Warmer with accumulating function

Abstract

The technical challenge is to develop a warmer equipped with an accumulating function that ensures sufficient overall design strength of the device, prevents workpieces from tipping over during transport, reduces the load on the motor responsible for driving the device, and significantly reduces the effort and cost required for maintenance, as well as the running costs. [Solution] The warmer A of the present invention comprises a warmer chamber A1, a hot water nozzle A2, and a storage / transport conveyor 10. The storage / transport conveyor 10 comprises a plurality of vertically divided conveyors 11 divided along the transport direction of the workpiece W, and a plurality of storage / transport lanes L are formed by arranging the vertically divided conveyors 11 side by side, and the storage / transport lanes L are configured to be continuous in an undisrupted manner from the starting end to the ending end of the storage / transport conveyor 10.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a warmer having an accumulation function that is suitable for being incorporated into a production line of food individual packages, such as beverages in containers.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in a production line of bottled beverages, an accumulation conveyor is provided on the upstream side to temporarily store filled bottles (hereinafter referred to as work W) in preparation for the occurrence of downstream fullness due to problems during line operation. Such an accumulation conveyor is indispensable, but since it is not used when the equipment is operating normally, it is desirable to be configured in as little space as possible. For this reason, attempts have been made to rationally arrange the space required for the accumulation conveyor and to cooperate or share it with other functional equipment as much as possible to achieve space saving.

[0003] As an example, the applicant has proposed a method of serially incorporating an accumulation zone into a heat treatment apparatus as shown in Patent Document 1 below and has operating experience as a practical apparatus. Furthermore, as an advancement of such an idea, focusing on a warmer that is indispensable for dew condensation elimination in the process of filling carbonated beverages, a device that integrates the warmer and an accumulation conveyor to function is also operating as an existing device. This device, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, is configured by a conveyor that divides the accumulation / conveyance conveyor 110 that constitutes the conveyance surface in the warmer chamber A1 ′ in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, and this is referred to as a horizontally divided conveyor 111. Such a warmer A′, during steady operation, while operating all the horizontally divided conveyors 111, raises the temperature to a predetermined level to suppress dew condensation generation and then transfers the work W to the downstream process. On the other hand, when the downstream is full, the horizontally divided conveyors 111 are sequentially stopped from the downstream side so that the work W accumulates on the accumulation / conveyance conveyor 110 to store the work W.

[0004] Incidentally, if the workpiece W is, for example, a PET bottle beverage, the stability during transport is not always sufficient, and the workpiece is particularly prone to tipping over at the joints of the horizontally divided conveyor 111. For this reason, in conventional methods, as an example, measures are taken to block the unavoidable groove-shaped recesses D at the joints of the horizontally divided conveyor 111, as shown in the enlarged view of the main part in Figure 4(b) above. Specifically, firstly, the connection pitch between the conveyor elements 112, which are pin-connected in a chain-like manner when viewed from the side, is narrowed as much as possible, and nose bars N are provided on the inside of the connection part to guide the conveyor elements 112, so that the groove-shaped recess D that occurs at the connection part does not become as large as possible in the front-rear direction. On the other hand, even with these measures in place, the formation of groove-shaped recesses D is unavoidable. Therefore, as a second measure, a connecting plate J′ is provided to block these groove-shaped recesses D.

[0005] However, even with these two measures in place, the following problems are unavoidable. Firstly, shortening the connection pitch of the chain-like conveyor elements 112 meant miniaturizing the conveyor elements 112. As a result, the strength of the combined horizontally divided conveyor 111 could not be sufficiently ensured, and consequently, the equipment could not be scaled up. A second problem was that when the groove-shaped recess D was made as small (shallow) as possible, the cross-sectional shape of the connecting plate J' that closed it also became smaller, and sufficient strength could not be ensured. In particular, when the horizontally divided conveyor 111 was applied to the warmer A', the connecting plate J' was also heated and deformed, causing the smoothness at the connection part of the horizontally divided conveyor 111 to be lost, which sometimes resulted in workpieces falling over or the transport of workpieces W stopping. Furthermore, the horizontally divided conveyors 111 that constitute the storage and transport conveyor 110 had durability issues, resulting in frequent maintenance and significant associated costs. In particular, since each horizontally divided conveyor 111 of the storage and transport conveyor 110 required maintenance, an increase in maintenance costs was unavoidable.

