bottom-side stepped portion 102 in the cup axial direction. The opening-side end of the tapered portion 106 in the cup axial direction is connected to the bottom-side end of the opening-side stepped portion 104 in the cup axial direction.

[0036] In this embodiment, the amount of displacement of the tapered portion 106 in the cup diameter direction per unit length along the cup axis direction (i.e., the inclination with respect to the cup axis A) is smaller than the amount of displacement of the bottom side stepped portion 102 and the opening side stepped portion 104. The dimension of the tapered portion 106 in the cup axis direction is larger than the dimensions of the bottom side cylindrical portion 101, bottom side stepped portion 102, opening side cylindrical portion 103, opening side stepped portion 104, and curled portion 105 in the cup axis direction. The opening side stepped portion 104, opening side cylindrical portion 103, and curled portion 105, which are located at the opening end 100a of the body portion 100, protrude outward in the cup diameter direction from the tapered portion 106.

[0037] The base 110 is roughly disc-shaped with the cup axis A at its center. The bottom portion 110 has a dome portion 111 that bulges toward the opening side in the cup axial direction, and an annular projection (rim portion) 112 that is connected to the outer circumference of the dome portion 111, protrudes toward the bottom side in the cup axial direction, and extends in the circumferential direction of the cup.

[0038] The annular projection 112 is circular in shape with the cup axis A as its center. The annular projection 112 is positioned adjacent to the outer side of the dome portion 111 in the cup diameter direction. The annular projection 112 is positioned adjacent to the bottom side of the body portion 100 in the cup axis direction. The annular protrusion 112 has a contact portion (nose portion) 115, an inner circumferential wall (countersink) 113, and an outer circumferential wall (heel portion) 114.

[0039] The contact portion 115 is the part of the annular protrusion 112 that is located closest to the bottom in the cup axial direction. The contact portion 115 contacts the mounting surface when the cup P is placed on a mounting surface such as the top surface of a table in an upright position (with the open end 100a of the body portion 100 facing upward in the vertical direction). The diameter of the contact portion 115, i.e., the contact diameter, is, for example, about φ55 mm.

[0040] The inner circumferential wall 113 is positioned adjacent to the inner side of the ground contact portion 115 in the cup diameter direction. The inner circumferential wall 113 is tapered cylindrical with respect to the cup axis A. Specifically, the inner circumferential wall 113 is tapered, decreasing in diameter towards the opening side in the cup axial direction. The end of the inner circumferential wall 113 on the opening side in the cup axial direction is connected to the outer end of the dome portion 111 in the cup diameter direction.

[0041] The outer peripheral wall 114 is positioned adjacent to the outer surface of the ground contact portion 115 in the cup diameter direction. The outer peripheral wall 114 is tapered cylindrical with respect to the cup axis A. Specifically, the outer peripheral wall 114 is tapered, increasing in diameter towards the opening side in the cup axis direction. The end of the outer peripheral wall 114 on the opening side in the cup axis direction is connected to the end of the body portion 100 on the bottom side in the cup axis direction. That is, the outer peripheral wall 114 is connected to the end of the bottom cylindrical portion 101 on the bottom side in the cup axis direction.

[0042] Next, we will explain the cup washing and drying system 1. As shown in Figure 2, the cup washing and drying system 1 includes a conveying unit 2 that conveys multiple cups P in the conveying direction F, a cup washing device 10 that sprays a washing liquid such as water onto the cups P being conveyed to the conveying unit 2 to wash the cups P, a cup dewatering device 20 located downstream of the cup washing device 10 in the conveying direction F and that sprays air onto the cups P being conveyed to the conveying unit 2 to dewater the cups P, a cup drying device 30 located downstream of the cup dewatering device 20 in the conveying direction F and that supplies hot air onto the cups P being conveyed to the conveying unit 2 to dry the cups P, and a cup stacking device 40 located downstream of the cup drying device 30 in the conveying direction F and that transports multiple cups P stacked on top of each other.

[0043] The conveying unit 2 extends across the cup washing device 10, the cup draining device 20, the cup drying device 30, and the cup stacking device 40. In this embodiment, the conveying unit 2 conveys multiple cups P in the conveying direction F across the cup washing device 10, the cup draining device 20, and the cup drying device 30 in an inverted position with the open end 100a of the body portion 100 facing downward in the vertical direction. The conveying unit 2 also conveys the multiple cups P in a single row.

