Holding jig, sealing device and sealing method

Abstract

Provided are a holding jig, a sealing device, and a sealing method that enable contact between a container and an upper edge portion of a through-hole even if there is a difference in circumference accompanying a change in the size of an object to be held.　The holding jig has a through-hole formed in a vertical direction through which the object to be held is inserted, and includes a holding body formed so as to bring the object to be held into contact with the upper edge portion of the through-hole, wherein: the holding body includes a plurality of displacement elements forming at least a portion of the through-hole; in at least some of the displacement elements, an exposed region of each of the displacement elements exposed at the peripheral surface of the through-hole varies in conjunction with displacement of the displacement element in a displacement direction determined for the displacement element; and when the displacement elements have moved to a state increasing the exposed region, stress is applied to the displacement elements such that the displacement elements move to a position in which the exposed region is smaller.

Description

Holding jig, sealing device and sealing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a holding jig, a sealing device, and a sealing method.

[0002] A sealing device is known that seals a container or the like as a holding object with a lid. In the sealing device, as shown in Patent Document 1, the holding object is inserted into a through hole of a holding jig, a lid is placed so as to cover a portion of the holding object that is located on the upper surface of the holding jig, and a pressing body is pressed against the lid and the holding object from above the lid to join the lid and the holding object.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-056585

[0004] However, in the sealing device disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the size of the holding jig is installed according to the object to be held, so if there are multiple sizes of objects to be sealed, it is required to prepare individual holding jigs according to the sizes.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a holding jig, a sealing device, and a sealing method that enable contact between the container and the upper edge of the through hole even if there is a difference in circumference due to a change in the size of the object to be held.

[0006] The present invention is summarized as follows: (1) A holding jig including a through hole formed in the vertical direction for inserting a holding object, the holding body being formed so as to bring the holding object into contact with the upper edge of the through hole, the holding body including a plurality of displacers forming at least a part of the through hole, the displacer displacing the displacer in a displacement direction determined for the displacer, the exposed area of ​​each of the displacer elements exposed on the circumferential surface of the through hole varying as the displacer displaces in a displacement direction determined for the displacer, and when the displacer moves so that the exposed area increases, stress is applied to the displacer so that the exposed area decreases. (2) The holding jig according to (1), wherein adjacent displacers slide relative to each other along the displacement direction determined for the displacer. (3) The holding jig according to (1), wherein the through hole is formed by a plurality of the displacers. (4) The holding jig according to (1), wherein the plurality of displacers are arranged in a ring shape. (5) The holding jig according to (1) above, wherein the holding body includes a restricting structure that restricts the displacement direction of at least some of the displacers, the restricting structure including guide portions provided corresponding to the respective displacers and guiding the displacers in a predetermined direction, the displacement direction of the displacers being a direction along the guide portion corresponding to the displacer. (6) The holding jig according to (5) above, wherein one of the adjacent displacers applies a pressing force to the other displacer when moving along the guide portion corresponding to the one displacer, and the other displacer moves along the guide portion corresponding to the other displacer based on the pressing force. (7) The holding jig according to (1) above, wherein the holding body includes a restricting wall portion that restricts the displacement distance of at least one of the displacers, and the restricting wall portion comes into contact with the displacer when the displacer reaches a predetermined position. (8) The holding jig described in (7) above, wherein the holding body has a first groove portion in the regulating wall portion, the displacer that contacts the regulating wall portion has a second groove portion formed at a position corresponding to the first groove portion, and a regulating rod that is common to the first groove portion and the second groove portion and is embedded in the first groove portion and the second groove portion is provided.(9) The holding jig according to (1) above, wherein adjacent displacers contact each other at their side surfaces. (10) The holding jig according to (1) above, wherein adjacent displacers are prevented from overlapping each other in the vertical direction. (11) The holding jig according to (1) above, wherein the positions of the upper surfaces of adjacent displacers are aligned at the upper edge of the through hole. (12) The holding jig according to (1) above, further comprising a base plate, wherein the displacers are disposed on an upper surface of the base plate and slide along the upper surface of the base plate. (13) The holding jig according to (1) above, wherein an extension extending along the circumferential surface of the through hole is formed on the lower surface of the displacer. (14) The holding jig according to (1) above, wherein at least a portion of the displacer corresponding to the exposed region forms an inclined surface that slopes downward from the upper edge of the through hole toward the inside of the through hole. (15) The holding jig according to (1), further comprising a protective plate, the protective plate covering at least a portion of the displacer. (16) The holding jig according to (15), wherein a fixing member for fixing the position of the protective plate is detachably attached to the protective plate, and the protective plate is configured to be displaceable in a planar direction normal to the thickness direction of the protective plate when the fixing member is removed. (17) The holding jig according to (1), wherein the holding object has a first holding object in contact with the through hole and a second holding object mounted on the first holding object, and when the surface direction of a plane normal to the up-down direction is defined as the planar direction, a positioning structure is provided on an upper surface side of the holding body to determine at least the position of the second holding object in the planar direction relative to the first holding object. (18) The holding jig according to (17) above, wherein the positioning structure includes a plurality of pins provided upright on the upper surface side of the holder, the plurality of pins defining the position of the second held object in the planar direction, and each of the pins is configured to be displaceable in the vertical direction. (19) The holding jig according to (1) above, wherein the held object includes at least a container having a main body and a flange portion extending outward from an upper end of the main body, the flange portion contacting an upper edge of the through hole.(20) The holding jig according to (1) above, wherein the holder includes an elastic member that biases at least one of the displacers, and the elastic member applies stress to the displacer so that the exposed area becomes smaller when the displacer moves so that the exposed area becomes larger. (21) The holding jig according to (1) above, which has an outer periphery and is provided with a cushioning coating material that surrounds the outer periphery. (22) The holding jig according to (1) above, which is provided with a displacement guide structure on the lower surface of the displacer that regulates the displacement direction of the displacer. (23) The holding jig according to (1) above, which has a groove formed on the upper surface of the displacer. (24) The holding jig according to (23) above, which has the groove on the upper surface of the displacer extending along the displacement direction of the displacer. (25) The holding jig according to (1) above, which has a groove formed on at least a part of the side surface of the displacer, excluding the surface that forms the through hole. (26) The holding jig according to (1) above, in which a step is formed on the upper surface of the displacer. (27) A sealing device comprising the holding jig according to any one of (1) to (26) above, and a pressing body that applies a pressing force to the holding object from above the holding object, wherein when the pressing force is applied to the holding object while the holding object is placed on the holding jig, at least one of the pressing body and the holding jig moves from an initial position where the pressing body and the holding jig are separated by a predetermined distance to a position where the holding object is pressed, the pressing body is present above the holding object, and the pressing force is applied to the holding object from above the holding object. (28) The sealing device according to (27) above, in which the holding jig moves toward the pressing body. (29) The sealing device according to (27) above, in which the pressing body moves toward the holding jig. (30) The sealing device according to (27) above, wherein the pressing body has a pressing surface, and the pressing surface is an uneven surface. (31) The sealing device according to (27) above, comprising a heating mechanism capable of heating the pressing body. (32) The sealing device according to (27) above, wherein a fluororesin sheet is provided between the pressing body and the holding jig.(33) The sealing device according to (27) above, wherein the object to be held comprises at least a container having a main body with an opening formed on its upper side and a flange extending outward from the upper end of the main body. (34) The sealing device according to (33) above, wherein a lid is placed on the container so as to cover the opening and the flange on the upper side of the main body, and the container and the lid are interposed between the pressing body and the holding jig, and the lid is joined to the container at the position of the flange of the container. (35) A sealing method using the sealing device according to (33) above, wherein the container and the lid are interposed between the pressing body and the holding jig, and the lid is joined to the container at the position of the flange of the container.

[0007] According to the present invention, the exposed area of ​​the displacer that forms the peripheral surface of the through hole changes as the displacer is displaced, and the size of the through hole can be changed. Therefore, for example, when a container having a flange on the upper edge (upper end) of a main body with an open top is used as the object to be held, even for multiple types of containers with different sizes (perimeters; lengths of the outer peripheral surface of the main body of the container) (multiple types of containers with different perimeters), the same holding jig can bring the container into contact with the upper edge of the through hole and support the container at the upper edge of the through hole.

[0008] According to the sealing device using the holding jig of the present invention, the container can be firmly held by the holding jig regardless of the size of the container, and the flange portion can be brought into contact with the upper edge of the through hole of the holding jig. Therefore, with the lid positioned to cover the flange portion of the container and the opening of the main body of the container, the container and the lid can be sandwiched between the pressing body and the holding jig. Also provided is a sealing method using such a sealing device.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a vertical cross section taken along line A-A in FIG. 2. FIG. 4A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a vertical cross section taken along line B-B in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 3 of the first embodiment. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a vertical cross section taken along line C-C in FIG. 5A. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 4 of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 5 of the first embodiment. FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 6 of the first embodiment. FIG. 9A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 7 of the first embodiment. FIG. 9B is a side view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 7 of the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing an example of a sealing device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the sealing function of the sealing device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12A is a diagram schematically showing a pressing body used in the sealing device according to Modification 3 of the second embodiment. FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the vertical cross section taken along line D-D in FIG. 12A. FIG. 13A is a diagram for explaining a sealing device according to Modification 4 of the second embodiment. FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a vertical cross section passing through the center of a suction cup used in the sealing device according to Modification 4 of the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. FIG. 15A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. Fig. 15B is a side view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. Fig. 16 is a side view schematically showing an example of a sealing device according to Modification 5 of the second embodiment. Fig. 17 is a diagram illustrating the sealing function of the sealing device according to Modification 5 of the second embodiment. Fig. 18 is a side view schematically showing an example of a sealing device according to Modification 7 of the second embodiment.19A and 19B are diagrams schematically illustrating an example of a sealing device according to Modification 6 of the second embodiment. FIG. 20A is a plan view illustrating an example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. FIG. 20B is a longitudinal sectional view schematically illustrating the state of a longitudinal section taken along line E-E in FIG. 20A. FIG. 21 is a plan view illustrating an example of a holding jig according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. FIG. 22 is a plan view for explaining an example of a holding jig according to Modification 7 of the first embodiment. FIG. 23 is a side view illustrating an example of a sealing device according to Modification 6 of the second embodiment. FIG. 24 is a front view illustrating an example of a sealing device according to Modification 6 of the second embodiment. FIG. 25 is a diagram for explaining a usage state of an example of a sealing device according to Modification 6 of the second embodiment. FIG. 26 is a side view illustrating an example of a sealing device according to Modification 6 of the second embodiment. FIG. 27 is a front view illustrating an example of a sealing device according to Modification 6 of the second embodiment. FIGS. 28A and 28B are diagrams illustrating main parts of an example of a movement control structure. FIG. 29 is a front view showing an example of a sealing device according to Modification 9 of the second embodiment. FIG. 30A is a plan view showing an example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. FIG. 30B is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a state of a longitudinal section taken along line E-E in FIG. 30A. FIG. 31 is a plan view showing an example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. FIG. 32A is a plan view showing an example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. FIG. 32B is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a state of a longitudinal section taken along line G-G in FIG. 32A. FIG. 33 is a side view showing an example of a sealing device according to Modification 10 of the second embodiment. FIG. 34 is a front view showing an example of a sealing device according to Modification 10 of the second embodiment. FIG. 35 is a view for explaining a state in which the holding jig of an example of a sealing device according to Modification 10 of the second embodiment has been moved in the forward and backward directions. FIG. 36 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to the first embodiment. Fig. 37 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to the first embodiment, Fig. 38 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to the first embodiment, and Fig. 39 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to the first embodiment.FIG. 40A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. FIG. 40B is a plan view schematically showing a state of a vertical cross section taken along line H-H in FIG. 40A. FIG. 40C is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a state during use of an example of a holding jig according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. FIG. 41A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. FIG. 41B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state of a vertical cross section taken along line I-I in FIG. 41A. FIG. 41C is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state of a vertical cross section taken along line J-J in FIG. 41A. FIGS. 42A and 42B are cross-sectional views schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. FIG. 43A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 9 of the first embodiment. FIG. 43B is a view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 9 of the first embodiment. FIG. 44 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 10 of the first embodiment. FIG. 45A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 11 of the first embodiment. FIG. 45B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state of a vertical section taken along line K-K in FIG. 45A. FIG. 46A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 12 of the first embodiment. FIG. 46B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state of a vertical section taken along line L-L in FIG. 46A. FIG. 46C is a horizontal cross-sectional view schematically showing a state of a vertical section taken along line M-M in FIG. 46A. FIG. 47A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 13 of the first embodiment. FIG. 47B is a side view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 13 of the first embodiment. FIG. 48A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a holding jig according to Modification 14 of the first embodiment. Fig. 48B is a diagram schematically showing one example of a holding jig according to Modification 14 of the first embodiment. Fig. 49A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a position of a holding jig according to Modification 15 of the first embodiment. Fig. 49B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of a longitudinal cross section taken along line N-N in Fig. 49A. Fig. 50 is a perspective view of the exterior of the sealing device according to the embodiment of the present invention, with the lid storage section removed. Fig. 51 is an exploded perspective view of the sealing device shown in Fig. 51.53(a) is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the bonding force imparting portion, and FIG. 53(b) is a plan view showing the configuration of the bonding force imparting portion. FIG. 50 is a longitudinal sectional view of a sealing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 50 is a longitudinal sectional view of a sealing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 50 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the bonding force imparting portion in the embodiment. FIG. 50 is an external perspective view showing another embodiment of a sealing device according to the present invention. FIG. 57 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the sealing device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 57. FIG. 57 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the internal configuration of the sealing device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 57. FIG. 57 is an exploded perspective view of the sealing device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 57. FIG. 61A is a plan view schematically showing one example of a holding jig. FIG. 61B is a side view of the holding jig shown in FIG. 61A. FIG. 61C is a diagram schematically showing the holding jig positioning the lid. FIG. 57 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the sealing device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 57. FIG. 61B is a side view of the holding jig shown in FIG. 61A. FIG. 61C is a diagram schematically showing the holding jig positioning the lid. FIG. 61C is a perspective view showing a modified example of the sealing device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 57. FIG. 61C is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the lid body storage portion. FIG. 61C is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the lid body storage portion. FIG. 61C is an explanatory diagram for explaining the action and effect of the lid body storage portion. FIG. 61D is a cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional configuration of the lid body storage portion. 69 is an external view showing an embodiment of a sealing device of the present invention. FIG. 70 is a front view of the sealing device shown in FIG. 67. FIG. 71 is an external view showing an embodiment of a sealing device of the present invention. FIG. 72 is a front view of the sealing device shown in FIG. 69. FIG. 73 is a partial enlarged view of the sealing device shown in FIG. 69. FIG. 74 is a partial enlarged view of the sealing device shown in FIG. 69. FIG. 75 is a partial enlarged view of the sealing device shown in FIG. 69. FIG. 76 is a partial enlarged view of the sealing device shown in FIG. 69. FIG. 77 is a partial enlarged view of the sealing device shown in FIG. 69. FIG. 78 is a partial enlarged view of the storage portion in the sealing device shown in FIG. 78. FIG. 79 is a partial enlarged view of the storage portion in the sealing device shown in FIG. 78.

[0010] An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The description will be made in the order of 1. First embodiment (holding jig) and 2. Second embodiment (sealing device). In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0011] The following description is of a preferred specific example of the present invention, and the content of the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Furthermore, in the following description, directions such as front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-down are indicated for the sake of convenience, but the content of the present invention is not limited to these directions. In the examples of FIGS. 1 and 2, the Z-axis direction is the up-down direction (upper side is the +Z direction, lower side is the -Z direction), the X-axis direction is the front-to-back direction (front side is the +X direction, rear side is the -X direction), and the Y-axis direction is the left-to-right direction (right side is the +Y direction, left side is the -Y direction), and the description will be based on this. The same applies to FIGS. 3 to 49.

[0012] The relative size and thickness ratios of each layer shown in each drawing, such as Figure 1, are shown for convenience and do not limit the actual size ratios. The definitions of these directions and size ratios also apply to each drawing, such as Figures 2 to 49.

[0013] [1 First Embodiment] [1-1 Configuration of Holding Jig] The holding jig 10 according to the first embodiment has a holding body 11, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The holding jig 10 is rectangular in plan view; however, this is merely an example and other shapes are not prohibited. The outer peripheral shape of the holding jig 10 may be any shape other than rectangular in plan view, such as circular, tongue-shaped, elliptical, or polygonal. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 39, the outer peripheral shape of the holding jig 10 is tongue-shaped in plan view. For convenience of explanation, FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a gap between a receiving member 13 and a displacer 14 (described later). However, this may occur when a gap is generated due to displacement of the displacer 14, or when the receiving member 13 and the displacer 14 are in contact (i.e., when there is no gap). This also applies to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0014] (Holding object) The holding jig 10 can be used to hold a holding object. Therefore, the holding jig 10 is a concept that includes structures that can be used as so-called container holders or container supports. The holding object is an object held by the holding jig 10, and examples thereof include a container, a stack of a container and a lid, and an integrated container and lid. The holding object includes an object that is held by the upper edge of the through hole of the holding jig and an object that is held by the peripheral surface of the through hole of the holding jig.