[0006] Furthermore, in this type of accumulating conveyor 1', in order to smoothly receive and send out the workpiece W, the receiving side and the sending side are equipped with a receiving horizontal split conveyor 113 and a sending horizontal split conveyor 114 that shorten the transport direction dimension and allow for low-speed transport, and the horizontal split conveyor 111 between them is designated as the main horizontal split conveyor 115. In this configuration, in order to accumulate workpieces W when the downstream section is full, the receiving side receives the densely packed workpieces W at 1x speed on the receiving horizontal split conveyor 113 at 1 / 6 speed, and then the main horizontal split conveyor 115 quickly moves the workpieces W to the sending horizontal split conveyor 114 at, for example, 3x to 4x speed.

[0007] Naturally, in this configuration, in each horizontally divided conveyor 111, the workpieces W are transported in a scattered state, occupying about 30% of the transportable area. When they reach the discharge horizontally divided conveyor 114, the transport of the workpieces W is blocked, and subsequent workpieces W are transferred onto it one after another. When it is full, the horizontally divided conveyor 111 stops, and the workpieces W are accumulated upstream. At this time, looking at each horizontally divided conveyor 111, the workpieces W remaining on the downstream side are sequentially accepted from the upstream side into the remaining space, and each horizontally divided conveyor 111 is in operation, with the workpieces W remaining stationary as their undersides rub against the conveyor. For this reason, the driving resistance of the horizontally divided conveyor 111 cannot be ignored, which is undesirable from the standpoint of energy-saving operation.

[0008] Furthermore, with this method, since each horizontally divided conveyor 111 already has about 30% of the workpieces loaded, the amount of workpieces W that can be accepted from further upstream is limited to about 70%, and sufficient storage capacity cannot be secured. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-117750 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7553814 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] This invention takes into consideration such conventional methods, and aims to develop a warmer equipped with an accumulating function that can sufficiently ensure the overall design strength of the device, prevent workpieces from tipping over during transport, reduce the load on the motor responsible for driving, and significantly reduce the effort and cost required for maintenance, as well as the running costs, compared to the conventional device described above. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In other words, the warmer equipped with an accumulating function according to claim 1 is A warmer capable of raising the temperature of a workpiece, which is a beverage bottle filled with contents at a low temperature, to room temperature by showering it with hot water. This warmer is A warmer chamber that creates a loosely sealed interior, A hot water nozzle is placed inside this warmer chamber, The aforementioned warmer chamber is equipped with a storage and transport conveyor responsible for transporting workpieces, The storage and transport conveyor comprises a plurality of vertically divided conveyors that are divided along the direction of transport of the workpiece, and a plurality of storage and transport lanes are formed by arranging these vertically divided conveyors side by side. Furthermore, the storage and transport lanes in each vertically divided conveyor are characterized by being continuously and uninterrupted from the starting end to the ending end of the storage and transport conveyor.

[0012] Furthermore, the warmer with an accumulating function according to claim 2, in addition to the requirements of claim 1, Each of the aforementioned vertically divided conveyors is characterized by having an opening / closing gate at its starting end that can restrict the acceptance of workpieces.

[0013] Furthermore, the warmer with an accumulating function according to claim 3, in addition to the requirements of claim 1 or 2, Each of the aforementioned vertically divided conveyors is characterized by being driven independently by a drive motor provided for each. The aforementioned problems are then solved by the means described in each of these claims. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] First, according to the invention described in claim 1, the storage and transport conveyor is configured as a flat and continuous transport track without interruption from the starting end to the ending end, so there are no steps (groove-like recesses) that can occur when it is interrupted, and this prevents the workpiece from tipping over during transport. Also, because there are no steps due to interruption, a connecting plate provided in this part is unnecessary, and the associated maintenance and adjustments are also unnecessary, making it possible to realize a warmer with an efficient accumulation function.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 2, each vertical split conveyor is provided with an opening / closing gate that can restrict the acceptance of workpieces at its starting end. Therefore, if a malfunction occurs downstream of the warmer equipped with an accumulating function, and it becomes necessary to temporarily store workpieces in the warmer, only the opening / closing gate of the desired vertical split conveyor can be opened (while the opening / closing gates of the other vertical split conveyors remain closed), allowing workpieces to be accepted only into that vertical split conveyor. Of course, if the vertical split conveyor with its opening / closing gate open becomes full, the opening / closing gates of the next vertical split conveyor can be opened sequentially, and workpiece acceptance can be carried out sequentially on the other vertical split conveyors.