[0044] As shown in Figure 3, the cup stacking device 40 stacks multiple cups P while transporting them. The stacking capacity of the cup stacking device 40 in this embodiment is, for example, 100 to 150 cpm. "cpm" is a unit that represents the number of cups processed per minute by the device (in this embodiment, the number of stacked cups).

[0045] Prior to the cup stacking device 40, a cup washing device 10, a cup dewatering device 20, and a cup drying device 30 are provided (see Figure 2). In the cup washing device 10, while the cups P are transported in an inverted position, a washing solution such as water is sprayed onto the outer and inner surfaces of the cups P to wash them. After this washing, droplets of the washing solution (water droplets) remain on the outer and inner surfaces of the cups P. In the cup dewatering device 20, while the cups P are transported in an inverted position, the droplets remaining on the outer and inner surfaces of the cups P are blown off with air. In the cup drying device 30, while the cups P are transported in an inverted position, any remaining moisture on the cups P after the dewatering process is dried and removed.

[0046] Here, we will explain the "definition of direction" in the cup stacking device 40. In describing the cup stacking device 40 of this embodiment, we will set up an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system and explain each component.

[0047] In each figure, the X-axis direction is a predetermined direction within the horizontal direction, and in this embodiment, this predetermined direction is called the front-to-back direction. Within the front-to-back direction, the front side corresponds to the -X side, and the rear side corresponds to the +X side. The Y-axis direction is the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the Y-axis direction is referred to as the left-right direction. Of the left-right directions, the left side corresponds to the -Y side, and the right side corresponds to the +Y side. The Z-axis direction is perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis directions and is vertical. In this embodiment, the Z-axis direction is referred to as the up-down direction. Within the up-down direction, the upper side corresponds to the +Z side, and the lower side corresponds to the -Z side.

[0048] As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, the transport direction F changes during the process of transporting cups P in the cup stacking device 40. The specific transport direction F will be described later, along with a description of each component of the cup stacking device 40.

[0049] As shown in Figures 2 to 8, the cup stacking device 40 comprises a conveyor section 2c, a guide section 2d, an upper stacking section 41, a lower stacking section 42, a measuring section 43, a stopper 44, a control section 45, a holding section 46, and a transfer section 47.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, the conveyor section 2c constitutes part of the transport section 2 located in the cup stacking device 40. The conveyor section 2c extends upward (+Z side) as it moves towards the front (-X side), that is, it extends in both the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0051] An upper stacking section 41 is positioned in front of the conveyor section 2c. The conveyor section 2c extends inclined upward as it approaches the upper stacking section 41 along the horizontal direction (front-to-back direction in this embodiment). The front end of the conveyor section 2c is positioned adjacent to the upper end of the upper stacking section 41.

[0052] The rear end of the conveyor section 2c is positioned adjacent to the front end of the transport section 2 in the cup drying device 30. Cups P that are transported forward by the transport section 2 of the cup drying device 30 fall from the front end of the transport section 2 and are placed on the conveyor section 2c, and are transported along the inclined direction in which the conveyor section 2c extends. The conveyor section 2c transports multiple cups P sequentially.

[0053] The conveying direction F of the cup P transported by the conveyor section 2c is an inclined direction that extends upward (+Z side) as it moves towards the front (-X side). The cup P is transported to the conveyor section 2c with its bottom 110 facing downstream (forward and diagonally upward) in the conveying direction F and the open end 100a of the body 100 facing upstream (rearward and diagonally downward) in the conveying direction F.

[0054] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the conveyor section 2c of this embodiment is made of, for example, resin or rubber, and has an endless ring shape. The conveyor section 2c is wound around at least one pair of sprockets 2e. The pair of sprockets 2e are positioned apart from each other in the inclined direction in which the conveyor section 2c extends.

[0055] As shown in Figure 5, multiple conveyor sections 2c are provided. The multiple conveyor sections 2c are arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction). In this embodiment, a pair of conveyor sections 2c are arranged on the left side (-Y side) and the right side (+Y side) of the cup axis A of the cup P being conveyed. The distance between the pair of conveyor sections 2c in the left-right direction is smaller than the outer diameter of the bottom 110 of the cup P. The cup P is conveyed in the conveying direction F while being held by the pair of conveyor sections 2c.