[0015] (Base Plate) In the example of FIG. 1 , the holding jig 10 includes a holding body 11 on a base plate 12. In this example, the holding body 11 has a plurality of displacers 14 (described later) and a receiving member 13 arranged on the upper surface (upper surface) of the base plate 12. However, this is not limited to the case where the holding jig 10 includes the base plate 12. The base plate 12 may be omitted if the holding body 11 cannot be disassembled, i.e., if the combination of a plurality of displacers 14 (described later) cannot be individually disassembled and the displacers 14 cannot be separated from the holding body 11. The material of the base plate 12 is not particularly limited, and may be metal, plastic, wood, glass, ceramic, or the like. However, from the viewpoint of excellent strength, the base plate 12 is preferably made of metal. An auxiliary hole 17 is formed in the base plate 12 at a position corresponding to the through hole 16 (described later). In the example of FIG. 1 , the auxiliary hole 17 is formed in a shape that is approximately inscribed within the shape of a peripheral surface 16A of the through hole 16 when the through hole 16 is in an expanded state and is viewed from above the holding jig 10. As the size of the through hole 16 is changed so as to become smaller, the edge 17A of the auxiliary hole 17 is positioned outside the through hole 16 in a plan view of the holding jig 10.

[0016] (Holder) The holder 11 has a through hole 16 and a plurality of displacers 14 that form at least a portion of the through hole 16. In the example of FIG. 1 , the through hole 16 is formed by the plurality of displacers 14. In addition, in the example of FIG. 1 , the holder 11 includes a receiving member 13 outside the displacers 14 when the direction toward the through hole 16 is considered to be the inward direction. More specifically, in the example of FIG. 1 , the holder 11 includes an annular structure 15 made up of a plurality of displacers 14, and further includes a receiving member 13 outside the annular structure 15. Note that FIG. 1 shows an example of the holding jig 10, and the displacers 14 may be arranged in a non-annular manner. Furthermore, for example, this is an example of the holding jig 10, and the through hole 16 may be formed by a combination of the displacers 14 and a non-displaceable member that does not displace. In this example, the displacers 14 are arranged in a non-annular manner.

[0017] (Through Hole) The through hole 16 of the holder 11 is formed so that its size can be changed in response to the displacement of the displacer 14, as described below. The through hole 16 has a diameter sufficient to allow the object to be held M to pass through. The through hole 16 has a peripheral surface 16A and an upper edge 16B. When the object to be held M is a container 200 having a main body 210 and a bottom 220 with an open upper side, forming an internal space 230 surrounded by the main body 210 and the bottom 220, and having a flange 240 extending outward from the upper end (upper edge 250) of the main body 210, as described later in the explanation of the sealing device with reference to FIG. 11 , the peripheral surface 16A faces the outer peripheral surface 210A of the main body 210 (the outer peripheral surface of the container 200), and the upper edge 16B faces the flange 240. Note that the flange 240 may be flat or curled. In the following description, when a container is used, the explanation will be continued assuming that the object to be held is the container 200 as described above, the shape of the main body 210 is tapered from the upper end to the lower end, and the main body of the container 200 is open at the top. Note that the upper edge 16B indicates the portion that forms the upper edge of the through-hole 16 when it is assumed that the container 200 is passed through the holding jig 10 in a generally vertical direction. When inserting the container 200 into the holding jig 10, it is preferable that the container 200 be inserted so as to pass through the through-hole 16 from the upper edge 18B side.

[0018] The size of the through hole 16 is changed within a predetermined range depending on the displacement of the displacer 14. The size of the through hole 16 in an enlarged state is determined in advance. The enlarged state is a state in which the size of the through hole 16 is increased as determined depending on conditions such as the size of the object to be held M and the arrangement of the displacer 14. For example, in the example of FIG. 1 , this is the size of the through hole 16 when the displacer 14 is displaced to a position in contact with the restriction wall portion 21. The size of the through hole 16 in a reduced state is also determined in advance. The reduced state is a state in which the size of the through hole 16 is reduced as determined depending on conditions such as the size of the object to be held M and the arrangement of the displacer 14. For example, in the example of FIG. 4 , which will be referred to in Modification Example 1 described below, this is the size of the through hole 16 when the displacer 14 is displaced until the elastic member 22 reaches its natural length. Furthermore, for example, when the holding object M is a container 200 having a shape tapering downward, the size of the through hole 16 corresponding to the reduced state of the holding object M may be set to be slightly larger than the size of the lower end of the container 200. Regarding the relationship between the size of the holding object M and the expanded state, the size of the through hole 16 corresponding to the expanded state of the through hole 16 may be set to be slightly larger than the size of the upper end (excluding the flange portion 240) of the container 200. Note that when the size of the through hole 16 is changed, the size of the through hole 16 may be changed so that the shapes before and after the change are similar to each other, or may be changed so that the shapes are dissimilar. Note that when the size of the through hole 16 is reduced, the size of the through hole 16 may be set to be approximately zero.

[0019] (Determining the Size of Through Holes) When the center CT of the through holes 16 (shown by a dot-dash line in FIGS. 1 and 3 , and shown by a dot in FIG. 2 ) is aligned with the position of the displacer 14, one through hole 16 is positioned in the front, and the other through holes 16 are positioned in the rear, the size of the through holes 16 is determined as follows: if the other through holes 16 are exposed, the other through holes 16 are smaller than the one through hole 16; if the one through hole and the other through holes 16 are aligned, the one through hole 16 and the other through holes 16 are the same size; and if the other through holes 16 are not exposed and are not the same size as the one through hole 16, the other through holes 16 are larger than the one through hole 16. The size of the through hole 16 and the auxiliary holes 17, 18 is determined by the diameter of the largest inscribed circle of the through hole 16 and the diameters of the auxiliary holes 17, 18.

[0020] (Displacement Elements) In the holding jig 10, in the examples shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the multiple displacers 14 are arranged in a ring shape. Here, "arranged in a ring shape" refers to a state in which, when a predetermined position is set as a reference position (in the example shown in FIG. 2, the center CT of the through hole 16), the displacers 14 are arranged so as to surround the reference position. A ring-shaped arrangement also includes a state in which adjacent displacers 14 overlap when the line of sight is in a direction away from the reference position (a direction extending outward from the reference position along a plane normal to the thickness direction of the holding jig 10). A displacer 14 refers to an object (a displaceable element) that moves, rotates, or moves in position when subjected to external pressure, electricity, magnetism, or the like. Examples of displacers 14 include a slider and a rotor. A slider is a tangible object that moves in position. A rotor is a tangible object that moves in rotation. It is sufficient that the displacers 14 are positioned so that at least a portion of them can be seen from the through hole 16, and it is not prohibited for some (several) of the multiple displacers 14 to be not exposed in the through hole 16 when the size of the through hole 16 is a predetermined size.

[0021] (Layout of Displacers) Regarding the layout of the displacers 14, in the examples shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , when the line of sight is set to a direction away from the reference position, adjacent displacers 14 overlap and are in contact with each other. The annularly arranged displacers 14 collectively form an annular structure 15. The annular structure 15 has a through-hole (a portion that penetrates in the Z-axis direction) formed inside, which serves as a through-hole 16. Therefore, the plurality of displacers 14 form the through-hole 16. However, this is not limited to the case where the through-hole 16 is formed by a through-hole formed by arranging the displacers 14 in an annular shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 37 , a case where the through-hole 16 is formed by the displacers 14 and a wall portion 53 is not excluded. FIG. 37 is a plan view showing an example of a holding jig 10 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 37, as indicated by the dashed line, the size of the exposed region ER changes as the displacer 14 slides in the direction of the arrow SL, and the size of the through-hole 16 changes in accordance with the change in the size of the exposed region ER.

[0022] 1 and 2, the plurality of displacers 14 are arranged in a ring shape so that the through hole 16 has a generally regular polygonal shape (a regular dodecagon in FIG. 2) in a plan view of the holder 11 (a plan view of the holding jig 10). However, the arrangement (layout) of the plurality of displacers 14 is not limited to this example. For example, as shown in FIG. 36, the plurality of displacers 14 may be arranged so that the through hole 16 has a shape close to a rectangle, or may be arranged so that the through hole 16 has a shape other than a regular polygon. In the example of FIG. 36, four displacers 14 are arranged, and the through hole 16 is formed into a rectangular shape. In this example, the displacers 14 are formed in a generally right-angled triangular shape in a plan view of the holding jig 10, and the length LB of one side of the end face facing the through hole 16 is longer than the length LA of the side extending generally perpendicular to this side. As the displacer 14 slides in the direction of the arrow SL, the size of the exposed region ER changes as shown by the dashed line, and the change in the size of the exposed region ER changes the size of the through-hole 16. Furthermore, if the side surface of the displacer 14 is curved as described below, multiple displacers 14 may be arranged so that the multiple displacers 14 form a circular through-hole 16.

[0023] (Exposed Region of Displacer) Of the surface of the displacer 14 (in the example of FIG. 1 , the first side surface 14A1 of the side surface 14A), the region forming the peripheral surface portion 16A of the through hole 16 is an exposed region ER exposed toward the through hole 16. The size of the exposed region ER is determined according to the size of the through hole 16. In at least some of the displacers 14, the exposed region ER of the displacer 14 exposed at the peripheral surface portion 16A of the through hole 16 changes as the displacer 14 is displaced in the displacement direction T. In the example of FIG. 1 , the smaller the size of the through hole 16, the smaller the exposed region ER of the displacer 14 forming the through hole 16. Furthermore, as the exposed region ER of the displacer 14 decreases, the region of the surface of the displacer 14 that is in contact with an adjacent displacer 14 and is covered by the adjacent displacer 14 (covered region CR) increases. As the size of the through hole 16 increases, the exposed region ER of the displacer 14 increases. Furthermore, as the exposed region ER of the displacer 14 increases, the region of the surface of the displacer 14 that is covered by adjacent displacers 14 (covered region CR) decreases. Thus, in the holding jig 10, as each displacer 14 is displaced in the displacement direction T, the exposed region ER of each displacer 14 exposed on the peripheral surface portion 16A of the through hole 16 changes. Note that Fig. 1 is an example, and does not prohibit the size of the exposed region ER of some displacers 14 from changing as long as the size of the through hole 16 can be changed.

[0024] (Shape of Displacers) In the examples of Figures 1 and 2, each of the displacers 14 has a triangular shape in a plan view and is formed like a triangular plate having a predetermined thickness. Furthermore, the multiple displacers 14 are generally uniformly formed. However, this does not limit the shape of the displacers 14 to the examples of Figures 1 and 2. The examples of Figures 1 and 2 do not prohibit at least some of the multiple displacers 14 from having a different shape from the other displacers 14. For example, as shown in Figure 38, the shapes of the multiple displacers 14 forming the through hole 16 may be triangular, trapezoidal, or curved. In Figure 38, the displacer 14TRP is trapezoidal in a plan view of the holder 11, and the other displacers 14 except for the displacer 14TRP are triangular in a plan view of the holder 11.

[0025] 1, 2, etc., the sizes of the plurality of displacers 14 are generally uniform. However, this does not prohibit the case where at least some of the plurality of displacers 14 have different sizes.

[0026] (Material of Displacer) The material of the displacer 14 is not particularly limited, and may be metal, plastic, wood, glass, ceramic, or the like. However, from the viewpoints of excellent rubbing resistance and ease of molding, the material of the displacer 14 is preferably plastic. If the displacer 14 is made of plastic, the displacer 14 preferably has cushioning properties. From this viewpoint, the displacer 14 is preferably made of a porous polymer material. Examples of porous polymer materials include foamed polymer materials. Note that the plastic may have elasticity or may have little elasticity. If the displacer 14 is easily elastically deformable, the size of the through-hole 16 can be smoothly changed even if the side of the displacer 14 is curved or even if multiple displacers 14 are arranged so that the through-hole 16 is circular. Furthermore, from the viewpoints of excellent strength of the displacer 14 and low wear due to friction during rubbing, the material of the displacer 14 is preferably metal (including alloy). When the material of the displacer 14 is a metal, specific examples of the material of the displacer 14 include iron, copper, aluminum, stainless steel, etc. From the viewpoint of making rust less likely to occur, the material of the displacer 14 is preferably an aluminum alloy or stainless steel.

[0027] (Displacement Direction of Displacers) Each of the displacers 14 shown in the example of FIG. 1 slides on the upper surface (upper surface) of the base plate 12. Therefore, the displacers 14 are displaced in the surface direction (XY plane direction) of the base plate 12. At this time, the displacement direction T of each displacer 14 is predetermined in a plan view of the holder 11. The displacement direction T of the displacer 14 is determined according to the shape and arrangement of the displacer 14. In the examples of FIGS. 1 and 2, the displacement direction T of each displacer 14 is determined according to the orientation of the base 140 of the displacer 14. In this example, the direction along the extension direction of the base 140 of the triangle forming the displacer 14 is defined as the displacement direction T, and the displacer 14 is displaced linearly along the displacement direction T. By defining such a direction as the displacement direction T, adjacent displacers 14 can be linked together as described below. In the example of FIG. 1, the displacers 14 are displaced linearly along the displacement direction T, but the displacement direction T is not limited to being linear. For example, the displacer 14 may be configured to displace in an arc-like shape. When the displacer 14 has a triangular shape in a plan view, the shortest side of the three sides is defined as the base 140 in the examples of Figures 1 and 2, but this is defined for convenience of explanation and is not limited to this. When displacing in an arc-like shape, the displacer 14 is preferably made of an elastically deformable material such as rubber.

[0028] (Interlocking of Adjacent Displacers) Adjacent displacers 14 are interlocked as described above. Interlocking means that when one displacer 14 is displaced, the adjacent displacer 14 is also displaced. The interlocking structure is not particularly limited, but in the example of FIG. 1, it is realized by the arrangement structure of adjacent displacers 14. In the example of FIG. 1, adjacent displacers 14 are in contact with each other at their side surfaces 14A (first side surfaces 14A1). One of the adjacent displacers 14 applies a pressing force to the other displacer 14. The other displacer 14 is displaced by the action of this pressing force.

[0029] In the example shown in FIG. 1 , when one of adjacent displacers 14 moves along a guide portion 20 (described later) corresponding to that displacer 14, it applies a pressing force to the other displacer 14, and the other displacer 14 moves along the guide portion 20 corresponding to that other displacer 14 based on the pressing force. In the example of FIG. 1 , when one displacer 14 moves along the displacement direction T, a pressing force can be applied to the other displacer 14 so as to press it in a direction oblique to the extension direction of the guide portion 20 of the other displacer 14. Therefore, the other displacer 14 is displaced along the guide portion 20 by the pressing force received from the one displacer 14. Note that displacement along the guide portion 20 is not limited to cases where the guide portion 20 and the displacer 14 move while in contact with each other, and may also include cases where the guide portion 20 and the displacer 14 move in partial contact with each other, as long as the function of the guide portion 20 is not lost, and may also include cases where the guide portion 20 and the displacer 14 temporarily separate from each other.

[0030] (Sliding of Adjacent Displacers) Adjacent displacers 14 slide against each other. At this time, they slide against each other along a displacement direction T determined for each displacer 14. Adjacent displacers 14 are in contact with each other at their side surfaces 14A (first side surfaces 14A1 in FIG. 1 ), and the adjacent displacers 14 are displaced along the displacement direction T determined for each such displacer 14 so that the side surfaces 14A rub against each other. The concept of two objects sliding against each other includes cases where two objects slide smoothly against each other and cases where two objects move with friction. When adjacent displacers 14 slide against each other, it is preferable that a frictional force acts between the adjacent displacers 14. In this case, it is preferable that the frictional force in a direction different from the sliding direction of the adjacent displacers 14 is greater than the frictional force in the sliding direction of the adjacent displacers 14. Furthermore, when adjacent displacers 14 slide, this includes not only the case where the adjacent displacers 14 slide while always in contact with each other, but also the case where there is a moment when the adjacent displacers 14 separate from each other.

[0031] 3, adjacent displacers 14 are all disposed on the base plate 12, preventing adjacent displacers 14 from overlapping with each other in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to align the thicknesses of adjacent displacers 14, thereby preventing the formation of irregularities along the circumferential direction of the through hole 16 at the upper edge 16B of the through hole 16, as shown in FIG. 1. In the example of FIG. 1, the positions of the upper surfaces 14B of adjacent displacers 14 are aligned at the upper edge 16B of the through hole 16. This configuration allows, when the holding jig 10 is used in a sealing device described below, the contact positions in the vertical direction between the upper edge 16B of the through hole 16 in the holding jig 10 and the flange portion 240 of the container 200 to be roughly uniform, thereby allowing the container 200 to be pressed against a pressing body 310 described below at roughly the same time.

[0032] (Receiving Material) In the example of FIG. 1 , the holder 11 is provided with a receiving material 13 on the outside of the annular structure 15. The receiving material 13 can function as a structure having a regulating structure 19, which will be described later. The receiving material 13 is formed in an annular shape, and an outer peripheral surface 13A of the receiving material 13 is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer peripheral surface 11A of the holder 11. An inner peripheral surface 13B of the receiving material 13 is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer peripheral surface 15A of the annular structure 15. The receiving material 13 is fixed on the base plate 12, and the annular structure 15 is formed to face the inner peripheral surface 13B of the receiving material 13, thereby preventing the annular structure 15 from shifting in position relative to the base plate 12, and therefore preventing the displacer 14 from shifting in position relative to the base plate 12.

[0033] (Material of Receiving Material) The material of the receiving material 13 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ease of manufacture, it is preferable that the material be the same as that of the displacer 14 .

[0034] In the examples of Figures 1 and 2, the receiving material 13 is formed from a single member, but the receiving material 13 may also be formed from a combined structure combining divided bodies divided into multiple parts (not shown).

[0035] (Regulation Structure) The holder 11 includes a regulation structure 19. The regulation structure 19 is a structure that regulates the displacement direction T (displacement direction regulation structure). The regulation structure 19 regulates the displacement direction T of at least some of the displacers 14. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the regulation structure 19 has a guide portion 20. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the guide portion 20 is formed on the receiving material 13. The guide portion 20 shown in this example regulates the displacement direction T so that the displacer 14 is displaced linearly from the first position to the second position.