[0016] According to the invention described in claim 3, each of the vertically divided conveyors is independently driven by a drive motor provided respectively, so that only a desired vertically divided conveyor can be operated, or the conveying speed of each vertically divided conveyor can be adjusted respectively. Also, the load on each motor can be reduced.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory drawing showing a production line of bottled beverages incorporating a warmer having an accumulation function according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a plan view (a) and a side view (b) showing an accumulation conveyor according to the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a plan view (a), a side view (b), and a perspective view (c) showing an example of an opening / closing gate provided at a work inlet of an accumulation / conveying conveyor. [Figure 4] It is a plan view (a) and a side view (b) showing a conventional accumulation conveyor.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] The present invention is as shown in the following examples, but it is also possible to make appropriate modifications within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention with respect to these examples. <00​​​​​​​​​As shown in Figure 2 as an example, this warmer A comprises a warmer chamber A1 that is loosely sealed inside, a hot water nozzle A2 positioned inside the warmer chamber A1, and an accumulator conveyor 1 (storage / transport conveyor 10) that is responsible for the temporary storage and transport of workpieces W inside the warmer chamber A1. Thus, the warmer chamber A1 is a processing space that heats the workpiece W to a desired temperature for an appropriate amount of time during transport. Since the transport start end, which is the receiving end for the transported workpiece W, and the transport end end, which is the discharge (removal) end for the workpiece W after heating, are open, the inside of the warmer chamber A1 is not completely sealed. However, it is configured so as not to adversely affect the heating of the workpiece W, and for this reason, this structural state of the warmer chamber A1 is referred to as a "loosely sealed state" in this specification. Furthermore, as described above, the warmer A of the present invention is equipped with an accumulator conveyor 1 that can temporarily store the workpiece W. For this reason, we will first briefly describe the bottled beverage production line related to the warmer A, and then describe the accumulator conveyor 1.

[0020] The accumulator conveyor 1 primarily has functions such as conveying and temporary storage. As an example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a supply conveyor 2 and an outlet conveyor 3, which are part of the conveying line C, are connected to the front and back of the conveying direction, i.e., the conveying start end and the conveying end end, respectively. Upstream of the supply conveyor 2, the conveying line C is equipped with a filling device 5, which fills beverage bottles with beverages, and a pasteurizer 6, which heat-sterilizes the filled beverage bottles (hereinafter, the objects accumulated and conveyed by the accumulator conveyor 1, including these, are collectively referred to as workpieces W). Of course, the workpieces W supplied to the pasteurizer 6 have their filling ports sealed with caps. On the other hand, downstream of the warmer A, there is a labeling device 7 that applies labels to the surface of containers such as bottles on the workpieces W, and a case packing device 8 that packs the workpieces W into boxes in appropriate numbers. Between the warmer A and the labeling device 7, there is a dedicated accumulator 9 that performs only a temporary storage function (accumulation function). Furthermore, since the workpiece W that has been heat-treated by the pasteurizer 6 does not require heating by the warmer A, it is not heated by the warmer A, and in the accumulate conveyor 1 in the warmer A, as will be described later, only a part of it needs to be operated for simple passage and transport.

[0021] The following provides a detailed description of the accumulator conveyor 1. The accumulator conveyor 1 includes an accumulation and transport conveyor 10 supported by a suitable frame, and has a conveyor function that can temporarily store, accumulate, support, and transport workpieces W. This storage and transport conveyor 10 is constructed by arranging multiple vertically divided conveyors 11, each divided along the transport direction, side by side. The storage and transport lanes L, which are the transport surfaces of each of these vertically divided conveyors 11, are flat and continuous from the starting end of the storage and transport conveyor 10, i.e., the supply conveyor 2 side, to the ending end, the take-out conveyor 3, without being interrupted. Since the vertically divided conveyor 11 is divided into multiple sections, there are also multiple storage and transport lanes L. When it is necessary to distinguish between them, for example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 above, they are distinguished from the top as the first storage and transport lane L1, the second storage and transport lane L2, the third storage and transport lane L3, and so on. In addition, the lane located above the first storage and transport lane L1 in Figures 1 and 2 is designated as the zeroth storage and transport lane L0, and this is also included in the storage and transport lanes L. Furthermore, the conveyor that constitutes the 0th storage / transport lane L0 is also included in the vertically divided conveyor 11. Incidentally, in terms of actual factory equipment, the size of the storage / transport conveyor 10 is, for example, approximately 10m to 10-somethingm in length and 3m to 5m in width.