[0056] A pair of guide sections 2d are provided so as to sandwich the conveyor section 2c in the left-right direction. The pair of guide sections 2d are positioned on the left and right sides of the conveyor section 2c. The guide sections 2d are plate-shaped and extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the left-right direction, and extend in an inclined direction along the conveyor section 2c. The distance between the pair of guide sections 2d in the left-right direction is greater than the outer diameter of the opening end 100a of the cup P (specifically, the curled portion 105).

[0057] When a cup P is transported by the transport section 2 of the cup drying device 30, it is guided from the left and right by a pair of guide sections 2d when it falls onto the conveyor section 2c from the downstream end (front end) of the transport section 2. As a result, the cup P is placed on the pair of conveyor sections 2c and held stably by the pair of conveyor sections 2c, and is transported in a position where the bottom 110 faces downstream in the transport direction F and the open end 100a of the body 100 faces upstream in the transport direction F.

[0058] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the upper stack portion 41 in this embodiment is a cylindrical frame extending in the vertical direction. However, it is not limited to this, and the upper stack portion 41 may be, for example, a cylindrical tube extending in the vertical direction, although not specifically shown.

[0059] The upper opening of the upper stack section 41 is open upwards. The inner diameter of the upper opening of the upper stack section 41 increases as it goes upwards. That is, the upper opening of the upper stack section 41 expands in diameter as it goes upwards. The lower opening of the upper stack section 41 is closed by a stopper 44, which can be opened and closed.

[0060] The upper stack section 41 holds the cups P, which fall from the end (front end) of the conveyor section 2c with their bottoms 110 facing downwards, in a stacked state in the vertical direction. The cups P are in an upright position with their open ends 100a facing upwards, and are inserted (put into) the upper stack section 41 by natural fall from the upper end of the upper stack section 41. In other words, multiple cups P transported by the conveyor section 2c fall sequentially into the upper stack section 41 through the upper opening of the upper stack section 41, and are stacked (contained) inside the upper stack section 41.

[0061] As shown in Figure 6, the lower stacking section 42 is a cylindrical frame extending in the vertical direction. However, it is not limited to this, and the lower stacking section 42 may be, for example, a cylindrical tube extending in the vertical direction, although not specifically shown.

[0062] The upper opening of the lower stack section 42 is open upwards. The inner diameter of the upper opening of the lower stack section 42 increases as it goes upwards. In other words, the upper opening of the lower stack section 42 expands in diameter as it goes upwards. The lower end of the lower stack section 42 is closed.

[0063] Furthermore, the lower stack section 42 is composed of a pair of semi-cylindrical halves (divided bodies) that are divided in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction). More specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the lower stack section 42 is cylindrical in the vertical direction when it is located at the receiving position S1, which will be described later, and semi-cylindrical in the front-rear direction when it is located at the transfer position S2, which will be described later. That is, at the transfer position S2, the peripheral wall of the lower stack section 42 is open in a radial direction perpendicular to the central axis (corresponding to the second rotation axis R2, which will be described later in Figure 7) over approximately half a circumference of the central axis of the lower stack section 42.

[0064] The following description mainly concerns the state in which the lower stack section 42 is positioned at the receiving position S1. The lower stack section 42 is positioned below the upper stack section 41. When viewed from above, the upper stack section 41 and the lower stack section 42 are positioned overlapping each other. Specifically, the central axis of the upper stack section 41 and the central axis of the lower stack section 42 are positioned approximately coaxially with each other.

[0065] The lower stacking section 42 is capable of receiving a certain number of cups P held in the upper stacking section 41, along with the stacked units U. That is, the cups P stacked in the upper stacking section 41 are transported in the transport direction F (downward) towards the lower stacking section 42, along with the units U, once the restriction by the stopper 44 (described later) is released.

[0066] In this embodiment, the "certain number" (i.e., a predetermined quantity) is, for example, 50. The unit U is constructed by stacking multiple cups P, which are in an upright position, approximately coaxially so that their cup axes A align. In this embodiment, the integrated unit U of multiple cups P stacked in this manner may be called a cup unit U.