[0036] (First Position and Second Position) As shown in FIG. 2 , the first position is the position of the displacer 14 determined when the size of the through-hole 16 is in a predetermined expanded state (for example, the position of the displacer 14 indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2 ). The second position is the position of the displacer 14 determined when the size of the through-hole 16 is in a predetermined contracted state (for example, the position of the displacer 14 indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2 ). Note that the case where the regulating structure 19 has the guide portion 20 is one example of the regulating structure 19, and the regulating structure 19 is not limited to this. In the description of the first embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the description will be continued using the example where the regulating structure 19 has the guide portion 20.

[0037] (Guide Portion) The guide portion 20 may be provided for at least some of the displacers 14, and in the example of FIG. 1 , the guide portion 20 is provided for each displacer 14. The guide portion 20 restricts the movement of the displacer 14 so as to limit the displacement direction of the displacer 14. In the examples of FIGS. 1 and 2 , the guide portion 20 is provided corresponding to each displacer 14 and guides the displacer 14 in a predetermined direction. The guide portion 20 is formed by a guide wall portion 23 that faces one side of the displacer 14 (the second side surface 14A2 formed at the position of the base 140) of the receiving member 13. The guide portion 20 guides the movement of the displacer 14 so that the displacement direction T of the displacer 14 is along the wall surface of the guide wall portion 23 of the guide portion 20 corresponding to that displacer 14. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2 , the wall surface direction of the guide wall portion 23 that forms the guide portion 20 is aligned with the extending direction of the base of the triangle that forms the shape of the displacer 14 (the surface direction of the second side surface 14A2). In this example, the orientations of the bases of adjacent displacers 14 (the surface directions of the second side surfaces 14A2) are different, and therefore the wall surface directions of the guide wall portions 23 corresponding to each displacer 14 are also different. It is preferable that the length of the guide portion 20 is approximately the same as or longer than the displacement range of the displacer 14 (the range of movement of the displacer 14 when the position of the displacer 14 moves from the first position to the second position). Note that the example in FIG. 1 is one example of the guide portion 20, and the configuration of the guide portion 20 is not limited as long as it can regulate the displacement direction T of the displacer 14.

[0038] 1 and 2 , the holder 11 preferably has at least one restricting wall 21 that restricts the displacement distance of the displacer 14. The restricting wall 21 has a wall surface 21A that comes into contact with the displacer 14 when the displacer 14 is displaced to a predetermined position. For example, when the displacer 14 moves in the displacement direction T to the first position, the first side surface 14A1 of the displacer 14 comes into contact with the wall surface 21A of the restricting wall 21, restricting further movement of the displacer 14 from the first position in the displacement direction T in the direction opposite to the direction toward the second position. Therefore, the restricting wall 21 restricts the displacement distance of the displacer 14.

[0039] In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the restricting wall 21 is formed on the receiving member 13, and the edge of the restricting wall 21 is shared with the edge of the guide portion 20. The angle formed between the wall surface 21A of the restricting wall 21 and the wall surface of the guide wall 23 of the guide portion 20 is an acute angle. In this example, the receiving member 13 has a generally V-shaped wall 24 that forms the restricting wall 21 and the guide wall 23 for each displacer 14 in a plan view of the holding member. The V-shaped wall 24 is arranged in a ring shape to correspond to the arrangement of the displacers 14. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a curved wall 25 that is curved in a C-shape in a plan view of the receiving member 13 is formed at the edge of the restricting wall 21 and the edge of the guide portion 20. The curved wall 25 prevents the corner (vertex 141) of the displacer 14 from contacting the edge of the restricting wall 21 and the edge of the guide portion 20.

[0040] [1-2 Actions and Effects] According to the first embodiment, the exposed region ER of the displacer 14 that forms the peripheral surface portion 16A of the through hole 16 changes as the displacer 14 is displaced, thereby changing the size of the through hole 16. Even for a plurality of types of containers 200 of different sizes as the held objects M, the same holding jig 10 can bring the containers 200 into contact with the upper edge 16B of the through hole 16, and the containers 200 can be supported by the upper edge 16B of the through hole 16.

[0041] Furthermore, according to the holding jig 10 of the first embodiment, the size of the through hole 16 can be changed in accordance with the displacement of the displacer 14, thereby making it possible to accommodate cases where the size of the main body 210 of the container 200 itself changes.

[0042] For example, if the object to be held M is a container 200 that has a main body 210 and a bottom 220 that are open at the top, forming a space 230 inside, and has a flange 240 that extends outward on the upper end side of the main body 210, when the holding jig 10 holds the object to be held M at the through-hole 16, the peripheral surface 16A faces the outer peripheral surface 210A of the main body 210 (the outer peripheral surface of the container 200), and the upper edge 16B faces the flange 240. If the outer peripheral surface 210A of the main body 210 has a tapered shape that narrows downward, the size of the cross section of the main body 210 is smaller in the lower part (portion close to the bottom 220) than in the vicinity of the flange 240. When the container 200 is placed inside the through hole 16 of the holding jig 10 and the holding jig 10 is moved upward, only the holding jig 10 is pulled upward as long as the size of the outer peripheral surface 210A of the main body 210 is smaller than the size of the through hole 16 of the holding jig 10 when the through hole 16 is in a contracted state. Eventually, when the size of the outer peripheral surface 210A of the main body 210 matches the size of the through hole 16 of the holding jig 10 when the through hole 16 is in a contracted state, the through hole 16 of the holding jig 10 and the outer peripheral surface 210A of the main body 210 come into contact. When the weight of the container 200 is equal to or greater than a predetermined weight, the holding jig 10 slides upward relative to the main body 210 of the container 200 while in contact with the main body 210 of the container 200. At this time, the container 200 may or may not move upward together with the holding jig 10. The holding jig rubs upward while in contact with the main body 210 of the container 200, and the size of the through hole 16 is changed (expanded) by the displacement of the displacer 14 according to the size of the main body 210 of the container 200. Then, when the upper edge 16B of the through hole 16 of the holding jig 10 comes into contact with the flange portion 240 of the container 200 while the holding jig 10 is moving upward, the holding jig 10 holds the container 200 and moves upward together with the container 200. In this way, the holding jig 10 can change the size of the through hole 16, so that the upper edge 16B of the holding jig 10 can be kept in contact with the flange portion 240 even when the size of the main body 210 of the container 200 itself changes.

[0043] Next, modifications of the first embodiment will be described. The modifications described below may be combined with each other as long as they are not inconsistent. For example, Modification 1 and Modification 3 may be combined.

[0044] [1-3 Modifications] (Modification 1) In the holding jig 10 according to the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the holder 11 may include an elastic member 22 that biases at least one displacer 14. This embodiment is referred to as Modification 1 of the first embodiment. Figure 4A is a plan view showing one example of the holding jig 10 according to Modification 1 of the first embodiment. Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the vertical cross section taken along line B-B of Figure 4A.

[0045] 4A , for each of a plurality of displacers 14 (three displacers 14 in FIG. 4A ) selected from the annularly arranged displacers 14, a hole 26 is formed from a predetermined position in the inner region of the wall surface 21A of the restriction wall portion 21 corresponding to the displacer 14 toward the depth thereof. An elastic member 22 is disposed in the hole 26.

[0046] 4A, three elastic members 22 are arranged on the holding member, but this is just an example, and it is sufficient that at least one elastic member 22 is arranged. In addition, the arrangement position of the elastic member 22 is not particularly limited.

[0047] (Material of Elastic Member) As shown in Fig. 4B, a coil spring is used as the elastic member 22. However, this is only one example of the elastic member 22, and other materials such as rubber and urethane may be used as the elastic member 22 in addition to a spring. The elastic member 22 may also be a combination of these. It is also not prohibited to use a combination of magnets instead of the elastic member 22.

[0048] (Operations and Effects) In Modification 1 of the First Embodiment, when the displacer 14 is disposed at the first position, the elastic member 22 biases the displacer 14 in the direction of arrow P to displace the displacer 14 toward the second position (pushing the displacer 14 in a direction away from the restriction wall 21). Therefore, when the exposed region ER is increased (the size of the through-hole 16 is increased), the elastic member 22 biases the displacer 14 to decrease the exposed region ER (the size of the through-hole 16 is decreased). When the displacer 14 is disposed at the second position, the length of the elastic member 22 is at its natural length, and the pressing force from the elastic member 22 is released from the displacer 14. Therefore, when the exposed region ER is decreased, the displacer 14 is released from the biasing force from the elastic member 22. That is, the displacer 14 is released from the force pushing it in a direction away from the restriction wall 21. In this way, the elastic member 22 biases the displacers 14 so that the exposed area ER of each displacer 14 exposed on the peripheral surface portion 16A of the through-hole 16 decreases when the exposed area ER of each displacer 14 increases. The biasing force of the elastic member 22 allows the size of the through-hole 16 to follow the size of the container 200.

[0049] According to the holding jig 10 of variant example 1 of the first embodiment, when the container 200 is placed in the through hole 16, even if the outer surface 210A of the main body 210 of the container 200 displaces the displacer 14 from the second position and the container 200 pushes the through hole 16 wider, the position of the displacer 14 can be returned to the second position by removing the container 200 from the through hole 16 due to the restoring force of the elastic member 22.

[0050] (Variation 2) In the holding jig 10 according to the first embodiment, the holding body 11 may be provided with a control mechanism that controls the movement of at least one displacer 14. The control mechanism may be a mechanical structure or an electrical structure. An example of the mechanical structure is a structure that controls the movement of the displacer 14 using gears (not shown). Furthermore, an example of the electrical structure is a structure that controls the movement of the displacer 14 by electrically controlling magnetic force (not shown).

[0051] (Variation 3) In the holding jig 10 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B , the holder 11 may have a first groove 27 in the restriction wall 21, and a second groove 28 may be formed in the displacer 14 that contacts the restriction wall 21 at a position corresponding to the first groove 27. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B , a restriction rod 29 is provided that is common to the first groove 27 and the second groove 28 and embedded in the first groove 27 and the second groove 28. This embodiment is referred to as Variation 3 of the first embodiment. FIG. 5A is a plan view showing an example of the holding jig 10 according to Variation 3 of the first embodiment. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the vertical cross section taken along line CC of FIG. 5A .

[0052] (First groove portion and second groove portion) In the holding member shown in Figure 5A, for each of a plurality of displacers 14 selected from the displacers 14 arranged in a ring (in Figure 5A, six displacers 14 arranged alternately along the arrangement direction of the displacers 14), the first groove portion 27 extends from a predetermined position at the upper end of the wall surface 21A of the regulating wall portion 21 corresponding to each displacer 14 along the upper surface 13C of the receiving material 13 in a direction away from the wall surface 21A toward the inner region of the upper surface 13C.

[0053] The second grooves 28 extend from a predetermined position at the upper end of the side surface 14A (first side surface 14A1) of each displacer 14 toward an inner region of the top surface 14B of the displacer 14. The position of the first groove 27 on the wall surface 21A and the position of the second groove 28 on the side surface 14A are opposite each other, and the positions of the groove bottoms 28A of the second grooves 28 and the groove bottoms 27A of the first grooves 27 are generally aligned.

[0054] 5A, the extension direction of the first groove 27 coincides with the extension direction of the second groove 28. Furthermore, the extension directions of the first groove 27 and the second groove 28 both coincide with the displacement direction T of the displacer 14 in which the second groove 28 is formed (in the example of FIG. 4, the extension direction of the second groove 28 coincides with the extension direction of the bottom edge 140 of the displacer 14).

[0055] (Restriction Rod) A restriction rod 29 is embedded in the first groove 27 and the second groove 28. The restriction rod 29 is common to both the first groove 27 and the second groove 28. The material of the restriction rod 29 is not particularly limited, but in order to stabilize the position of the displacer 14, it is preferable that the restriction rod 29 has rigidity. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the restriction rod 29 is made of metal. The restriction rod 29 may be a member different from a rod-like member as long as it is a member common to the first groove 27 and the second groove 28. For example, a curved member or a plate-like member may be used as the restriction rod 29.

[0056] (Actions and Effects) In the first variant of the first embodiment, by having the first groove portion 27, the second groove portion 28, and the regulating rod 29, the opposing position between the side surface 14A of the displacer 14 and the wall surface 21A of the regulating wall portion 21 is less likely to shift in the surface direction of the wall surface 21A of the regulating wall portion 21.

[0057] (Variation 4) In the holding jig 10 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the peripheral surface 16A of the through hole 16 of the holding body 11 may form an inclined surface 30. This embodiment is referred to as Variation 4 of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of the holding jig 10 according to Variation 4 of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view passing through the center CT of the through hole 16. Note that in FIG. 6 , for convenience of explanation, only the portion that appears at the position of the cross section is shown, and other portions outside the position of the cross section are omitted. This also applies to FIGS. 7 , 8A , and 8B . Because the portion of the displacer 14 corresponding to the exposed region ER forms the peripheral surface 16A of the through hole 16, Variation 4 of the first embodiment can be realized by at least the portion of the displacer 14 corresponding to the exposed region ER forming an inclined surface (the inclined surface of the exposed region ER becomes the inclined surface of the peripheral surface of the through hole 16).

[0058] (Inclined Surface of Peripheral Surface Portion) As the inclined surface 30 extends downward from the upper edge portion 16B of the through-hole 16, it slopes downward toward the inside of the through-hole 16 (toward the center CT in the example of FIG. 6 ). The inclination angle α of the inclined surface 30 of the peripheral surface portion 16A is not particularly limited, but as described above, in the case where the object to be held M is a container 200 and the main body of the container 200 has a shape that tapers downward, it is preferable that the inclination angle α of the inclined surface 30 be determined so as to correspond to the tapered shape of the main body.

[0059] According to the fourth modification of the first embodiment, the inclined surface 30 having a predetermined inclination angle α is formed on the peripheral surface 16A, which makes it easier for the outer peripheral surface 210A of the main body 210 of the container 200 to fit into the peripheral surface 16A of the through-hole 16 while avoiding tilting of the container 200, and makes it less likely that the container 200 will be held by the holding jig 10 while being tilted relative to the holding jig 10. The tilt of the container 200 indicates that the center BCT of the container 200 shown in Fig. 11 (the center BCT of the container 200 is indicated by a dashed line in Fig. 11) is tilted in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction).

[0060] (Variation 5) In the holding jig 10 according to the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7, the holder 11 may be provided with a protrusion 31 on the upper edge 16B of the through hole 16. This embodiment is referred to as Variation 5 of the first embodiment. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view for explaining one example of the holding jig 10 according to Variation 5 of the first embodiment. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view passing through the center of the through hole 16. Because the displacer 14 forms the through hole 16, Variation 5 of the first embodiment can be realized by forming a protrusion on the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14.

[0061] In the example of Figure 1, etc., the portion of the displacer 14 corresponding to the exposed region ER forms the peripheral portion 16A of the through hole 16, so in variant example 5 of the first embodiment, a protrusion is formed on the upper surface 14B at the upper end position of the portion of the displacer 14 corresponding to the exposed region ER, so that a protrusion 31 can be formed on the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14 at a position corresponding to the upper edge portion 16B of the through hole 16 (i.e., the protrusion formed at a predetermined position on the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14 corresponds to the protrusion 31 on the upper edge portion 16B of the through hole 16).

[0062] According to the fifth modification of the first embodiment, a protrusion is formed at a predetermined position on the top surface of the displacer 14, thereby making it possible to create a state in which the protrusion 31 is provided on the upper edge 16B of the through-hole 16. Furthermore, since the holding jig 10 has the protrusion 31 on the upper edge 16B of the through-hole 16, when a pressing force is applied to the container 200 and the lid 290 between the holding jig 10 and the pressing body 310 in the sealing device 300 described below, the action of the pressing force can be concentrated at a position between the protrusion 31 of the holding jig 10 and the pressing body 310, and a strong local force can be applied to the container 200 and the lid 290.

[0063] (Variation 6) In the holding jig 10 according to the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the holder 11 may have an extension portion 32 formed on the lower surface 14C of the displacer 14, the extension portion 32 extending along the circumferential surface portion 16A of the through hole 16. This embodiment is referred to as Variation 6 of the first embodiment. Figures 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views for explaining one example of the holding jig 10 according to Variation 6 of the first embodiment. Figures 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views passing through the center CT of the through hole 16.

[0064] (Extending portion) The extending portion 32 is configured as a portion extending downward along the side surface 14A from a predetermined portion of the lower surface 14C, including the lower edge of the side surface 14A of the displacer 14. The position on the lower edge of the side surface 14A of the displacer 14 at which the extending portion 32 is formed is a position on the side surface 14A of the displacer 14 that forms at least the peripheral surface portion 16A of the through-hole 16, i.e., a position that forms the exposed region ER, and the extending portion 32 is formed as a portion extending downward from that position.

[0065] As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the auxiliary holes 17 in the base plate 12 are formed to avoid the areas where the extension portions 32 are formed, and the size of the auxiliary holes 17 is larger than that of the through holes 16.

[0066] According to variant example 6 of the first embodiment, an extension portion 32 is formed in the through hole 16, which makes it possible to increase the contact area between the container 200 and the peripheral portion 16A of the through hole 16, making it easier to stably hold the container 200 in the holding jig 10.

[0067] However, when the object to be held M is a container 200, and the container 200 has a body portion 210 that tapers downward, forming the extension portion 32 in the through hole 16 may increase the contact area more easily when the container 200 is held by the holding jig 10 in a state where the container 200 is tilted relative to the holding jig 10. Therefore, it is preferable that the sixth modification of the first embodiment be combined with the fourth modification of the first embodiment. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8B , the peripheral surface 16A of the through hole 16 has an inclined surface 30, and the holder 11 has an extension portion 32 formed on the lower surface 14C of the displacer 14, extending along the inclined surface 30 of the peripheral surface 16A. In this case, the body portion 210 of the container 200 can be more easily fitted to the peripheral surface 16A of the through hole 16 while avoiding tilting of the container 200.