[0022] Furthermore, the configuration of the vertically divided conveyor 11 is such that, as shown in the enlarged view of the main part in Figure 2(b) as an example, modularized resin conveyor elements 12 are connected by connecting pins 13, forming a chain shape in side view, and the overall structure is permeable to water. Incidentally, the overall length of the conveying surface of the vertically divided conveyor 11 is the same as the overall length of the storage and transport conveyor 10, while the width is, for example, around 500 mm. In configuring the storage and transport conveyor 10, several vertically divided conveyors 11 (six in the illustrated embodiment as an example) are combined in a side-by-side configuration. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the vertically divided conveyor 11 is formed in a continuous, uninterrupted state from the starting end to the ending end of the storage / transport conveyor 10. Therefore, the transport track is not interrupted midway, and consequently, there are no groove-shaped recesses D that would occur at the connection points due to the interruption. For this reason, there is no need to consider minimizing the groove-shaped recesses D, and as a result, high-strength conveyor elements 12 can be selected. Regarding the strength of the conveyor elements 12, larger elements can be made stronger, and this strength is embodied, for example, in the pitch dimension of the connecting pins 13. In this embodiment, for example, a pitch P of 25.4 mm can be applied to the connecting pins 13. Incidentally, in the "Background Art" paragraph (section) of this specification, a small element with a pitch dimension of 12.7 mm was often applied, which was not always sufficient in terms of strength.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2(b) above as an example, the vertically divided conveyor 11 has a drive pulley 14 positioned at the end of the storage / transport conveyor 10 and a turn pulley 15 positioned at the starting end. Rotation is transmitted from the motor M to the drive pulley 14, driving the vertically divided conveyor 11. In addition, a motor M is provided for each vertically divided conveyor 11, and each is driven individually, so that each vertically divided conveyor 11 can be driven independently. Furthermore, the vertically divided conveyor 11 is equipped with a tensioner 16, which consists of a pair of guide pulleys 16G and a weight roller 16W placed between them.

[0024] Furthermore, at the workpiece receiving ports on the starting end side of each vertically divided conveyor 11, that is, at the workpiece receiving ports when transferring from the supply conveyor 2 to each storage / transport conveyor 10, there are opening / closing gates 17 that can be controlled to open or close these ports. This opening / closing gate 17 is a gate that opens the receiving entrance of the storage / transport conveyor 10 only when a workpiece W is to be received into the storage / transport conveyor 10. As an example, as shown in Figure 3, it comprises an opening / closing body 171 whose main component is an opening / closing plate 171a, an opening / closing cylinder 172 such as an air cylinder for opening and closing the opening / closing body 171, a support 173 for supporting the opening / closing body 171, and an opening / closing track (rolling wheel regulating rail) 174 for regulating and guiding the opening and closing movement of the support 173.

[0025] The support body 173 comprises suspension rods 173a that extend upward from both sides of the opening / closing plate 171a, connecting pieces 173b that connect the pair of suspension rods 173a at their upper ends, and a pair of rotational input pieces 173c that extend outwards from the upper ends of the suspension rods 173a toward the opening / closing cylinder 172. Furthermore, the rotating input piece 173c is equipped with a total of four rolling wheels 173d on both outer sides, in the front, rear, left, and right directions. Furthermore, a connecting rod 173e is provided at the front end (supply conveyor 2 side) of the pair of rotating input pieces 173c, and a block piece 173f is rotatably mounted in the center of this rod. The slider 172a of the opening / closing cylinder 172 is connected to this block piece 173f.

[0026] Furthermore, the opening and closing track 174 is responsible for the rail action that restricts the four rolling wheels 173d. For example, in the side view shown in Figure 3(b), it is formed to resemble a track that is roughly like a sideways "shi" shape, or a sideways "L" shape with a rounded bend. When the rolling wheels 173d roll towards the vertically divided conveyor 11, the track is formed to gradually rotate the opening and closing body 171 as a whole while raising it. Thus, the opening and closing gate 17 is configured not to protrude toward the supply conveyor 2 side, not only when closed but also when open, in order to avoid interference with the workpiece W supported on the supply conveyor 2.