[0067] The lower stack section 42 is connected to a rotating means 48 such as an air cylinder or an electric actuator. The rotating means 48 has a main body section 48a and an extendable section 48b that can extend and retract in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) relative to the main body section 48a. By extending and retracting the extendable section 48b in the front-rear direction, the rotating means 48 rotates the lower stack section 42 within a predetermined angle range (approximately 90° in this embodiment) around the first rotation axis R1, which extends in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction).

[0068] The lower stack section 42 moves between the receiving position S1 and the transfer position S2 shown in Figure 6 by being rotated within a predetermined angle range around the first rotation axis R1. More specifically, the lower stack section 42 is arranged extending in the vertical direction and is rotatable between the receiving position S1, where the unit U can be received from the upper stack section 41, and the transfer position S2, which is arranged extending in the horizontal direction (front-rear direction in this embodiment) and where the unit U is transferred to the transfer section 47.

[0069] As the lower stack section 42 rotates from the receiving position S1 to the handover position S2, the cup unit U held in the lower stack section 42 is conveyed in the conveying direction F around the first rotation axis R1. Thus, the upper stack section 41 and the lower stack section 42 constitute a part of the conveying section 2 arranged in the cup stacking device 40.

[0070] As shown in Figure 4, the measuring unit 43 measures the number of cups P being transported from the conveyor unit 2c to the upper stack unit 41. The measuring unit 43 is, for example, a sensor, and in this embodiment, it is positioned adjacent to the conveyor unit 2c in the left-right direction. That is, in this embodiment, the measuring unit 43 measures the number of cups P being transported on the conveyor unit 2c. However, it is not limited to this, and although not specifically shown, the measuring unit 43 may, for example, measure the number of cups P falling from the front end (upper end) of the conveyor unit 2c into the upper stack unit 41, or it may measure the number of cups P inside the upper stack unit 41.

[0071] The stopper 44 restricts the movement of the cup P from the upper stack section 41 to the lower stack section 42. The stopper 44 is configured to block communication between the lower opening of the upper stack section 41 and the upper opening of the lower stack section 42. The stopper 44 is, for example, an air cylinder or an electric actuator.

[0072] The stopper 44 comprises a stopper body 44a and a restricting portion 44b that is movable in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) relative to the stopper body 44a. The restricting portion 44b has a plate that extends in the vertical direction and the direction perpendicular to it. When the restricting portion 44b is positioned at the forward end of its range of movement in the front-rear direction, the bottom 110 of the cup P located at the lowest end of the cup unit U held by the upper stack portion 41 contacts the upper surface of the plate.

[0073] More specifically, the stopper 44 moves the restricting portion 44b in the front-rear direction to close or open the lower opening of the upper stack portion 41. The restricting portion 44b is positioned at the forward end, and the lower opening of the upper stack portion 41 is closed, thereby restricting the movement of the cup unit U held in the upper stack portion 41 to the lower stack portion 42. Furthermore, by positioning the restricting portion 44b at the retracted end and opening the lower part of the upper stack portion 41, the cup unit U held within the upper stack portion 41 is allowed to move to the lower stack portion 42.

[0074] The control unit 45 is electrically connected to at least the measuring unit 43 and the stopper 44. When the measuring unit 43 measures a certain number of cups P, the control unit 45 releases the restriction by the stopper 44 and moves the unit U from the upper stack section 41 to the lower stack section 42. Specifically, in this embodiment, when the measuring unit 43 measures, for example, 50 (a certain number) cups P, the control unit 45 moves the restricting portion 44b of the stopper 44 backward from the forward end position to the backward end position, causing the cup unit U in the upper stack section 41 to fall into the lower stack section 42.

[0075] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the holding portion 46 is positioned in the upper stack portion 41 and is capable of holding the cups P. Specifically, the holding portion 46 is provided at the upper end of the upper stack portion 41 and is configured to temporarily hold the cups P that are fed into the upper stack portion 41 from the conveyor portion 2c.

[0076] More specifically, the holding portion 46 is roughly plate-shaped, extending in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) and in the direction perpendicular to it, and a pair is provided on the left side (-Y side) and right side (+Y side) of the upper stack portion 41. The pair of holding portions 46 are positioned opposite each other with a gap between them in the left-right direction and are configured to be able to move closer to and further apart from each other.