[0068] (Variation 7) In the holding jig 10 according to the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 9A and 9B, a protective plate 33 may be provided so as to cover at least a portion of the upper surface 11B of the holder 11. In this case, it is preferable that the protective plate 33 cover at least a portion of the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14. This embodiment is referred to as Variation 7 of the first embodiment. Figure 9A is a plan view for explaining one example of the holding jig 10 according to Variation 7 of the first embodiment. Figure 9B is a side view for explaining one example of the holding jig 10 according to Variation 7 of the first embodiment.

[0069] (Protective Plate) The protective plate protects the upper surface 11B side of the holder 11. Similar to the base plate 12, the protective plate 33 is provided with auxiliary holes 18. In the example of FIG. 9A , a through hole 16 is formed between the auxiliary hole 18 of the protective plate 33 and the auxiliary hole 17 of the base plate 12, as shown in FIG. 9B . The size of the auxiliary hole 18 of the protective plate 33 is preferably larger than the size of the through hole 16 when the through hole 16 is in an expanded state. This exposes at least a portion of the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14 inside the auxiliary hole 18 of the protective plate 33, thereby exposing the upper edge 16B of the through hole 16. When the object to be held M is a container 200 having a flange 240, the flange 240 of the container 200 can be reliably brought into contact with the upper edge 16B of the through hole 16.

[0070] The material of the protection plate 33 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of increasing rigidity, it is preferably a metal.

[0071] (Fixing Member) As shown in FIG. 22 , it is preferable that fixing members 38 for fixing the position of the protective plate 33 are detachably attached to the protective plate 33. In the example of FIG. 22 , first fixing members 38A are provided as the detachable fixing members 38. FIG. 22 is a plan view for explaining an example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification 7 of the first embodiment. The first fixing members 38A are provided at three of the four corners. A second fixing member 38B is provided at the remaining corner. It is preferable that this second fixing member 38B is not provided so as to be easily detachable like the first fixing member 38A. Examples of the first fixing member 38A include detachable screws. Examples of the second fixing member 38B include rivets for crimping.

[0072] In this case, it is preferable that the protective plate 33 is not bonded to the holder 11 on the upper surface side of the holder 11. In such a case, when the fixing members 38 are removed, the protective plate 33 is configured to be displaceable in a planar direction normal to the thickness direction of the protective plate 33. In the example of Fig. 22, when the first fixing members 38A are removed, the protective plate 33 is configured to be rotatable about the second fixing member 38B in a planar direction normal to the thickness direction of the protective plate 33 (the rotation direction of the protective plate 33 is indicated by the direction of arrow SL in Fig. 22).

[0073] (Modification 8) The holding jig 10 according to the first embodiment may be provided with a positioning structure 35 as shown in Fig. 14. This embodiment is referred to as Modification 8 of the first embodiment. Fig. 14 is a perspective view for explaining one example of the holding jig 10 according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment.

[0074] (Positioning Structure) When the holding object in contact with the through hole 16 of the holding jig 10 is defined as the first holding object, the positioning structure 35 is a structure that has the function of defining the position (planar position) of the second holding object that is mounted above the first holding object (including when the second holding object overlaps the first holding object) above (the +Z direction side in FIG. 14 ) the first holding object. In this case, the holding object M has a first holding object and a second holding object. Note that the planar position of the second holding object refers to the surface direction of a plane (XY plane in FIG. 14 ) whose normal is the thickness direction of the holding jig 10 (the Z-axis direction in FIG. 14 ).

[0075] The position of the positioning structure 35 is not particularly limited, but in the example of Fig. 14, the positioning structure 35 is provided on the holder 11. In the example of Fig. 14, the positioning structure 35 is configured by a combination of multiple protruding pieces 34. The protruding pieces 34 are provided so as to rise upward from the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14. The protruding pieces 34 may rise directly upward or diagonally upward. In the example of Fig. 14, the protruding pieces 34 rise in a direction slightly diagonally upward in a direction away from the center of the through-hole 16 (toward the outside).

[0076] It is preferable that the protruding piece 34 be able to expand in the direction of arrow K1 depending on the size of the second object when the second object is placed on the first object. In this case, it becomes easy to determine the position of the second object relative to the first object for second objects of various sizes. This can be achieved, for example, by making the protruding piece 34 out of a flexible material such as metal or plastic. From the standpoint of heat resistance, the protruding piece 34 is preferably made of metal. This also applies to the slide member 36 described later using Figure 15 and other figures. In Figure 14, the protruding piece 34 is made of a wire-like metal member. However, these are merely examples and do not limit the material or shape of the protruding piece 34.

[0077] Furthermore, the protruding piece 34 is preferably configured to be able to advance and retreat along the rising direction (along the direction of arrow K2 in FIG. 14 ). Being able to advance and retreat means that it is possible to form an advanced state and a retreated state. The advanced state refers to a state in which the protruding piece 34 extends further upward from the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14. The retreated state refers to a state in which the protruding piece 34 sinks further downward from the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14. This can be specifically achieved, for example, by drilling a hole in the displacer 14 at a position on the base end side of the protruding piece 34, disposing an elastic material inside the hole, connecting the elastic material to the protruding piece 34, and allowing the advanced state and the retreated state to be formed in response to the expansion and contraction of the protruding piece 34.

[0078] (Other Examples of Positioning Structure) (Other Example 1) In FIG. 14 , the positioning structure 35 is provided on the displacer 14, but the position and structure of the positioning structure 35 are not limited thereto. For example, as shown in the above-described modified example 7 of the first embodiment, if the holding jig 10 has a protective plate 33, the positioning structure 35 may be provided on the upper surface of the protective plate 33, as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B . Such a positioning structure 35 may be referred to as Other Example 1. FIG. 15A is a plan view illustrating an example of the holding jig 10 according to the modified example 8 of the first embodiment. FIG. 15B is a side view (side view of the holding jig 10 shown in FIG. 15A ) illustrating an example of the holding jig 10 according to the modified example 8 of the first embodiment. The positioning structure 35 illustrated in FIGS. 15A and 15B is an example of Other Example 1, and the content of Other Example 1 is not limited to FIGS. 15A and 15B .

[0079] In the holding jig 10 shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B , multiple combinations of slide members 36 and rails 37 are provided at predetermined positions around the through hole 16 on the upper surface (+Z direction side) of the protective plate 33. The slide members 36 are formed in a convex shape rising upward from the rails 37 and are attached to the rails 37 below the slide members 36. The slide members 36 are configured to slide along the rail surfaces of the rails 37. The rails 37 are fixed on the protective plate 33. It is preferable that both ends of the rails 37 in the sliding direction (the direction along arrow K3 in FIGS. 15A and 15B ) are configured to prevent the slide members 36 from slipping out. Specifically, for example, it is preferable that both ends of the rails 37 are closed. This makes it easy to restrict the movement range of the slide members 36. Even with this configuration, it is easy to determine the position of the second held object relative to the first held object for second held objects of various sizes. The slide members 36 are preferably biased toward the center of the through-hole 16 by an elastic member such as a spring or a buffer material. In this case, the plurality of slide members 36 may be connected by an elastic member, or each slide member 36 may be connected to its own elastic member.

[0080] (Alternative Example 2) In FIGS. 15A and 15B , the entire positioning structure 35 is provided in the area above the protective plate 33, but the position and structure of the positioning structure 35 are not limited thereto. As shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B , the slide member 36 may be configured to extend from the protective plate 33 to the position of the upper edge 18B of the through-hole 16. This example of the positioning structure 35 may be referred to as Alternative Example 2. FIG. 20A is a plan view showing an example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. FIG. 20B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the longitudinal cross section taken along line E-E in FIG. 20A . The positioning structure 35 illustrated in FIGS. 20A and 20B is an example of Alternative Example 2, and the content of Alternative Example 2 is not limited to that shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B .

[0081] 20A and 20B , similar to the example shown in FIG. 15 , the positioning structure 35 includes a rail 37 and a slide member 36. The slide member 36 has an inclined end surface (inner end surface 36B) closer to the through hole 16, which slopes downward from the upper end 36C of the inner end surface 36B toward the lower end 36A. A hanging portion 41 that hangs down toward the displacer 14 is formed on the lower end 36A side of the inner end surface 36B. The lower end of the hanging portion 41 forms the lower end 36A. If a gap exists between the lower end 36A and the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14, the size of the gap is preferably smaller than the thickness of the object M to be held. The separation distance between the lower end 36A and the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14 (the upper edge 16B of the through hole 16) is preferably as close to zero as possible. However, this does not prevent a gap from being formed between the lower end 36A and the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14. The upper end 36C is preferably formed so as to be positioned outward of both the first held object and the second held object in a plan view of the holding jig 10.

[0082] The slide member 36 is preferably provided with a biasing structure 40 that biases the slide member 36 inward of the through-hole 16 (toward the center CT in the example of FIG. 20A ). An example of the biasing structure 40 is an elastic member 39 as shown in FIG. 20B . Note that, for the sake of convenience, the elastic member 39 is omitted from FIG. 20A . Examples of the elastic member 39 include a spring, rubber, etc.

[0083] The biasing structure 40 is not limited to the examples shown in Figures 20A and 20B. For example, it may be configured as shown in Figure 21. Figure 21 is a plan view showing an example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. In this example, two slide members 36 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the through hole 16 are connected by an elastic member 39. Even in this case, the elastic force of the elastic member 39 can bias the slide members 36 inward of the through hole 16.

[0084] (Other Example 3) The positioning structure 35 may have a structure as shown in Figures 30A, 30B, 31, 32A, and 32B. Such an example of the positioning structure 35 may be referred to as Other Example 3. Figure 30A is a plan view showing an example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. Figure 30B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the longitudinal cross-section taken along line E-E in Figure 30A. Figures 31 and 32A are plan views showing another example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification 8 of the first embodiment. Figure 30B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the longitudinal cross-section taken along line G-G in Figure 32A. The positioning structures 35 illustrated in Figures 30A, 30B, 31, 32A, and 32B are all examples of Other Example 3, and the configuration of Other Example 3 is not limited to Figures 30A, 30B, 31, 32A, and 32B.

[0085] In the holding jig 10 shown in the example of FIGS. 30A and 30B , a positioning structure 35 is provided on the upper surface side (+Z direction side) of the protective plate 33. The positioning structure 35 includes multiple rotating members 43. In the holding jig 10 shown in this example, support shafts 42 are provided corresponding to the rotating members 43. In the holding jig 10 shown in this example, the support shafts 42 are arranged in an area above the protective plate 33. The support shafts 42 support the rotating members 43. In this example, the support shafts 42 are configured so that they extend from a head 47 formed at the upper end of the support shaft 42 through a hole 48A in a bearing 48 of the rotating member 43 and reach the protective plate 33. In the example of FIGS. 30A and 30B , the support shafts 42 are fixed to the protective plate 33. A predetermined portion of the tip 42A side (−Z direction side) of the support shaft 42 extends into the protective plate 33, and the portion of the support shaft 42 that extends into the protective plate 33 is fixed to the protective plate 33. At this time, there is no particular limitation on the method for fixing the portion of the support shaft 42 that extends into the protective plate 33 to the protective plate 33. For example, a screw structure (a so-called half screw) may be formed on a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the support shaft 42 from the tip (lower end) to a predetermined position (a predetermined position toward the upper side), and at least a part of the portion where the screw structure is formed may be screwed into the protective plate 33, thereby fixing the portion of the support shaft 42 that extends into the protective plate 33 to the protective plate 33.

[0086] 30A and 30B, the rotating member 43 is rotatable around a support shaft 42. The rotating member 43 also includes a bearing 48 having a hole 48A that penetrates vertically, an arm 44 that is connected to a predetermined position on the upper end of the outer circumferential surface of the bearing 48 and extends away from the bearing 48, and a pin 45 that hangs down from the tip 44A of the arm 44. The arrangement of the rotating member 43 is not particularly limited as long as it can perform the function of determining the position of the second held object described above. In the example of FIG. 30A, two combinations of two rotating members (a combination of rotating member 43A and rotating member 43B, and a combination of rotating member 43C and rotating member 43D) (i.e., four rotating members 43) are arranged adjacent to each other outside the through hole 16. One set of rotational members 43 (a combination of rotational members 43A and 43B) and another set of rotational members 43 (a combination of rotational members 43C and 43D) are arranged on opposite sides of the center CT of the through hole 16 along the outer periphery of the through hole 16 (the −X direction side and the +X direction side in the example of FIG. 30A ). Each set of rotational members 43, 43 is configured so that the rotational direction K4 of one rotational member 43 and the rotational direction K4 of the other rotational member 43 are opposite to each other. For example, in the case of a combination of rotational members 43A and 43B, when rotational member 43A rotates in the +K4 direction, rotational member 43B rotates in the −K4 direction. When rotational member 43A rotates in the −K4 direction, rotational member 43B rotates in the +K4 direction. This allows rotational members 43A and 43B to rotate so that their pins 45 approach each other and also so that their pins 45 move away from each other. The combination of the rotary members 43C and 43D can also perform a rotation operation in which the rotation directions K4 are opposite to each other.

[0087] (Gears) The structure for rotating the rotating members 43A and 43B in such a manner that their rotation directions K4 are opposite to each other is not particularly limited. In the example of FIG. 30A , this is achieved by the meshing structure of gears 46, 46. For example, in the case of a combination of rotating members 43A and 43B, a gear 46 is fixed to the lower end of the bearing 48 of the rotating member 43A, and a gear 46 is also fixed to the lower end of the bearing 48 of the rotating member 43B. The gears 46, 46 arranged on the rotating members 43A and 43B mesh with each other, causing them to rotate in opposite directions. The same structure of the gear 46 applies to the combination of rotating members 43C and 43D.

[0088] The rotating member 43 is provided with a pin 45, and it is preferable that the lower end (tip 45A) of the pin 45 is located below the upper surface of the protective plate 33 and slightly above the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14.

[0089] The pin 45 extends obliquely downward from the connection portion with the arm 44 toward the tip 45A toward the center CT, but this is just one example. For example, the pin 45 may extend vertically downward. The pin 45 may also be partially or entirely bent or curved.

[0090] (Rotation Range of Arm) The rotation range of the arm 44 on the rotating member 43 (maximum rotation angle along the direction of arrow K3) is not particularly limited. For example, in a plan view of the holding jig 10, the rotation range of the arm 44 may be determined so that the tip 45A of the pin 45 fits within the formation area of ​​the auxiliary hole 18 in the protective plate 33. Alternatively, the rotation range of the arm 44 may be determined so that the tip 45A of the pin 45 moves outside the formation area of ​​the auxiliary hole 18 in the protective plate 33. The position of the arm 44 when the tip 44A of the arm 44 is closest to the center CT is not particularly limited. In the examples of Figures 30A , 31 , 32A , etc., positioning is performed for each combination of rotating members 43, 43. For example, the positioning of the arms 44 of the rotating members 43A and 43B is performed so that when the second object to be held is placed above the first object to be held, the arms 44 of the rotating members 43A and 43B can rotate in the +K4 direction and the −K4 direction, respectively, depending on the size of the second object to be held. Note that in the examples shown in Figures 30A, 31, and 32A, even when the first object to be held is held at the upper edge 16B of the through-hole 16, the arms 44 of the rotating members 43A and 43B can rotate in the +K4 direction and the −K4 direction, respectively, depending on the size of the first object to be held. The same applies to the arms 44 of the rotating members 43C and 43D.

[0091] The rotating member 43 is preferably biased so that the tip 44A of the arm 44 rotates in a direction approaching the center CT of the through hole 16. In this case, when the first and second objects to be held are held by the holding jig 10, even if the rotating member 43 rotates so that the tip 44A of the arm 44 moves away from the center CT of the through hole 16, when the first and second objects to be held are removed from the holding jig 10, the rotating member 43 rotates in a direction so that the tip 44A of the arm 44 approaches the center CT of the through hole 16, and can return to approximately its original position.

[0092] (Relief Portion) When the rotation range of the arm 44 is determined so that the tip 45A of the pin 45 is outside the formation area of ​​the auxiliary hole 18 in the protective plate 33, it is preferable to form a relief portion 49 as shown in FIGS. 31 , 32A , etc. In this case, even if the tip 45A of the pin 45 is positioned below the upper surface of the protective plate 33, it is possible to avoid the risk of the tip 45A of the pin 45 colliding with the protective plate 33 as the rotating member 43 rotates. In the example shown in FIGS. 31 and 32A , the relief portion 49 is formed as an arc-shaped notch in a plan view of the holding jig 10. However, this is just one example, and the structure of the relief portion 49 is not limited to this example. The size of the relief portion 49 may be determined appropriately depending on conditions such as the sizes of the first and second objects to be held.

[0093] (Extension Portion) As shown in the examples of FIGS. 32A and 32B , the positioning structure 35 preferably includes a first extension portion 50 and a second extension portion 51 extending from the rotating member 43 in a direction away from the support shaft 42. In the example of FIG. 32A , the first extension portion 50 and the second extension portion 51 are formed on the outer peripheral end of the gear 46 and protrude outward beyond the teeth of the gear 46. The first extension portion 50 is positioned so that, when it comes into contact with a protruding member 410 (described later), the tip portion 44A of the arm 44 rotates in a direction away from the center CT of the through hole 16. The second extension portion 51 is positioned so that it comes into contact with the rotation restricting member 52 when the tip portion 44A of the arm 44 rotates in a direction toward the center CT of the through hole 16. Therefore, the rotation restricting member 52 is positioned so that it can come into contact with the second extension portion 51. When tip 44A of arm 44 of rotating member 43 rotates in a direction approaching center CT of through-hole 16, the rotation of rotating member 43 can be stopped at a position where second extension portion 51 contacts rotation restricting member 52. In the example of Fig. 32A, first extension portion 50 and second extension portion 51 are provided on rotating members 43B and 43D, and rotating members 43A and 43C are linked to the rotational movement of rotating members 43B and 43D via the movement of gear 46, so that the rotation range of rotating members 43A and 43C is restricted in accordance with the restriction on the rotation of rotating members 43B and 43D.