[0027] In this configuration, the opening / closing body 171, including the support body 173, is provided in a state that is roughly an inverted "L" shape when viewed from the side as shown in Figure 3(b). Furthermore, when the vertically divided conveyor 11 is not in use (when no workpieces W are placed on it), the opening / closing body 171 is positioned to hang down from above to close the receiving opening. On the other hand, when receiving the workpiece W from the supply conveyor 2 onto the vertical split conveyor 11, the opening / closing body 171, which was previously positioned in a hanging position, is rotated upward to nearly 90 degrees relative to the vertical split conveyor 11 to open the receiving opening. In other words, when opening, the slider 172a of the opening / closing cylinder 172 is extended, pushing the rolling wheel 173d toward the vertical split conveyor 11. The rolling wheel 173d, having been pushed in, rolls toward the vertical split conveyor 11 according to the opening / closing track 174, causing the opening / closing body 171 to rotate so that it gradually rises, opening the receiving opening.

[0028] Furthermore, a supply conveyor 2 is connected to the starting end of the accumulating conveyor 1. This supply conveyor 2 is equipped with a transfer guide plate 21 that gradually reduces the width of the conveying surface in the direction of conveying, as shown in Figure 2(a), for example, and acts to guide the conveyed workpiece W to the accumulation / conveying conveyor 10. Also, since it is inevitable that a groove-shaped recess D will be formed at the connection between the supply conveyor 2 and the accumulation / conveying conveyor 10, a transfer plate J is provided to prevent this, so that the transfer of workpiece W can be carried out without hindrance (see Figure 3(b)). On the other hand, an extraction conveyor 3 is connected to the end of the accumulating conveyor 1. It is also inevitable that the groove-shaped recess D will be formed between this extraction conveyor 3 and the vertical splitting conveyor 11, so a transfer plate J is also provided at this location.

[0029] The Warmer A of the present invention has the configuration described above as one embodiment and operates as follows. (1) During Warmer A's normal processing Normal operation of Warmer A refers to a situation where Work W contains a product that is filled at low temperatures, such as a carbonated beverage, and the manufacturing process is carried out sequentially. As is well known, carbonated beverages are filled at a cold temperature of around 2°C, and as a result, condensation forms on the surface of the workpiece W (container) after filling due to the difference in temperature with room temperature. Leaving this condition untreated is undesirable for subsequent processes such as labeling by the labeling machine 7 and carton packing by the case packing machine 8. Therefore, the workpiece W is heated to room temperature using the warmer A to prevent condensation from forming.

[0030] In this process, the workpieces W filled with contents are first transferred sequentially from the supply conveyor 2 to the warmer A. At this time, all vertically divided conveyors 11 operate and transport the workpieces W at a constant speed, and it takes approximately several tens of minutes to transport the workpieces W from the starting end to the ending end of the storage and transport conveyor 10 (vertically divided conveyor 11). Incidentally, regarding the transport speed of these workpieces W, for example, if we consider the quantity of workpieces W supplied from the previous process as a basis, and define a speed of 1x as the speed at which 200 to 300 workpieces W are transported per minute, then the storage and transport conveyor 10, which is six times the width of the supply conveyor 2, will transport at a speed of 1 / 6x. During this time, the workpiece W receives a shower of hot water from the hot water nozzle A2 and is heated to room temperature. The processed workpieces W are then sequentially moved along the transport line C from the removal conveyor 3 to the subsequent labeling device 7 and case packing device 8.

[0031] (2) Processing of workpiece W without applying the warming function of warmer A. (i) Steady state Workpieces W that are not subjected to the warming function are those that have been filled at room temperature and then appropriately processed by the pasteurizer 6 in front of the supply conveyor 2, such as tea beverages. In this case, under normal conditions, depending on the transport capacity of the workpiece W in the transport line C, the vertically divided conveyor 11 of the storage and transport conveyor 10 operates with only one storage and transport lane L (the 0th storage and transport lane L0) running at a speed corresponding to the transport speed on the upstream side, for example, at 1x speed, essentially just passing through the warmer A (see Figure 2(a)).