[0077] As the pair of holding parts 46 move closer to each other, it is possible to hold one or more cups P between the pair of holding parts 46. Specifically, when the pair of holding parts 46 are moving closer to each other, the distance between the pair of holding parts 46 in the left-right direction is smaller than the outer diameter of the curled portion 105 of the cup P. Therefore, when a cup P is supplied into the upper stack part 41 from the upper opening of the upper stack part 41, it is held between the pair of holding parts 46 by the curled portion 105 catching on the pair of holding parts 46.

[0078] Furthermore, when the pair of holding parts 46, which are in a state of moving closer to each other, move apart from each other, one or more cups P held between the pair of holding parts 46 are released and fall naturally in an upright position within the upper stack part 41. Specifically, when the pair of holding parts 46 are in a state of moving apart from each other, the distance between the pair of holding parts 46 in the left-right direction is made larger than the outer diameter of the curled portion 105 of the cup P.

[0079] In Figure 4, the control unit 45 temporarily holds the cup P with the holding unit 46 while the restriction by the stopper 44 is released. Specifically, while the restricting unit 44b of the stopper 44 moves backward from its forward end position and the lower opening of the upper stack unit 41 is in the open state, the control unit 45 moves the pair of holding units 46 closer together and temporarily holds the cup P between these holding units 46.

[0080] Furthermore, while the restricting portion 44b of the stopper 44 moves forward from its retracted end position and the lower opening of the upper stack portion 41 is closed, the control unit 45 moves the pair of holding portions 46 apart, allowing the cup P to pass between these holding portions 46.

[0081] As shown in Figure 2, the transfer unit 47, when viewed from above, has a lower stack unit 42 located at the transfer position S2, a lift unit 47a arranged side by side in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), and a transfer table 47b arranged side by side with the lift unit 47a in the left-right direction when viewed from above.

[0082] In this embodiment, the lift section 47a is positioned adjacent to the right side (+Y side) of the lower stack section 42, which is designated as the transfer position S2, when viewed from above. The transfer table 47b is also positioned adjacent to the right side of the lift section 47a in the same top view. The transfer unit 47, namely the lift unit 47a and the transfer table 47b, constitute a part of the transport unit 2 located in the cup stacking device 40.

[0083] The lift section 47a is a plate-shaped platform extending in the front-rear direction. The lift section 47a is capable of holding the cup unit U on its upper surface. As shown in Figure 7, the lift section 47a is configured to be movable within a predetermined range in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

[0084] When the lift section 47a is positioned at its lowest end, it is located to the lower right of the lower stack section 42 at the transfer position S2. In this arrangement, the lower stack section 42 is rotated around the second pivot axis R2 by a rotating means such as a motor (not shown), and the cup unit U held in the lower stack section 42 is moved onto the lift section 47a through the opening in the peripheral wall of the lower stack section 42.

[0085] With the cup unit U placed on the lift section 47a, the cup unit U is moved upward when the lift section 47a moves upward (towards the +Z side). In other words, the lift section 47a moves the unit U supplied from the lower stack section 42 upward. Therefore, the transport direction F of the cup unit U transported by the lift section 47a is upward.

[0086] As shown in Figure 7, when the lift section 47a is positioned at its uppermost position, the cup unit U placed on the lift section 47a is positioned above the upper surface (top surface) of the transfer table 47b. Furthermore, during the process in which the lift section 47a moves upward and is positioned at its uppermost position, the locking piece 47c of the lift section 47a contacts the locking piece 47d of the transfer table 47b from below. As a result, the lift section 47a is rotated around the third rotation axis R3 extending in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) against the biasing force of the biasing member 47e, such as a torsion coil spring, provided on the lift section 47a.

[0087] As the lift section 47a is rotated around the third drive axis R3, the cup unit U held by the lift section 47a rolls to the right (+Y side) along the slope of the upper surface of the lift section 47a and is moved to the upper surface of the transfer table 47b. In this way, the unit U is supplied to the transfer table 47b from the lift section 47a, which has moved upward.