[0094] (Operation Mechanism of the Positioning Structure of Alternative Example 3) According to the holding jig 10 having the positioning structure 35 described in Alternative Example 3 above, when a first held object is placed on the holding jig 10, the respective rotating members 43 constituting the combination of rotating members 43, 43 rotate in opposite directions so that the positions of the pins 45 of each rotating member 43, 43 move apart. For example, the pin 45 of rotating member 43A rotates in the +K4 direction, and the pin 45 of rotating member 43B rotates in the -K4 direction. Furthermore, the pin 45 of rotating member 43C rotates in the +K4 direction, and the pin 45 of rotating member 43D rotates in the -K4 direction. In the examples of Figures 30A, 31, and 32A, etc., the rotating members 43 in the combination of rotating members 43, 43 are interlocked by gear 46, so that the respective rotating members simultaneously stop at positions corresponding to the outer diameter of the first held object.

[0095] When the second object to be held is placed above the first object to be held, it is guided to a position approximately directly above the first object to be held by a plurality of pins 45 provided on a plurality of rotating members (rotating members 43A, 43B, 43C, and 43D in the examples of Figures 30A, 31, and 32A, etc.). Thus, according to holding jig 10 having positioning structure 35 described in Alternative Example 3, the positioning of the second object to be held can be achieved by positioning structure 35 having rotating members.

[0096] The positioning structure 35 described in Modification 8 may be applied to a holding jig different from the holding jig 10. For example, a holding jig that differs from the holding jig 10 and has a through hole with a specific diameter (referred to as a fixed diameter type) may be prepared, and the positioning structure 35 may be provided for the fixed diameter type holding jig.

[0097] (Alternative Example 4) The positioning structure 35 may have a structure as shown in Figures 40A and 40B. Such an example of the positioning structure 35 may be referred to as Alternative Example 4. Figure 40A is a plan view showing an example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification Example 8 of the first embodiment. Figure 40B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the longitudinal cross section taken along line H-H in Figure 40A. The positioning structure 35 illustrated in Figures 40A and 40B is an example of Alternative Example 4, and the configuration of Alternative Example 4 is not limited to the example shown in Figures 40A and 40B. Note that in the example of the holding jig 10 according to Modification Example 10 shown in Figure 40, the receiving member 13 is omitted, but this is just one example. In Figures 40B and 40C, reference numeral 71 denotes a gap space created when the receiving member 13 is omitted.

[0098] (Pins) In the holding jig 10 shown in the examples of FIGS. 40A and 40B , a positioning structure 35 is provided on the holder 11. In the example of FIG. 40A , the positioning structure 35 includes a combination of multiple pins 55. The pins 55 are preferably formed in a columnar shape and arranged so that their longitudinal direction generally aligns with the vertical direction of the holder 11. However, this is just one example, and the longitudinal direction of the pins 55 may be aligned with the vertical direction or may be oblique to the vertical direction. In addition, in a plan view of the holder 11, the pins 55 are arranged at predetermined positions within the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14 and displace together with the displacer 14. In addition, the pins 55 are arranged so that their upper ends 55A can be positioned above the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14. The pins 55 may be formed to have the same length or different lengths.

[0099] (Access Port) In the positioning structure 35, the displacer 14 is formed with an opening serving as an access port 57 through which a predetermined portion on the upper end 55A side of the pin 55 is inserted in the vertical direction. The size of the access port 57 is generally slightly larger than the size of the outer circumferential surface of the pin 55. The pin 55 is displaced in the vertical direction from the access port 57.

[0100] (Mounting Hole) In the positioning structure 35, the displacement element 14 is provided with a mounting hole 58 at a predetermined position on the lower surface 14C of the displacement element 14 for mounting a receiving member 60, which will be described later.

[0101] (Receiving Member) The positioning structure 35 is provided with a receiving member 60. The receiving member 60 is fitted into the mounting hole 58. In the example of Fig. 40, the receiving member 60 is fixed to the displacement element 14 by a fixing member 59. An example of the fixing member 59 is a screw. The receiving member 60 is formed in a shape that has an opening on its top surface and that defines a space 61 inside (toward the back) from the opening. In a plan view of the holder 11, an opening 62 of the receiving member 60 is located at the loading / unloading opening 57.

[0102] (Up-and-down movement mechanism) In another example 4, a vertical movement mechanism is provided for moving the pin 55 up and down. The vertical movement mechanism is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of structural simplicity, it is preferable to employ a biasing structure (sometimes referred to as a pin biasing structure 63) that applies an upward biasing force to the pin 55. The pin biasing structure 63 is not particularly limited as long as it is a structure that can apply a biasing force to the pin 55, and an example of the structure shown in FIG. 40 is an example of the pin biasing structure 63. An example of the pin biasing structure 63 is one that is configured so that the pin 55 moves upward when a downward pressing force is applied to the pin 55 and then released. In the example shown in FIG. 40B , the pin biasing structure 63 has an elastic member 56. The elastic member 56 is disposed between the lower end 55B of the pin 55 and the bottom surface 64 of the space 61 of the receiving member 60, with the lower end of the elastic member 56 disposed on the bottom surface 64 and the upper end of the elastic member 56 disposed on the lower end of the pin 55. 40B, a spring material such as a coil spring is used as the elastic member 56. The elastic member 56 biases the pin 55 upward when the pin 55 is pressed downward.

[0103] According to Alternative Example 4, when a second object to be held is placed, the position of the second object to be held is determined by a plurality of pins 55. For example, if the second object to be held is a lid, the outer periphery of the lid comes into contact with the pins 55, and the position of the lid is determined according to the position of the pins 55. Also, according to Alternative Example 4, when a downward pressing force is applied to the pin 55, it can be pressed downward (in the direction of the arrow FD in FIG. 40B ) as shown in FIG. 40C . FIG. 40C is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which the pin 55 is pressed downward. When the pin 55 is pressed downward, an upward stress is applied to the pin 55 by the elastic member 56. When the downward pressing force applied to the pin 55 is removed, the pin 55 is pushed upward by the upward biasing force applied to the pin 55 by the elastic member 56. Therefore, according to another example 4, in a sealing device described later that is provided with a holding jig, when the distance between the pressing body and the holding jig is reduced so that the pressing body presses the second holding object against the first holding object, the pin 55 can be pushed downward, thereby reducing the risk that the pin 55 will hinder the pressing body and the holding jig 10 from getting closer together.

[0104] (Upper Movement Restriction Structure) In Alternative Example 4, as shown in Fig. 42A , an upper movement restricting structure 67 may be provided to define an upper limit position to which the pin 55 can be pushed up when the pin 55 is pushed up. In Fig. 42 , the upper movement restricting structure 67 is configured by forming a flange 65 at the lower end of the pin 55 that extends outward with the longitudinal direction of the pin 55 as the line of sight, and by forming a canopy 66 by making the outer diameter of the flange 65 and the diameter of the opening 62 of the receiving member 60 larger than the diameter of the insertion / extraction opening 57. With this upper movement restricting structure 67, even if the pin 55 is pushed up, the upward displacement of the pin 55 is stopped when the flange 65 of the pin 55 comes into contact with the canopy 66 on the lower surface 14C of the displacer 14 below the insertion / extraction opening 57.

[0105] (Alternative Example 5) The positioning structure 35 may have a structure as shown in Figures 41A, 41B, and 41C. Such an example of the positioning structure 35 may be referred to as Alternative Example 5. Figure 41A is a plan view showing an example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification Example 8 of the first embodiment. Figure 41B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the longitudinal cross-section taken along line I-I in Figure 41A. Figure 41C is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the longitudinal cross-section taken along line J-J in Figure 41C. The positioning structure 35 illustrated in Figures 41A, 41B, and 41C is an example of Alternative Example 5, and the configuration of Alternative Example 5 is not limited to the examples shown in Figures 41A, 41B, and 41C. Note that in the example of the holding jig 10 according to Modification Example 10 shown in Figure 41, the support member 13 is omitted, but this is just an example. In Figure 41B, reference numeral 71 denotes a gap space resulting from the omission of the support member 13.

[0106] 41A, 41B, and 41C, a positioning structure 35 is provided on the holder 11. In the example of Fig. 41, the positioning structure 35 has a combination of multiple pins 55, a receiving member 60, and an elastic member 56, similar to Example 4. The shape of the pin 55 may be similar to that of Example 4, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. In Example 5, similar to Example 4, the pin 55 is arranged at a predetermined position within the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14 in a plan view of the holder 11 so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction.

[0107] (Accessible Through Hole) In the positioning structure 35, the displacer 14 has an accessible through hole (first accessible through hole 68) that forms the accessible opening 57 through which a predetermined portion of the upper end 55A of the pin 55 is inserted vertically. The first accessible through hole 68 is formed in a long shape, or a so-called elongated hole, in a plan view of the holder 11, and in the example of FIG. 41 is formed in a chamfered rectangular shape. The longitudinal direction of the first accessible through hole 68 is preferably aligned with the displacement direction of the displacer 14. In this case, even if the displacer 14 is displaced, the pin 55 can be prevented from moving in conjunction with the displacer 14.

[0108] Furthermore, in the positioning structure 35, an insertion / removal through-hole (second insertion / removal through-hole 69) that forms the insertion / removal opening 57 through which the pin 55 is inserted vertically is also formed in the base plate 12. In a plan view of the holder 11, the second insertion / removal through-hole 69 is aligned so as to be substantially overlapping with the first insertion / removal through-hole 68. The pin 55 is attached so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction while inserted through both the first insertion / removal through-hole 68 and the second insertion / removal through-hole 69.

[0109] (Receiving Member) The positioning structure 35 is provided with a receiving member 60. As shown in the fourth example, the receiving member 60 is formed in a shape that has an opening on its top surface and a space 61 formed from the opening 62 to the interior (toward the back). In a plan view of the holder 11, the receiving member 60 is positioned so that the opening 62 of the receiving member 60 roughly overlaps the position of the second insertion / removal through-hole 69. The receiving member 60 is attached to the bottom surface of the base plate 12. In the example of FIG. 40 , the receiving member 60 is fixed to the base plate 12 by a fixing member 59. An example of the fixing member 59 is a screw or the like.

[0110] (Vertical Movement Mechanism) In Alternative Example 5, a vertical movement mechanism for moving the pin 55 up and down is provided. The vertical movement mechanism in Alternative Example 5 may be configured similarly to Alternative Example 4. That is, the vertical movement mechanism in Alternative Example 5 preferably employs a pin biasing structure 63 that applies an upward biasing force to the pin 55. In the example shown in FIGS. 41B and 41C , the pin biasing structure 63 has an elastic member 56. The elastic member 56 is disposed between the lower end 55B of the pin 55 and the bottom surface 64 of the space 61 of the receiving member 60, with the lower end of the elastic member 56 disposed on the bottom surface 64 and the upper end of the elastic member 56 disposed at the lower end 55B of the pin 55. In the example shown in FIG. 40B , a spring material such as a coil spring is used as the elastic member 56, but this is just one example. The elastic member 56 biases the pin 55 upward (applies an upward stress) when the pin 55 is pressed downward. Therefore, as shown in Figure 41, the pin biasing structure 63 is configured so that after the pin 55 is pressed downward by a downward pressing force, the pin 55 moves upward when the pressing force is released.

[0111] According to another example 5, when the second object to be held is placed, the position of the second object to be held is determined by the plurality of pins 55. For example, if the second object to be held is a lid, the outer periphery of the lid comes into contact with the pins 55, and the position of the lid is determined according to the positions of the pins 55.

[0112] (Upper Movement Restriction Structure) In Alternative Example 5, as shown in FIG. 42B , an upper movement restricting structure 67 may be provided to define an upper limit position to which the pin 55 can be pushed up when the pin 55 is pushed up. In FIG. 42 , the upper movement restricting structure 67 is configured by forming a flange 65 on the lower end 55B of the pin 55, the flange 65 extending outward with the longitudinal direction of the pin 55 as the line of sight, and further forming a canopy 70. The canopy 70 in Alternative Example 5 is formed on the bottom surface of the base plate 12 by making the outer diameter of the flange 65 and the diameter of the opening 62 of the receiving member 60 larger than the diameter of the second insertion / removal through-hole 69 of the insertion / removal opening 57. With this upper movement restricting structure 67, even if the pin 55 is pushed up, the upward displacement of the pin 55 is stopped when the flange 65 of the pin 55 comes into contact with a portion of the bottom surface of the base plate 12 below the second insertion / removal through-hole 69 that corresponds to the canopy 70.

[0113] (Modification 9) As shown in Figures 43A and 43B, the holding jig 10 according to the first embodiment may have a configuration in which elastic members 72 are attached to the displacers 14. Such a configuration is referred to as Modification 9 of the first embodiment. Figure 43A is a plan view showing one example of the holding jig 10 according to Modification 9 of the first embodiment. Figure 43B is a view showing main parts for schematically explaining one example of a structure in which elastic members 72 are attached to the displacers 14 arranged on the upper surface 12A of the base plate 12.

[0114] In the example of the holding jig 10 according to Modification 9 shown in FIGS. 43A and 43B , the receiving member 13 is omitted, but this is merely an example. In the example shown here, a latch member 73 is provided at a predetermined position on the surface (second side surface 14A2) of adjacent displacers 14, excluding the surface (first side surface 14A1) facing the adjacent displacers 14 (surfaces that may come into contact with each other). In the example of FIG. 43 , the latch member 73 is provided on the surface (second side surface 14A2) of the displacer 14 corresponding to the bottom edge 140. In the example of FIG. 43 , the latch member 73 is shaped like a screw having a head portion 73A and a body portion 73B. Furthermore, the elastic member 72 has annular portions 74A and 74B at both ends as attachment portions, for example, as shown in FIGS. 43A and 43B , and the annular portion 74A on one end of the elastic member 72 is latched to the latch member 73. The annular portions 74A and 74B are merely examples, and are not particularly limited as long as they have a structure that allows the elastic member 72 to be attached to the displacer. Also, in Figures 43A and 43B, a spring material such as a coil spring is shown as an example of the elastic member 72. A latch member 75 is also provided at a predetermined position on the base plate 12, and the annular portion 74B on the other end of the elastic member 72 is latched onto the latch member 75. In the example of Figure 43, the position of the latch member 75 on the base plate 12 is determined so that the elastic member 72 is stretched when the displacer 14 is displaced so that the through-hole 16 widens, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 43A. In this case, as the displacer 14 is displaced so as to widen the through hole 16 (in the example of Figure 43A, the displacer 14 moves away from the position of the center CT), the elastic member 72 is stretched, a restoring force (a force that tries to return to its original length) is generated in the elastic member 72, and stress is applied from the elastic member 72 to the displacer 14 so as to narrow the through hole 16 relative to the displacer 14 (so that the displacer 14 returns to a position corresponding to the state before the through hole 16 widened).

[0115] (Modification 10) In the holding jig 10 according to Modification 9 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 44 , the position where the elastic member 72 is attached to the displacer 14 and the position of the latch member 75 on the base plate 12 may be determined so that the elastic member 72 is compressed when the displacer 14 is displaced so as to widen the through-hole 16. This configuration is referred to as Modification 10 of the first embodiment. FIG. 44 is a plan view showing an example of the holding jig 10 according to Modification 10 of the first embodiment. In this case, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 44 , as the displacer 14 is displaced so as to widen the through-hole 16, the elastic member 72 is compressed, and a restoring force of the elastic member is generated accordingly, and stress is applied from the elastic member 72 to the displacer 14 so as to narrow the through-hole 16 relative to the displacer 14. Note that in the example of the holding jig 10 according to Modification 10 shown in FIG. 44 , the receiving member 13 is omitted, but this is just an example.

[0116] (Modification 11) In the holding jig 10 according to Modification 7 of the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 45A and 45B, a step 77 may be formed in an exposed region on the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14 that is exposed to the inside of the auxiliary hole 18 of the protective plate 33. This configuration is referred to as Modification 11 of the first embodiment. Figure 45A is a plan view schematically showing one example of the holding jig 10 according to Modification 11 of the first embodiment. Figure 45B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the vertical cross section taken along line K-K in Figure 45A.

[0117] In the holding jig 10 according to the seventh modification, a step 77 is formed on the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14, and the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14 is divided by the step 77 into an area AR1 of a lower portion 78 of the step 77 and an area AR2 of an upper portion 79 of the step 77. The position of the portion of the upper surface 14B (area AR1) of the displacer 14 corresponding to the lower portion 78, which is the portion below the step 77, is lower than the position of the lower surface 33B (bottom surface) of the protective plate 33. Furthermore, in the holding jig 10 according to the seventh modification, as shown in FIGS. 45A and 45B , the position of the portion of the upper surface 14B (area AR2) of the upper portion 79, which is the portion above the step 77, of the displacer 14, is higher than the position of the lower surface 33B (bottom surface) of the protective plate 33. Due to the provision of such a step 77, when the displacer 14 is displaced so as to widen the through-hole 16 (for example, when the displacer 14 is displaced in the direction of arrow FH from the position of the displacer 14 shown by the dashed line to the position of the displacer 14 shown by the solid line in FIG. 45A ), the displacement of the displacer 14 can be stopped at the position where the step 77 of the displacer 14 contacts the inner surface 33C of the protective plate 33, and the upper limit of the size of the through-hole 16 can be defined. In addition, it is preferable that the position of the upper surface 14B of the upper part 79 of the displacer 14 is roughly aligned with the position of the upper surface 33A of the protective plate 33.