[0032] (ii) When the downstream area becomes full When the downstream section becomes full, the storage and transport conveyor 10 first opens only some of the opening and closing gates 17, for example, the opening and closing gate 17 of the first storage and transport lane L1, while closing the other opening and closing gates 17, and accepts the workpieces W into the first storage and transport lane L1 of the vertically divided conveyor 11. When the first storage and transport lane L1 becomes full, the opening and closing gate 17 of the subsequent second storage and transport lane L2 is opened, and the workpieces W are guided into this second storage and transport lane L2. This process is repeated sequentially, accumulating the workpieces W on the storage and transport conveyor 10. Furthermore, since there is no workpiece W in the storage / transport lane L into which the workpiece W is introduced at this time, that space can be used 100% effectively as a storage and receiving space. Of course, it is also possible to open all the opening and closing gates 17 of the storage / transport lane L simultaneously and accept all the workpiece W into the storage / transport lane L at once across the entire width of the storage / transport conveyor 10, but in this case the speed of the vertically divided conveyor 11 is set to 1 / 6 of the normal speed.

[0033] (iii) Deactivation of downstream full capacity When the downstream full state is released, the workpiece W on the storage and transport conveyor 10 is sent downstream. The workpieces W that were stored on the storage / transport conveyor 10 can be sequentially transferred to the retrieval conveyor 3 when transport begins across all storage / transport lanes L. Alternatively, the workpieces W may be transferred to the retrieval conveyor 3 from either the first storage / transport lane L1 or the sixth storage / transport lane L6, and then sent downstream.

[0034] (3) Stability of the workpiece W during transport Workpieces W are transported on the storage and transport conveyor 10 in all cases, whether warmer A is in use or not, or when the downstream container is full or when it is cleared of fullness. In this transport system, the vertically divided conveyor 11 that constitutes the storage and transport conveyor 10 is not divided in the transport direction from the starting end to the ending end of the storage and transport conveyor 10, meaning there are no joints between the conveyors. Therefore, the workpiece W can be transported stably from the starting end to the ending end.

[0035] (4) Good maintainability Furthermore, as mentioned above, the vertically divided conveyor 11 has no joints (groove-shaped recesses D) from the starting end to the ending end of the storage and transport conveyor 10, eliminating the need for maintenance to address malfunctions caused by joints, which were present in conventional devices. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] A Warmer (Warmer with accumulation function) 1. Accumulate conveyor 2. Supply conveyor 3. Extraction conveyor 5 Filling equipment 6 Pasteurizer 7. Labeling device 8. Casing device 9. Dedicated accumulator 10. Storage and transport conveyor 11. Vertical split conveyor 12 Conveyor Elements 13 connection pins 14 Drive pulley 15 Turn Pulley 16 Tensioner 16G Guide Pulley 16W Weight Roller 17 Opening and closing gates 21 Transfer guide plate 110 Storage and transport conveyor 111 Horizontal split conveyor 112 Conveyor elements 113 Receiving horizontal splitting conveyor 114. Horizontal split conveyor for delivery 115 Main horizontal split conveyor 171 Opening / Closing Mechanism 171a Opening / closing plate 172 Opening / Closing Cylinder 172a Slider 173 Support 173a Hanging rod 173b Connection piece 173c Rotating input piece 173d rolling wheel 173e Connecting Rod 173f Block piece 174 Opening and closing track A1 Warmer Chamber A2 Hot water nozzle C Conveyor Line D groove-shaped recess L Storage / Transport Lane L0 0th Storage / Transport Lane L1 First storage and transport lane L2 Second storage and transport lane L3 Third Storage / Transport Lane L4 4th Storage / Transport Lane L5 5th Storage / Transport Lane L6 6th Storage / Transport Lane M Motor N Nose Bar P pitch J board Double job

Claims

1. A warmer capable of raising the temperature of a workpiece, which is a beverage bottle filled with contents at a low temperature, to room temperature by showering it with hot water. This warmer is A warmer chamber that creates a loosely sealed interior, A hot water nozzle is placed inside this warmer chamber, The aforementioned warmer chamber is equipped with a storage and transport conveyor responsible for transporting workpieces, The storage and transport conveyor comprises multiple vertically divided conveyors that are divided along the direction of workpiece transport, and multiple storage and transport lanes are formed by arranging these vertically divided conveyors side by side. Furthermore, the storage and transport lanes in each vertically divided conveyor are configured to be continuous and uninterrupted from the starting end to the ending end of the storage and transport conveyor, characterized in that the warmer has an accumulation function.

2. A warmer with an accumulating function according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the vertically divided conveyors is provided with an opening / closing gate capable of restricting the acceptance of workpieces at its starting end.

3. A warmer equipped with an accumulating function according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each of the vertically divided conveyors is driven independently by a drive motor provided for each.

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