[0088] The upper surface of the transfer table 47b is inclined downwards (-Z side) as it moves to the right (+Y side). Therefore, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the cup unit U is transported by rolling in the transport direction F, which is diagonally downwards to the right, on the upper surface of the transfer table 47b. In this way, the transfer unit 47 receives the unit U from the lower stacking unit 42 and transfers it to the next process of the device. The next process of the cup stacking device 40 may be, for example, a packaging process in which the cup units U are bagged. The packaging process may be carried out using, for example, a packaging device (not shown), or it may be carried out manually by an operator.

[0089] In the cup stacking device 40 of this embodiment described above, cups P that fall from the end (front end) of the conveyor section 2c to the upper stacking section 41 are stacked vertically by their own weight. When stacking a certain number of cups P, conventional components such as the suction drum and pusher plate described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-104434) are not required, and the structure of the device is simplified while stably stacking the cups P.

[0090] Furthermore, after stacking a certain number of cups P in the upper stacking section 41, the stacked cups P (laminated cups P) can be moved together as a unit U to the lower stacking section 42, and then the unit U can be further transported to a subsequent process by the transfer section 47. This allows for stable transport of the stacked cups P. Based on the above, according to this embodiment, cups P can be stably stacked without complicating the structure of the device. Furthermore, the stacked cup units U can be stably transported.

[0091] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the conveyor section 2c extends inclined upward as it approaches the upper stack section 41 along the horizontal direction (front-to-back direction in this embodiment), and the cups P are transported to the conveyor section 2c with their bottom 110 facing downstream (diagonally upward, forward diagonally upward in this embodiment) in the transport direction F and the open end 100a of the body 100 facing upstream (diagonally downward, rear diagonally downward in this embodiment) in the transport direction F. In the above configuration, the open end 100a, which has a larger diameter than the bottom 110, faces diagonally downwards, thus making the transport posture of the cups P carried by the conveyor section 2c more stable. As a result, the cups P that fall into the upper stacking section 41 are stacked accurately and stably.

[0092] Furthermore, the cups P that naturally fall within the upper stacking section 41 are positioned upright. That is, since the cups P are inserted into the upper stacking section 41 from the small-diameter bottom 110, the open end 100a of the cups P is less likely to get caught on the inner circumferential wall of the upper stacking section 41, allowing for smooth stacking.

[0093] Furthermore, the cup stacking device 40 of this embodiment includes a measuring unit 43 that measures the number of cups P being transported from the conveyor unit 2c to the upper stacking unit 41, a stopper 44 that restricts the movement of cups P from the upper stacking unit 41 to the lower stacking unit 42, and a control unit 45 that, when the measuring unit 43 has measured a certain number of cups P, releases the restriction by the stopper 44 and moves the unit U from the upper stacking unit 41 to the lower stacking unit 42. In this case, when a certain number of cups P are stacked in the upper stacking section 41, the stacked cup unit U can be automatically moved to the lower stacking section 42. This allows for efficient stacking of cups P.

[0094] In this embodiment, the control unit 45 temporarily holds the cup P in the holding unit 46 while the control unit 45 is releasing the restriction by the stopper 44. In this case, when the stacked cups P unit U stacked in the upper stack section 41 is moved to the lower stack section 42 by releasing the restriction by the stopper 44, even if new cups P are supplied to the upper stack section 41 from the conveyor section 2c, these cups P are temporarily held by the holding section 46. Therefore, when the unit U moves downward, problems such as newly supplied cups P to the upper stack section 41 unintentionally entering (falling into) the lower stack section 42 are suppressed.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the lower stack section 42 is arranged extending in the vertical direction and is rotatable between a receiving position S1 in which the unit U can be received from the upper stack section 41, and a transfer position S2 in which the unit U is transferred to the transfer section 47, and is arranged extending in the horizontal direction (front-rear direction in this embodiment). In this case, by setting the lower stack section 42 to a receiving position S1 that extends in the vertical direction, the lower stack section 42 can stably receive the units U of the stacked cups P from the upper stack section 41. Furthermore, by setting the lower stack section 42 to a transfer position S2 that extends in the horizontal direction, the units U held by the lower stack section 42 can be stably transferred to the transfer section 47.

[0096] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the transfer unit 47 includes a lift unit 47a that moves the unit U supplied from the lower stack unit 42 upward, and a transfer table 47b to which the unit U is supplied from the lift unit 47a that has moved upward. In this case, even if the stacked cup unit U is transferred from the lower stack section 42 to the transfer section 47 at a low position, the lift section 47a moves the unit U upward, allowing it to be transferred on the transfer platform 47b located at a higher position. This improves work efficiency when transferring the unit U. Furthermore, it becomes possible to keep the overall height of the device small, increasing the flexibility of the layout when installing the device.