[0118] In a plan view of the holding jig 10, the step 77 is preferably formed in a shape that matches the edge shape of the auxiliary hole 18.

[0119] Furthermore, a boss portion 80 having a boss hole 81 for fixing the protective plate 33 is provided on the base plate 12 at a predetermined position on the upper surface 12A side outside the displacer 14. The protective plate 33 is disposed so as to be supported by the upper surface 80A of the boss portion 80. The boss portion 80 can function as a spacer that ensures a distance between the protective plate 33 and the base plate 12. The protective plate 33 is provided with a hole portion 83 for inserting a fixing member 82 at a position corresponding to the boss portion 80. The fixing member 82, such as a screw, is inserted through the hole portion 83 and fitted into the boss hole 81. At least a part of the portion of the displacer 14 corresponding to the lower portion 78 is sandwiched between the protective plate 33 and the base plate 12, as shown in FIG. 45B , and vertical movement (vertical wobbling) of the displacer 14 is restricted.

[0120] In the example of the holding jig 10 according to the modified example 11 shown in FIGS. 45A and 45B, the receiving member 13 is omitted, but this is just an example.

[0121] (Modification 12) In the holding jig 10 according to Modification 7 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 46A, 46B, and 46C, a displacement guide structure 85 that restricts the displacement direction of the displacer 14 may be provided on the lower surface 14C side of the displacer 14. This configuration is referred to as Modification 12 of the first embodiment. FIG. 46A is a plan view schematically showing an example of the holding jig 10 according to Modification 12 of the first embodiment. FIG. 46B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the longitudinal section taken along line L-L in FIG. 46A. FIG. 46C is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the longitudinal section taken along line M-M in FIG. 46A. In FIG. 46A, the dashed line shows an example of the displacer 14 when displaced outward along the direction of arrow FH (in a direction away from the center CT in FIG. 46A). Also, in FIG. 46C, an example of the displacer 14 when displaced outward along the direction of the arrow FH (in the direction away from the center CT in FIG. 46A) is shown by a broken line.

[0122] (Displacement Guide Structure) The displacement guide structure 85 has an elongated hole 86 provided in the base plate 12 and a leg 87 provided on the underside 14C of the displacer 14. The elongated hole 86 is preferably formed so that its longitudinal direction is generally aligned with the displacement direction of the displacer 14 (in the examples of FIGS. 46A and 46C , the direction of arrow FH (this direction is specific for each displacer 14)). The leg 87 has a plurality of leg members 88 at positions corresponding to the elongated hole 86, and the plurality of leg members 88 are aligned generally along the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 86. In the example of FIG. 46B , two leg members 88 are aligned along the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 86. The shape of the leg member 88 is not particularly limited as long as it can be displaced along the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 86. In the example of FIGS. 46A to 46C , the leg member 88 has a cylindrical body 88B, and a flange 88A is formed at the lower end of the body 88B. The upper end of the leg member 88 is fixed to the displacer 14. In the example of FIGS. 46A to 46C , a thread groove is formed in a predetermined portion of the body 88B of the leg member 88 extending downward from the upper end. Furthermore, at least a portion of the threaded portion of the body 88B is fitted (screwed) into the lower surface 14C (bottom surface) of the displacer 14. When the displacement guide structure 85 is provided, the leg 87 can be displaced in the space within the elongated hole 86 in the direction of arrow FH as shown in FIG. 46C , thereby restricting the displacement of the displacer 14 in this direction.

[0123] (Ring Member) The leg portion 87 is preferably provided with a ring member 89 arranged so as to surround the periphery of the body portion 88B. The ring member 89 is arranged between the flange portion 88A of the leg member 88 and the underside 14C of the displacer 14. The ring member 89 is also provided so as to be rotatable around the periphery of the body portion 88B. When such a ring member 89 is provided, the leg portion 87 can be displaced more smoothly in the space within the elongated hole portion 86 in the direction of arrow FH as shown in FIG. 46C .

[0124] (Modification 13) In the holding jig 10 according to Modification 7 of the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 47A and 47B, a covering material 90 (periphery covering material) having cushioning properties may be provided so as to surround and cover the outer periphery 10A of the holding jig 10. This configuration is referred to as Modification 13 of the first embodiment. Figures 47A and 47B are a plan view and a side view, respectively, that schematically show one example of the holding jig 10 according to Modification 13 of the first embodiment.

[0125] In the holding jig 10 according to the thirteenth modification of the first embodiment, the material of the covering material 90 is not particularly limited as long as it has shock-absorbing properties, and examples thereof include rubber, silicone, and urethane. As shown in FIG. 47A and other figures, the covering material 90 preferably covers the outer periphery 10A of the holding jig 10 and the upper surface of the holding jig 10 (the upper surface 33A of the protective plate 33 in the example of FIG. 47A ) from the edge to a predetermined position slightly inside the upper surface (the inner surface of the holding jig 10 in a plan view). Furthermore, the covering material 90 preferably also covers the lower surface of the holding jig 10 (the lower surface 12B of the base plate 12 in the example of FIG. 47A ) from the edge to a predetermined position slightly inside the lower surface (the inner surface of the holding jig 10 in a plan view). In the holding jig 10, the covering material 90 is arranged so as to contact the protective plate 33 and the base plate 12 but not to contact the displacer 14. Therefore, the risk that the covering material 90 will hinder the displacement of the displacer 14 is reduced.

[0126] According to the holding jig 10 of Modification 13, the provision of the covering material 90 can further reduce the risk of damaging other objects if the holding jig 10 falls and comes into contact with them, and can also reduce the risk of damage to the holding jig 10. According to the holding jig 10 of Modification 13, the risk of damage to the holding jig 10 can also be reduced when the holding jig 10 is transported, for example.

[0127] (Modification 14) In the holding jig 10 according to the first embodiment, grooves 92 may be provided in at least some of the displacers 14, as shown in Fig. 48A and Fig. 48B. Such a configuration is referred to as Modification 14 of the first embodiment. Fig. 48A is a plan view schematically showing one example of the holding jig 10 according to Modification 14 of the first embodiment. Fig. 48B is a view schematically showing one example of a state in which the displacers 14 are arranged on the upper surface 12A of the base plate 12.

[0128] (Groove) In the holding jig 10 according to the fourteenth modification of the first embodiment, the displacer 14 has a groove 92 formed in at least a part of at least one of the side surface 14A, the upper surface 14B, and the lower surface 14C.

[0129] 48A and 48B , a first groove 93 is formed as the groove 92 in the upper surface 14B of the displacer 14. The first groove 93 is preferably formed in a portion of the upper surface 14B that is away from the portion that corresponds to the upper edge 16B of the through-hole 16. From the viewpoint of making it easier for contaminants to flow outward even if they adhere to the upper edge 16B, it is preferable that the longitudinal direction of the first groove 93 extend along the displacement direction of the displacer 14.

[0130] 48A and 48B, a second groove 94 is formed as the groove 92 on the side surface 14A of the displacer 14. Preferably, a plurality of gently convexly curved convex mountain-shaped portions 95 are formed on the side surface 14A of the displacer 14 so as to be aligned in the vertical direction, and a second groove portion is formed between adjacent convex mountain-shaped portions 95. In this case, the second groove 94 is formed as a horizontal groove extending in the horizontal direction on the side surface 14A. Preferably, the second groove 94 is avoided from being formed on the surface of the side surface 14A that forms the through hole 16.

[0131] (Modification 15) In the holding jig 10 according to Modification 7 of the first embodiment, a protective plate 33 is provided to cover at least a portion of the upper surface 11B of the holder 11. In the holding jig 10 according to Modification 7 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 49A and 49B , a small through-hole 96 may be provided at a predetermined position on the protective plate 33, penetrating the protective plate 33 in the thickness direction of the protective plate 33 (the vertical direction in FIGS. 49A and 49B ). This configuration is referred to as Modification 15 of the first embodiment. FIG. 49A is a plan view showing an example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification 14 of the first embodiment. FIG. 49B is a plan view showing an example of a holding jig 10 according to Modification 14 of the first embodiment. Note that the receiving member 13 is omitted in the example shown in FIGS. 49A and 49B , but this is merely an example. In FIG. 49B , reference numeral 71 denotes a gap space resulting from the omission of the receiving member 13.

[0132] (Small Through Portions) The small through portions 96 are portions that penetrate the protective plate 33 and have an opening size smaller than that of a single displacer. The small through portions 96 having an opening size smaller than that of a single displacer means that the small through portions 96 are small enough that the upper surfaces 14B of the displacers 14 are not completely exposed through the small through portions 96 in a plan view of the holding jig 10. At least some of the small through portions 96 are positioned so that they can overlap at least a portion of the upper surfaces 14B of the displacers 14 in a plan view of the holding jig 10. Furthermore, the layout of the small through portions 96 is preferably such that, in a plan view of the holding jig 10, at least a portion of the upper surfaces 14B of all the displacers 14 can be exposed upward through at least one small through portion 96. While the small through portions 96 are formed as circular holes in the example of FIG. 49A , this is merely an example. The small through portions 96 may be non-circular holes or slit-shaped. Since the holding jig 10 is provided with a small through-hole 96, even if dirt adheres to the displacer 14 inside the holding jig 10, a cleaning liquid such as water can be poured from the top side of the holding jig 10, causing the cleaning liquid to flow through the small through-hole 96 onto the top surface 14B of the displacer 14, thereby effectively cleaning the displacer 14.

[0133] (Blinding Plate) In the holding jig 10 according to Modification 15 of the first embodiment, a blinding plate 97 is preferably provided to cover the small through-holes 96 from the upper side. The blinding plate 97 is preferably detachable from the protective plate 33. Providing such a blinding plate 97 reduces the risk of dust or other foreign matter falling from the upper surface of the holding jig 10 into the small through-holes 96. The material of the blinding plate 97 is not particularly limited, but plastic is preferable from the standpoint of lightness, and metal is preferable from the standpoint of strength. The shape of the blinding plate 97 is not particularly limited as long as it can cover the small through-holes 96. However, from the standpoint of preventing the blinding plate 97 from shifting in position relative to the protective plate 33 in the planar direction, it is preferable that the blinding plate 97 have a shape generally similar to that of the protective plate 33, as shown in FIGS. 49A and 49B .

[0134] Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is a sealing device 300 that uses the holding jig 10 described in the first embodiment.

[0135] [2 Second Embodiment] [2-1 Configuration of Sealing Device] As shown in Fig. 10, a sealing device 300 according to the second embodiment includes a pressing body 310 and the holding jig 10 described in the first embodiment. Fig. 10 is a side view showing an example of the sealing device according to the second embodiment. Note that for the sake of convenience, Fig. 10 omits the illustration of the displacer 14, the base plate 12, etc.

[0136] The sealing device 300 has a support 320 that supports the pressing body 310 and the holding jig 10. The support 320 is provided with a vertical movement mechanism (a movement mechanism that moves the holding jig 10 in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 10 ) that moves the holding jig 10 up and down (not shown in FIG. 10 ). The vertical movement mechanism can be, for example, a combination structure of a gear and a rack as shown in FIG. 28A , etc., which will be described later with respect to the pressing body 310. The movement of the gear may be controlled by the movement of a lever as shown in FIG. 28A , etc., or may be controlled by a motor or the like. The holding jig 10 is connected to the vertical movement mechanism of the support 320 via a connecting member 330. The material of the connecting member 330 is not particularly limited as long as it can sufficiently support the holding jig 10, but a rigid material such as metal is preferable. The holding jig 10 starts from a predetermined position (lower position) that is a predetermined distance below (in the -F direction) the pressing body 310, and moves toward the pressing body to a predetermined position (upper position) that is closer to the upper side (in the +F direction) of the pressing body. The lower position and the upper position may be determined in advance depending on the content of the object M to be held, etc.

[0137] The pressing body 310 shown in the example of FIG. 10 is located directly above the holding jig 10 and is fixed to the support 320 on the upper side of the support 320. The pressing body 310 may be provided with a heating mechanism. In this case, the sealing device 300 functions as a heat-sealing device. The pressing body 310 has a pressing surface 310A, which faces the holding jig 10. The holding object M is subjected to a pressing force between the pressing surface 310A and the holding jig 10. If the pressing body 310 has a heating mechanism, it can heat the holding object M. The heating mechanism may be any mechanism capable of heating the pressing body 310. For example, a heater or the like can be used as the heating mechanism. The shape of the pressing surface 310A is not particularly limited. In the example of FIG. 10, the pressing surface 310A is formed in a flat shape. However, FIG. 10 is merely an example and does not limit the shape of the pressing body 310 or the pressing surface 310A.

[0138] (Sealing Function) The sealing device 300 can achieve the sealing function as follows. The sealing function will be described below with reference to FIG. 11 , taking as an example a case where the object to be held M is a container 200 having a main body 210 and a flange 240 extending outward from an upper edge 250 of the main body 210. As shown in FIG. 11 , the container 200 has a main body 210 that tapers from the top to the bottom, and the main body 210 of the container 200 has an opening 260 at its upper end, forming a space 230 surrounded by the main body 210 and the bottom 220. The same applies to the description of the operation and effects described below.

[0139] The main body 210 of the container 200 is placed in the through hole 16 of the holding jig 10. At this time, the holding jig 10 is placed in a lower position (position N1 in FIG. 11 ). Next, the holding jig 10 moves in the +F direction from the lower position to an upper position (position N3 in FIG. 11 ). Even if the outer peripheral surface 210A of the main body 210 of the container 200 comes into contact with the through hole 16 of the holding jig 10 during the movement, the size of the through hole 16 can be increased to match the size of the outer peripheral surface 210A of the main body 210. If the weight of the container 200 is heavy, as the holding jig 10 moves upward, the size of the through hole 16 of the holding jig 10 gradually increases, and the outer peripheral surface 16A of the through hole 16 slides over the outer peripheral surface 210A of the container 200. When the holding jig 10 reaches a position where it comes into contact with the flange portion 240 of the container 200 (position N2 in Figure 11), the container 200 and the holding jig 10 move upward together while the container 200 is supported by the holding jig 10.

[0140] In the container 200, a lid 290 is placed on the container 200 so as to cover the opening 260 (and the space 230) on the top surface of the main body 210 and the flange 240. The lid 290 may be a paper lid or a plastic lid. The timing at which the lid 290 is placed on the container 200 is not particularly limited. It may be when the container 200 is placed in the sealing device 300, or when the container 200 is being moved upward together with the holding jig 10. However, the lid 290 is placed on the container 200 so as to cover the upper opening 260 and the flange 240 of the main body 210 at a timing before the holding jig 10 receives the pressing force from the pressing body 310 in the upper position.

[0141] In the sealing device, the holding jig 10 reaches the upper position with the lid 290 placed on the container 200 so as to cover the upper opening 260 and flange 240 of the main body 210. Then, the container 200 and the lid 290 are interposed between the pressing body 310 and the holding jig 10, and the lid 290 and the container 200 are pressed against each other at the position of the flange 240 of the container 200. At this time, the lid and the container 200 are heated as necessary. In this manner, the lid 290 and the container 200 are joined together.

[0142] [2-2 Actions and Effects] The sealing device 300 according to the second embodiment uses the holding jig 10 described in the first embodiment. Therefore, according to the second embodiment, when the object to be held M is a container 200 having a flange portion 240 at its upper end, the holding jig 10 can firmly hold the container 200 regardless of the size of the container 200, and a state in which the flange portion 240 is in contact with the upper edge portion 16B of the through hole 16 of the holding jig 10 can be created. Therefore, with the lid 290 positioned so as to cover the flange portion 240 and opening 260 of the container 200, the container 200 and the lid 290 can be sandwiched between the pressing body and the holding jig 10.

[0143] When the sealing device 300 of the second embodiment is controlled so that the holding jig 10 is placed at the lower end of the container 200 as shown in Figures 10 and 11 and the holding jig 10 is raised toward the upper end of the container 200, even if the size of the outer surface 210A of the main body 210 of the container 200 is not uniform, the size of the through hole 16 can be changed to match the size of the outer surface 210A, so that the holding jig 10 can be slid along the outer surface 210A of the main body 210 of the container 200.

[0144] Next, a modification of the second embodiment will be described.

[0145] [2-3 Modifications] (Modification 1) In the sealing device 300 according to the second embodiment, the pressing body 310 is fixed, but the pressing body 310 may be configured to be movable up and down. This embodiment is referred to as Modification 1 of the second embodiment. Modification 1 of the second embodiment can be realized by providing the support body 320 with a vertical movement mechanism that moves the pressing body 310 up and down, and connecting the pressing body 310 to this vertical movement mechanism. In Modification 1 of the second embodiment, the holding jig 10 may be fixed, or may be configured to be movable up and down as described above.

[0146] (Up and Down Movement Structure) The up and down movement structure can be exemplified by a combined structure of a gear and a rack. An example of the combined structure is a structure as shown in FIG. 28A, which will be described later. The gear may be connected to a motor or the like and electrically driven and controlled. The rack moves up and down in accordance with the rotation of the gear. The rack is connected to a pressing body 310, and is configured so that the pressing body 310 also moves up and down in accordance with the up and down movement of the rack. When the gear is driven by a motor or the like, the power source for driving the up and down movement structure can be electricity, and in this case the up and down movement structure is electrically controlled.

[0147] (Variation 2) In the sealing device 300 according to the second embodiment, the holding jig 10 is configured to be movable up and down, but it may also be configured to be movable in a direction along a plane (plane direction) with the up and down direction as the normal direction (not shown).