[0097] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and modifications to the configuration, etc., are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention, as described below, for example.

[0098] In the above-described embodiment, a pair of holding parts 46 are provided, and an example was given in which these holding parts 46 are spaced apart from each other and arranged opposite each other in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), but the invention is not limited to this. That is, the pair of holding parts 46 may be spaced apart from each other and arranged opposite each other in, for example, the front-back direction (X-axis direction). Alternatively, three or more holding parts 46 may be arranged in a line around the central axis of the upper stack part 41.

[0099] In the above-described embodiment, one example given is a configuration in which the lower stack portion 42 at the transfer position S2 is rotated around a second pivot axis R2 by a rotating means such as a motor (not shown), thereby moving the cup unit U held in the lower stack portion 42 onto the lift portion 47a, but the embodiment is not limited to this. Although not specifically shown in the figures, for example, the lower stack section 42 may be provided with a locking piece and a biasing member such as a torsion coil spring, and a locking piece may be provided on a part of the transfer table 47b, so that when the lower stack section 42 rotates from the receiving position S1 to the transfer position S2, the locking piece contacts the locking piece from above, thereby causing the lower stack section 42 to rotate around the second rotation axis R2 against the biasing force of the biasing member.

[0100] Alternatively, the lift section 47a, positioned at the uppermost end, may be rotated around a third pivot axis R3 by a rotating means such as a motor (not shown) to move the cup unit U from the lift section 47a onto the transfer table 47b.

[0101] The present invention may be combined in any way that does not depart from the spirit of the invention, as described in the above embodiments and modifications, and the configurations may be added, omitted, substituted, or otherwise modified. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited by the above embodiments, but is limited only by the claims. [Industrial applicability]

[0102] The cup stacking device of the present invention allows for stable stacking of cups without complicating the structure of the device. Therefore, it has industrial applicability. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0103] 2c...Conveyor section, 40...Cup stacking device, 41...Upper stacking section, 42...Lower stacking section, 43...Measurement section, 44...Stopper, 45...Control unit, 46...Holding section, 47...Transfer section, 47a...Lift section, 47b...Transfer platform, 100...Body section, 100a...Opening end, 110...Bottom section, F...Transportation direction, P...Cup, S1...Receiving position, S2...Transfer position, U...Unit (Cup unit)

Claims

1. A cup stacking device for transporting multiple bottomed tapered cups, each having a tapered body and bottom, A conveyor unit that sequentially transports multiple cups, An upper stacking section holds the cups, which fall from the end of the conveyor section with their bottoms facing downwards, in a stacked state in the vertical direction, A lower stacking section is located below the upper stacking section and is capable of receiving a certain number of the cups held in the upper stacking section as a stacked unit, The system includes a transfer unit that receives the aforementioned unit from the lower stack section and transfers it to a subsequent process, Cup stacking device.

2. The conveyor section extends inclined upward as it approaches the upper stack section along the horizontal direction. The cup is transported to the conveyor section in a position with its bottom facing downstream in the transport direction and the open end of its body facing upstream in the transport direction. The cup stacking device according to claim 1.

3. A measuring unit for measuring the number of cups transported from the conveyor section to the upper stack section, A stopper that restricts the movement of the cup from the upper stack portion to the lower stack portion, The system includes a control unit that, when the measuring unit has measured a certain number of cups, releases the restriction by the stopper and moves the unit from the upper stack to the lower stack. The cup stacking device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The upper stack portion is provided with a holding portion capable of holding the cup, The control unit temporarily holds the cup in the holding part while the restriction by the stopper is released. The cup stacking device according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned lower stack section is It is arranged extending in the vertical direction, and has a receiving position that can receive the unit from the upper stack section, It is arranged in a horizontal direction and is rotatable between a transfer position and the transfer section, The cup stacking device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The transfer unit is A lift unit that moves the unit supplied from the lower stack unit upwards, A transfer table from which the unit is supplied from the lift section which has moved upward, The cup stacking device according to claim 1 or 2.

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