[0148] (Variation 3) In the sealing device 300 according to the second embodiment, as shown in Figures 12A and 12B, the pressing surface 310A of the pressing body 310 may be an uneven surface. This embodiment is referred to as Variation 3 of the second embodiment. Figure 12A is a diagram showing one example of the pressing body 310 used in the sealing device 300 according to Variation 3 of the second embodiment. Figure 12B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the vertical cross section taken along line DD in Figure 12A.

[0149] As shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B , the pressing body 310 has multiple convex portions 360 formed concentrically from the outer peripheral edge 350 of the pressing surface 310A, with concave portions 361 formed between adjacent convex portions 360. This creates an uneven surface on the pressing surface 310A. While the examples shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B show three convex portions 360 formed on the pressing surface, this is merely an example, and two or fewer or four or more convex portions 360 may be formed. In the example shown in FIG. 12A , the pressing body 310 is circular in plan view, and as shown in FIG. 12B , a predetermined portion extending from the outer peripheral edge 350 toward the center MP is defined as a thick portion 311. The thick portion 311 is defined as a portion that is thicker than the thickness at the center MP of the pressing body 310. The convex portions 360 are formed in regions of the pressing surface 310A that correspond to the thick portion 311. When pressing body 310 comes into contact with holding object M, pressing body 310 presses holding object M with thick portion 311. An uneven surface is formed on pressing surface 310A, and convex portions 360 are formed on thick portion 311 as shown in FIG. 12A , so that the pressing force applied from pressing body 310 to holding object M can be concentrated on convex portions 360, and a stronger force can be applied from pressing body 310 to holding object M.

[0150] (Modification 4) In the sealing device 300 according to the second embodiment, a vertical movement regulating structure may be provided as shown in Figs. 13A and 13B. This embodiment is referred to as Modification 4 of the second embodiment. Fig. 13A is a diagram showing an example of the sealing device 300 according to Modification 4 of the second embodiment. Fig. 13B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a main part of an example of the vertical movement regulating structure used in an example of such sealing device 300 according to Modification 4 of the second embodiment.

[0151] (Vertical movement restriction structure) The vertical movement restriction structure is a structure that restricts vertical movement of an object to be held by holding jig 10. The vertical movement restriction structure is not particularly limited, but in the example of Fig. 13A, the vertical movement restriction structure has a suction cup arranged on the lower side of holding jig 10. Below, the explanation of Modified Example 4 of the second embodiment will continue, taking as an example a case where the vertical movement restriction structure has a suction cup.

[0152] As shown in FIG. 13A , the suction cup is attached to a support 320. The support 320 shown in FIG. 13 includes a base 320A, a standing wall 320B rising upward from the base 320A, and an upper surface 320C formed from the upper end of the standing wall 320B facing the base 320A. The pressing body 310 is connected to the upper surface 320C. The holding jig 10 is connected to the standing wall 320B so as to be movable up and down. The suction cup 370 is attached to the base 320A with its suction surface 370A facing upward. In the state shown in FIG. 13A , the through-hole 16 of the holding jig 10 is located directly above the suction surface 370A. According to the sealing device 300 of the fourth modification of the second embodiment, when the container 200 is inserted into the through-hole 16, the outer surface of the bottom 220 of the container 200 is suctioned to the suction surface 370A. Due to the action of this suction force, it becomes easy to move the holding jig 10 upward so as to rub against the outer surface of the main body 210 of the container 200 while keeping the position of the container 200 fixed, regardless of the weight of the container 200.

[0153] (Decompression Control Structure) The suction cup 370 may be provided with a decompression control structure. The decompression control structure includes an elongated hole 371 connecting the suction surface 370A of the suction cup 370 to the outside and a valve 372 provided midway through the elongated hole 371 to control the ventilation state of the elongated hole 371. The elongated hole 371 connects from the center of the suction surface 370A to the base portion 320A. When the container 200 is placed on the suction surface 370A with the valve 372 blocking ventilation of the elongated hole 371 (with the valve 372 closed), the suction cup 370 fixes the container 200. When the valve 372 opens, the fixation between the container 200 and the suction cup 370 is released. The sealing device 300 according to the fourth modification of the second embodiment can control the fixed state of the container 200. Note that the release of the fixed state between the suction cup 370 and the container 200 is not limited to only when the valve 372 is opened. The suction properties of the suction cups 370 themselves may be adjusted according to the physical properties such as the softness of the suction cups 370, thereby enabling the fixed state between the suction cups 370 and the container 200 to be released. For example, when the holding jig 10 rubs against the outer peripheral surface of the main body 210 of the container 200, an adhesive force acts to fix the vertical position of the container 200, and when the holding jig 10 comes into contact with the flange 240 of the container 200, the force of the holding jig 10 pulling up the container 200 acts, and the adhesive force of the suction cups 370 is weaker than the pulling force, so that the adhesive force between the container 200 and the suction cups 370 may be released.

[0154] (Variation 5) In Variation 1 of the second embodiment, a vertical movement structure is provided that enables vertical displacement of the pressing body 310. An example is given in which electricity is used as the power source for the vertical movement structure. In Variation 1 of the second embodiment, the power source for the vertical movement structure is not limited to electricity. As shown in FIG. 16 , the vertical movement structure 392 may be configured to be driven by a physical force other than electricity. This embodiment is referred to as Variation 5 of the second embodiment. FIG. 16 is a side view showing an example of a sealing device according to Variation 5 of the second embodiment. Note that, as in FIG. 10 , for convenience of explanation, illustration of the displacer 14, base plate 12, etc. is omitted in FIG. 16 . The same applies to FIGS. 17 and 18 .

[0155] The sealing device 300 has a support 320 that supports a pressing body 310 and a holding jig 10. The support 320 shown in FIG. 16 has a base portion 320A and a standing wall portion 320B that rises upward from the base portion 320A. The same applies to FIGS. 17, 18, and 23 to 27. In the example of FIG. 16, the support 320 does not include a vertical movement mechanism that moves the holding jig 10 up and down. The holding jig 10 is connected to the support 320 via a connecting member 330. Therefore, the holding jig 10 does not generally move in the vertical direction but is fixed while connected to the support 320 via the connecting member 330. However, this is not limited to the case where the holding jig 10 does not move up and down. Even if the sealing device 300 is a so-called manual sealing device, the holding jig 10 may move up and down. In addition to the fifth modification of the second embodiment, when the holding jig 10 is moved up and down in the sealing device 300, the power source of the holding jig 10 may be either a physical force other than electricity or electricity, as in the case of the pressing body 310. In the example of Fig. 16, the connecting member 330 is connected to the vertical wall portion 320B of the support body 320, but this is just one example, and the connecting member 330 may be connected to the base portion 320A of the support body as shown in Figs. 23 to 27, etc.

[0156] 16, the power source of the up-and-down movement structure 392 is a non-electric physical force, and an example of the physical force is human power such as force from the user's hand. In this case, the sealing device 300 is a so-called manual sealing device.

[0157] (Up-and-Down Movement Structure) The up-and-down movement structure 392 includes a lever 390 and a movement control structure 391. The movement control structure 391 is connected to the lever 390 and the pressing body 310 and is configured to move the pressing body 310 in the direction of arrow F in response to movement of the lever 390 in the direction of arrow Q. The movement control structure 391 can be configured, for example, by combining various gears. The lever 390 is configured to be capable of rotational movement in the direction Q around a fulcrum 390A as a rotation axis. An example of the movement control structure 391 is a mechanism (gear structure) including a gear 393 and a rack 394 meshing with the gear 393, as shown in FIGS. 28A and 28B. FIGS. 28A and 28B show essential parts of one embodiment of the movement control structure 391. The gear 393 is connected to a support shaft 389, which serves as the rotation axis of the gear 393, and the support shaft 389 is connected to a fulcrum 390A of the lever 390. The rack 394 is connected to the pressing body 310. In the examples shown in FIGS. 28A and 28B , the rack 394 functions as the support member 385. However, this does not prohibit the support member 385 supporting the pressing body 310 and the rack 394 from being different members. In the example shown in FIG. 16 , the pressing body 310 is connected to the side of the rack 394 as shown in FIG. 28B . However, this is only an example, and the pressing body 310 may be connected to the pressing body 310 at the lower end of the rack 394 as shown in FIG. 28A . In the pressing body 310 described below with reference to FIGS. 23 to 27 , the rack 394 is connected to the pressing body 310 at the lower end of the rack 394. In addition, as shown in FIG. 28B , the rack 394 and the pressing body 310 may be directly connected (jointed), or as shown in FIG. 28A , the rack 394 and the pressing body 310 may be connected via a connecting member 388. The material of the connecting member 388 may be the same as that of the connecting member 330 described above. For ease of explanation, the lever 390 is shown by a dashed line in Figures 28A and 28B. When the lever 390 is rotated in the Q direction, the gear 393 rotates in the QG direction, and the rack 394 is displaced in the F direction. For example, in the example of Figure 28, when the gear 393 rotates in the -QG direction, the rack 394 moves in the -F direction, and the pressing body 310 is displaced in the -F direction. When the rotation direction of the gear 393 becomes the +QC direction, the pressing body 310 is displaced in the +F direction.

[0158] The up-down movement mechanism 392 is preferably configured to use an elastic material such as a spring to set the state in which the lever has moved in the +Q direction as the non-pressed state. The non-pressed state refers to a state in which the pressing body 310 is not pressing the object to be held. This makes it easy for the user to press down on the lever 390 (by displacing it in the -Q direction), causing the pressing body 310 to move downward (in the -F direction) in conjunction with the lever 390, and for the user to release the lever 390 to displace it in the +Q direction, causing the pressing body 310 to move upward (in the +F direction) in conjunction with the lever 390.

[0159] (Sealing Function) The sealing device 300 can achieve the sealing function as follows. Note that the sealing function will be described below with reference to FIG. 17 , taking as an example a case where the object to be held M is the container 200, as in FIG. 11 .

[0160] The main body 210 of the container 200 is placed in the through-hole 16 of the holding jig 10. The container 200 is pushed in until it reaches a position where the holding jig 10 contacts the flange 240 of the container 200 (position N2 in FIG. 11 ). At this time, if the size of the through-hole 16 is smaller than the size of the container 200 (the size of the cross section of the outer circumferential surface), the size of the through-hole 16 is widened according to the size of the container 200.

[0161] In the container 200 , a lid 290 is placed on the container 200 so as to cover the opening 260 (and the space 230 ) on the top surface of the main body 210 and the flange portion 240 .

[0162] In the sealing device, with the lid 290 placed on the container 200 so as to cover the upper opening 260 and flange 240 of the main body 210, the container 200 and lid 290 are interposed between the pressing body 310 and the holding jig 10, and the lever 390 is lowered downward (in the -Q direction), which displaces the pressing body 310 in the -F direction. Then, the lid 290 and the container 200 are pressed against each other at the position of the flange 240 of the container 200 between the pressing body 310 and the holding jig 10. At this time, the lid and the container 200 are heated as necessary. In this way, the lid 290 and the container 200 are joined together. The lever 390 is raised in the +Q direction, which displaces the pressing body 310 upward (in the +F direction). Then, the container 200 with the joined lid 290 is removed.

[0163] In the fifth modification shown in Fig. 16, the pressing body is arranged to the side of the up-down movement structure (on the +X direction side in Fig. 16), but the arrangement of the up-down movement structure and pressing body is not limited to this. As shown in Fig. 20, the pressing body may be arranged below the up-down movement structure.

[0164] (Variation 6) In Variation 5 of the second embodiment, as shown in Fig. 23 , the pressing body 310 may be configured to be movable not only in the up-down direction (the direction of arrow F in Fig. 23 ) but also in the front-rear direction (the direction of arrow J in Fig. 23 ). This embodiment of Variation 5 is referred to as Variation 6 of the second embodiment. Fig. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a sealing device according to Variation 6 of the second embodiment.

[0165] (Forward / backward movement structure) The sealing device 300 according to the sixth modification of the second embodiment includes a forward / backward movement structure 400. In the example of Fig. 23 , the forward / backward movement structure 400 is configured by a combination of a slide member 401 and a rail 402 as shown in Fig. 24 . Fig. 24 is a front view of the sealing device 300 shown in the example of Fig. 23 . The slide member 401 is attached to a side surface 398B of a housing 398 that forms the exterior of the movement control structure 391 of the up / down movement structure 392, and fits into the rail 402.

[0166] (Displacement of Pressing Body) In the sealing device 300 shown in the example of FIG. 23 , the pressing body 310 can be displaced (moved) in the front-to-rear direction (direction of arrow J) and the up-down direction (direction of arrow F) as shown in FIG. 25 . FIG. 25 is a diagram for explaining the displacement of the pressing body 310 in the sealing device 300 shown in FIG. 23 . In FIG. 25 , the state in which the vertical movement structure 392 is moved in the +J direction (the state in which the pressing body 310 is positioned directly above the through-hole 16) (front-side arrangement state) is shown by a solid line, and the state in which the vertical movement structure 392 is moved in the −J direction (rear-side arrangement state) is shown by a dashed line. The state in which the pressing body 310 is moved in the +F direction is also shown by a dashed line.

[0167] As shown in Figure 25, when a user grips lever 390 and applies force in the direction of arrow J, slide member 401 is displaced in the direction of arrow J along rail 402. Accordingly, vertical movement structure 392 moves from a position on the -J side to the +J direction along the direction of arrow J. As vertical movement structure 392 moves, pressing body 310 also moves. At this time, pressing body 310 can move to a position directly above through-hole 16 of holding jig 10. In the example of Figure 23, this can be achieved by adjusting the length and position of rail 402.

[0168] 25 , in the forward / backward direction moving structure 400, when the pressing body 310 reaches directly above the through-hole 16, the pressing body 310 moves in the −F direction by rotating the lever 390 in the direction of arrow Q. This allows the pressing body 310 to press the object M held in the through-hole 16 (not shown in FIG. 25 ), as described in the example of FIG. 11 .

[0169] (Effect) According to the sealing device 300 of the sixth modification of the second embodiment, the pressing body 310 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction, and therefore, in the rearward disposed state, the pressing body 310 is not present directly above the through hole 16, making it easy to set the object M to be held, such as the container 200, in the through hole 16. In particular, it is possible to reduce the need to provide a structure for increasing the distance between the pressing body 310 and the through hole 16 in the vertical direction in order to set the object M to be held, such as the container 200, in the through hole 16. Therefore, according to the sealing device 300 of the sixth modification of the second embodiment, it is possible to reduce the size in the vertical direction.

[0170] Furthermore, since the pressing body 310 is configured to be movable in the forward and backward directions, when the user sets the object to be held M, such as the container 200, in the through hole 16 with his or her hand, the possibility of contact between the user's hand and the pressing body 310 can be effectively reduced.

[0171] (Alternative Example 1 of Modification Example 6) In the example shown in Fig. 23 , the movement in the front-rear direction is movement along the slide member and rail, but this is just one example, and the configuration of the front-rear direction movement structure 400 is not particularly limited as long as it is a structure that can realize movement in the front-rear direction. For example, the front-rear direction movement structure 400 may be configured as shown in Fig. 26 . Fig. 26 is a diagram showing another example (Alternative Example 1) of the sealing device according to Modification Example 6 of the second embodiment.

[0172] In the sealing device 300 shown in Figure 26, the forward / backward movement structure 400 is configured by combining a rotating pillar 403 and a fixing member 404 that rotatably fixes the rotating pillar. The lower end of the rotating pillar 403 is fixed to the base 320A by the fixing member 404, and is configured to be rotatable around the fixing member 404 attached to the base 320A as an axis. The upper end of the rotating pillar 403 is fixed by the fixing member 404 to the side surface 398B of the housing 398, which is the exterior part of the movement control structure 391. The rotating pillar 403 is configured to be rotatable around the fixing member 404 attached to the side surface 398B as an axis. Note that in the example of Figure 26, multiple rotating pillars 403 are provided and positioned so that the rotating pillars 403 can rotate simultaneously.

[0173] In the example of the sealing device 300 shown in FIG. 26 , as the rotating column 403 rotates, the vertical movement structure 392 is displaced in the direction of arrow J. At this time, the vertical movement structure 392 may also be displaced in the direction of arrow F. In the example of FIG. 26 , the vertical movement structure 392 displaces in the direction of arrow +F from a position on the −J direction side as a starting point to a predetermined position while displacing in the direction of arrow J toward a position on the +J direction side, and then displaces in the direction of arrow −F as it further displaces in the direction of arrow J toward a position on the +J direction side. The pressing body 310 also moves in accordance with the movement of the vertical movement structure 392. Then, in the forward / backward direction movement structure 400, when the pressing body 310 reaches directly above the through-hole 16, the lever 390 is rotated in the direction of arrow Q, thereby moving the pressing body 310 in the −F direction.

[0174] (Alternative Example 2 of Modification Example 6) In a sealing device 300 according to Alternative Example 1 of Modification Example 6 of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 27 , the forward / backward direction movement structure 400 may be configured such that, when the pressing body 310 reaches directly above the through-hole 16 as the up / down movement structure 392 and the pressing body 310 move in the forward / backward direction (direction of arrow J), the pressing surface 310A of the pressing body 310 is positioned below the starting position (position S1 in FIG. 27 ). FIG. 27 is a diagram showing another example (Alternative Example 2) of the sealing device according to Modification Example 6 of the second embodiment. Note that the starting position refers to the position of the pressing surface 310A of the pressing body 310 when the up / down movement structure 392 is positioned in the −J direction (referred to as a rearward position). 27, the state in which the pressing body 310 has reached directly above the through-hole 16 is a state in which the forward / backward direction moving structure 400 has moved the up / down movement structure 392 and the pressing body 310 in the +J direction, and this state is called the front-side arrangement state. The position of the pressing surface 310A in the front-side arrangement state is indicated by position S2 in FIG.

[0175] The forward / backward movement structure 400 shown in the sealing device 300 of the modified example 2 can be configured to have a rotating columnar body 403 and a fixed member 404, similar to the modified example 1. In the example of Fig. 27, a restricting member 405 is provided to restrict the rotation range of the rotating columnar body 403.

[0176] In the example of the sealing device 300 shown in FIG. 27 , as the rotating column 403 rotates, the vertical movement structure 392 displaces in the direction of arrow J. At this time, the vertical movement structure 392 also displaces in the −F direction. In the example of FIG. 26 , as the device transitions from the rearward disposition state to the forward disposition state, the vertical movement structure 392 displaces in the direction of arrow −F while moving in the direction of arrow J. Accordingly, the pressing body 310 can also displace in the direction of arrow −F while moving in the direction of arrow J. In the sealing device 300 according to the second modified example, the forward / backward direction movement structure 400 is configured to simultaneously move the pressing body 310 in the forward / backward direction and the up / down direction. When the pressing body 310 reaches directly above the through-hole 16 in the forward / backward direction movement structure 400, by rotating the lever 390 in the direction of arrow Q, the pressing body 310 moves in the −F direction.

[0177] 28A , when the vertical movement structure 392 is a combination structure of a gear 393 and a rack 394, it is preferable that a downward force be applied to the lever 390 when transitioning from the rearward position to the forward position. This allows the position of the pressing body 310 to be lowered (closer to the holding jig 10) in the forward position. In this case, when the pressing body 310 reaches directly above the through-hole 16 in the forward / backward movement structure 400, the pressing surface 310A of the pressing body 310 may be located near the upper surface of the holding jig 10.

[0178] The forward / backward movement structure 400 shown in Modification 6 is not limited to being mounted on the sealing device 300 according to Modification 5. For example, the forward / backward movement structure may be applied to the second embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 10 and the like, or Modifications 1 to 4 of the second embodiment.

[0179] (Elastic Member) As shown in the examples of Figures 23 to 27, the vertical movement structure 392 is preferably configured to use an elastic member 386 such as a spring to set the state in which the lever moves in the +Q direction as the non-pressed state, as shown in the example of Figure 23. The non-pressed state refers to a state in which the pressing body 310 is not pressing the object being held. This makes it easy for the user to press down on the lever 390 (by displacing it in the -Q direction), causing the pressing body 310 to move downward (in the -F direction) in conjunction with the lever 390. When the user releases the lever 390, the lever 390 is displaced in the +Q direction, causing the pressing body 310 to move upward (in the +F direction) in conjunction with the lever 390. In the example of Figure 23, the upper end of the support member 385 to which the pressing body 310 is joined extends above the upper surface 398A of the housing 398 of the vertical movement structure 392, and a stopper 387 is provided at the upper end of the support member 385. The elastic member 386 is disposed between the stopper 387 and the housing 398. In FIG. 23, a coil spring is used as the elastic member 386, and is disposed so as to surround the outer circumferential surface of the support member 385. In the example of FIG. 23, when the user presses down on the lever 390 to compress the elastic member 386, the pressing body 310 is displaced in the -F direction. When the user releases the lever 390, the restoring force of the elastic member 386 acts, and the pressing body 310 is displaced in the +F direction. However, what has been described here is merely an example, and the arrangement, material, etc. of the elastic member 386 are not limited thereto.

[0180] (Variation 7) The sealing device 300 according to the second embodiment is not limited to the case where the pressing body 310 and the holding jig 10 are fixed to the support body 320. As shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B , the sealing device 300 may be configured by combining a pressing device including the pressing body 310 and a holding device including a holding jig. This embodiment is referred to as Variation 6 of the second embodiment. FIG. 19A is a diagram showing an example of a pressing device in the sealing device according to Variation 6 of the second embodiment. FIG. 19B is a diagram showing an example of a holding device in the sealing device according to Variation 6 of the second embodiment. Note that in FIG. 19B , for convenience of explanation, the displacement element 14, the base plate 12, etc. are omitted.

[0181] (Pressing Device) In the example of FIG. 19A , the pressing device includes a pressing body 310 , a support handle 380 to which the pressing body 310 is attached, and a gripping body 381 connected to the support handle 380 .

[0182] 19B , the holding device includes a holding jig 10, a fixing base 382, ​​and a connecting member 330. The holding jig 10 is connected to the connecting member 330, and the connecting member 330 is fixed to the fixing base 382. As a result, the holding jig 10 is fixed to the fixing base 382.

[0183] (Modification 8) As shown in Fig. 18 , the sealing device 300 according to the second embodiment may have a fluororesin sheet 395 provided between the pressing surface 310A of the pressing body 310 and the holding jig. This embodiment is referred to as Modification 7 of the second embodiment. Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a sealing device according to Modification 7 of the second embodiment.

[0184] (Fluororesin Sheet) The fluororesin sheet 395 is a sheet formed from a resin material containing fluorine atoms. Examples of the resin material containing fluorine atoms include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA).

[0185] The fluororesin sheet 374 is preferably disposed so as to cover the entire surface of the pressing surface 310A of the pressing body 310. In this case, dust and the like are less likely to adhere to the pressing surface 310A of the pressing body 310. Furthermore, because dust and the like are also less likely to adhere to the fluororesin sheet 374, the risk of the dust being transferred to the held object M is reduced. Furthermore, it is preferable that a gap 396 is formed between the pressing surface 310A and the fluororesin sheet 395. In this case, if the pressing body 310 is provided with a heating mechanism, even if dust does adhere to the fluororesin sheet 395, the dust will combust and the combusted dust will adhere to the fluororesin sheet 395, reducing the risk of the combusted dust being transferred to the held object M.

[0186] (Sheet Feeding Mechanism) In the sealing device 300 according to the seventh modified example of the second embodiment, as shown in the example of FIG. 18 , a sheet feeding mechanism for feeding out the fluororesin sheet 374 is preferably provided. In the example of FIG. 18 , the sheet feeding mechanism has a first roller 397A and a second roller 397B. An unused fluororesin sheet 374 is wound around the first roller, and the fluororesin sheet 374 is fed in the direction of the arrow U as needed. The second roller is a roller onto which a used fluororesin sheet 374 is wound. Note that the unused fluororesin sheet 374 refers to a sheet that has never been placed on the front side of the pressing surface 310A of the pressing body 310. The used fluororesin sheet 374 refers to a sheet that has been placed on the front side of the pressing surface 310A of the pressing body 310.

[0187] By providing the sheet feeding mechanism, the fluororesin sheet 374 arranged on the front side of the pressing surface 310A can be an unused fluororesin sheet 374 as needed.

[0188] 18 illustrates a case where the fluororesin sheet 395 is provided for the sealing device 300 shown in FIG. 10, but this is just one example. For example, the fluororesin sheet 395 may be provided for the fifth or sixth modification of the second embodiment as shown in FIG.

[0189] (Modification 9) In the sealing device 300 according to the second embodiment, a cover body 406 that covers the periphery of the pressing body 310 may be provided, as shown in Fig. 29. This embodiment is referred to as Modification 9 of the second embodiment. Fig. 29 is a front view showing one example of a sealing device according to Modification 9 of the second embodiment.

[0190] 29 shows a case where a cover body 406 is provided in the sealing device 300 according to Alternative Example 1 of Modification Example 6 of the second embodiment, but this is just one example. The cover body 406 is provided so as to cover at least the portion of the pressing body 310 that is visible to the user when the cover body 406 is not present. In the example of FIG. 30 , the cover body 406 is arranged so as to conceal at least the front side of the sealing device 300 in the pressing body 310. The material of the cover body 406 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a rigid material such as metal.

[0191] (Modification 10) In the sealing device 300 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 33 to 35 , the holding jig 10 has a positioning structure 35, and the positioning structure 35 has the structure shown in Alternative Example 3 of Modification 8 of the first embodiment. In the case where the holding jig 10 further has a first extension portion 50 (when the positioning structure 35 has the structure illustrated in FIGS. 32A and 32B , etc.), a protruding member 410 may be provided that contacts the first extension portion 50 of the positioning structure 35. FIGS. 33 to 35 are diagrams illustrating an example of the sealing device 300 when the positioning structure 35 has the structure shown in Alternative Example 3 of Modification 8 of the first embodiment (the structure illustrated in FIGS. 32A and 32B ). FIG. 33 is a side view schematically illustrating the sealing device 300 according to Modification 10 of the second embodiment, as viewed from the side. For ease of explanation, however, the side wall portion 320D on the +X direction side and the positioning structure 35 are omitted in FIG. 33 . 33, the holding jig 10 is shown by a solid line when it is moved to the rear position, and by a dashed line when it is moved to the front position. Fig. 34 is a front view schematically showing the sealing device 300 according to Modification 10 of the second embodiment as viewed from the side. Fig. 35 is a partial plan view schematically showing the state in which the holding jig 10 moves along the guide rail 412 when the viewing direction is from the top to the bottom of the sealing device 300 according to Modification 10 of the second embodiment.

[0192] In the sealing device 300 shown in the example of Figures 33 to 35, the pressing body 310 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction (direction of arrow F), as described in Modification 1 of the second embodiment. The sealing device 300 has a support 320. The support 320 shown in Figure 30 has a base portion 320A and a standing wall portion 320B rising upward from the base portion 320A. Note that reference numeral 411 shown in Figures 33 and 34 indicates a support member that supports the pressing body 310. The sealing device 300 is provided with a vertical movement mechanism (not shown), for example, as described in Modification 1 of the second embodiment, and the vertical movement of the pressing body 310 can be realized by connecting the support member 411 to the vertical movement structure.

[0193] In the example of FIG. 31 , two side walls 320D, 320D extend forward (+Y direction) from the upright wall 320B, and the side walls 320D, 320D face each other. A guide rail 412 is provided on the inner surface of the side wall 320D (the surface of the side walls 320D, 320D that faces each other). The guide rail 412 extends in the front-rear direction. In the example of FIG. 31 , a holding jig 10 is disposed on the guide rail 412. The holding jig 10 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction (Y direction in the examples of FIGS. 33 and 35 ) along the extension direction of the guide rail 412. A protruding member 410 is provided on the side wall 320D above the guide rail 412. The protruding member 410 is positioned slightly above the top surface of the holding jig 10 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the protruding length of the protruding member 410 (the distance it extends inward from the side wall portion 310D (the length along the X-axis direction in FIG. 34)) is a length that allows it to come into contact with the first extending portion 50 provided on the gear 46 of the positioning structure 35. The position of the protruding member 410 in the front-to-rear direction is such that when the holding jig 10 moves from the front position to the rear position (when the holding jig 10 moves from the +Y direction side toward the −Y direction side) as shown in FIG. 35, the protruding member 410 comes into contact with the first extending portion 50.

[0194] By providing the protruding member 410 in this manner, when the holding jig 10 is pulled forward, as shown in FIG. 35 , contact between the protruding member 410 and the first extension portion 50 is released, and the tip 44A (and pin 45) of the arm 44 of the rotating member 43 can rotate in a direction approaching the center CT. That is, in the example of FIG. 35 , the rotating members 43B and 43D can rotate in the +K4 direction, and the rotating members 43A and 43C can rotate in the -K4 direction. Then, when the first and second holding objects are set in the holding jig 10 and the holding jig 10 is moved rearward, the protruding member 410 comes into contact with the first extension portion 50, and the tip 44A (and pin 45) of the arm 44 of the rotating member 43 rotates in a direction away from the center CT. That is, in the example of FIG. 35 , the rotating members 43B and 43D rotate in the -K4 direction, and the rotating members 43A and 43C rotate in the +K4 direction. In this case, even if the second object to be held is positioned slightly above the first object to be held when the first and second objects to be held are set on the holding jig 10, it is possible to more reliably bring the second object into contact with the first object to be held. Furthermore, when the pressing body 310 moves downward while the holding jig 10 is moved rearward, it is also possible to prevent the rotating member 43 from coming into contact with the pressing body 310.

[0195] In the sealing device 300 shown in the examples of Figures 33 to 35, the movement of the pressing body 310 in the front-rear direction is restricted, and the holding jig 10 moves in the front-rear direction, but this is just one example. In the sealing device 300 of variant 10 of the second embodiment, as long as the first extension portion 50 and the protruding member 410 are provided, both the pressing body 310 and the holding jig 10 may be movable in the front-rear direction, or the pressing body 310 may be configured to be movable in the front-rear direction, and the movement of the holding jig 10 in the front-rear direction may be restricted. In variant 10 of the second embodiment, when the pressing body 310 moves in the front-rear direction, it is preferable that the protruding member 410 is configured to move in conjunction with the movement of the pressing body 310. This can be achieved, for example, by providing the protruding member 410 so as to hang down from the circumferential surface of the pressing body 310. When configured in this manner, the protruding member 410 moves in accordance with the movement of the pressing body 310, and when it comes into contact with the first extension portion 50 of the holding jig 10, the tip portion 44A (and pin 45) of the arm 44 of the rotating member 43 rotates in a direction away from the center CT, as described above.

[0196] Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment is a method for manufacturing a container with a lid using the holding jig 10 described in the first embodiment.

[0197] [3 Third Embodiment] A method for manufacturing a container with a lid using the holding jig 10 includes the following sealing method.

[0198] (Sealing method) In a method for manufacturing a container with a lid, the container 200 is set in the sealing device 300 (sealing device 300 provided with the holding jig 10) shown in the second embodiment. Before or simultaneously with the application of the sealing step, a lid is interposed on the upper side of the container between the pressing body and the holding jig.

[0199] In the sealing process, the container and the lid are interposed between the pressing body and the holding jig, and the lid is joined to the container at the position of the flange portion of the container. This can be achieved by the sealing device 300 performing the sealing function as described above.

[0200] Next, the configuration of a sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment is shown in FIGS. 50 to 56 . As shown in FIG. 50 and other figures, the sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment is configured so that a person who seals a lid on a container (hereinafter referred to as the “user”) manually seals the container. This sealing device 1001 includes a housing 1002, a holding unit 1003, a joining force applying unit 1004, a moving unit 1005, and a lid storage unit 1006. The housing 1002 is a base member of the sealing device 1001. The housing 1002 is formed by molding a metal plate made of a conventional material such as iron or stainless steel. In the sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment, the bottom plate 1007, right side plate 1008, left side plate 1009, rear plate 1010, etc. of the housing 1002 are formed by conventionally known methods such as welding or bending. However, the method of forming the housing 1002 is not limited to the above, and the housing 1002 may be formed by other methods. The bottom plate 1007 is a plate-like member located at the lower portion 1015 of the sealing device 1001, and has four through-holes formed at the front, rear, left, and right positions. These four through-holes are designed to allow attachment of, for example, rubber feet. The right side plate 1008, the left side plate 1009, and the rear plate 1010 are formed to stand upright from the bottom plate 1007. The right side plate 1008 and the rear plate 1010, and the left side plate 1009 and the rear plate 1010 are integrated with each other by bonding or the like. The housing 1002 has a storage space 1011 surrounded by the bottom plate 1007, the right side plate 1008, the left side plate 1009, and the rear plate 1010. This storage space is a space for arranging and attaching various parts and components that constitute the sealing device 1001. The upper ends of the right side plate 1008 and the left side plate 1009 are bent inward. A guide rail is attached to this bent portion. A plug socket (not shown) for supplying power to the sealing device 1001 can be attached to the rear plate 1010. A locking member 1012 is provided on the housing 1002. The locking member 1012 is a member for restricting or releasing the rotation of a lever constituting a joining force applying portion 1004 (described later) in the direction A in FIG. 56(B).This locking member 1012 has a movement space 1013 that allows the locking protrusion formed on the joining force applying portion 1004 to move in the front-to-rear direction, and is provided with an upper portion 1014, a lower portion 1015, a side portion 1016, and a rear portion 1017 that surround the movement space 1013. In addition, this locking member 1012 is formed with an unlocking portion 1018 on the front that releases the engagement with the locking protrusion.

[0201] The holding portion 1003 is configured to hold a container with its edge exposed, and is positioned so that at least a portion of it is located within the storage space 1011. The holding portion 1003 is composed of a holding jig 10 and a holding base plate 1019 for supporting the holding jig 10. The holding base plate 1019 is a plate-shaped member formed by bending both left and right end portions. The holding base plate 1019 is attached to the housing 1002 by fastening its bent left end portion to a left side plate 1009 of the housing 1002 by a method such as screwing, and its right end portion to a right side plate 1008 of the housing 1002 by a method such as screwing. The holding base plate 1019 is configured so that the holding jig 10 can be attached and fixed thereon. The holding base plate 1019 may be formed by bending both left and right end portions, or may be formed by other methods. A detailed description of the holding jig 10 is the same as that described above, and therefore will not be repeated here.

[0202] (Bonding Force Applicator 1004) The bonding force applicator 1004 seals the lid to the periphery of the container to seal the container. As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the bonding force applicator 1004 includes a heater 1020 as a bonding member for bonding the lid to the periphery of the container, a cover 1021, and an operation unit 1022. The heater 1020 includes a heater body 1023, a plate-like member 1024, and a spring member (not shown) as a pressing force applicator provided between the heater body 1023 and the plate-like member 1024. In this embodiment, the heater body 1023 is formed in a circular shape, but the shape and size of the heater body 1023 may be changed as desired depending on the shape and size of the container and lid to be sealed. Lead wires for supplying power to the heater body 1023 are connected to the heater body 1023, and power is supplied via the lead wires to heat the heater body 1023 to a predetermined temperature. The plate-like member 1024 is a disc-shaped member located above the heater body 1023. The spring member is located between the heater body 1023 and the plate-like member 1024. This spring member is intended to increase the pressing force of the heater body 1023. In other words, when the heater body 1023 presses against the lid and the container, the spring member is compressed and deformed by the pressing force from the drive motor via the plate-like member 1024, and the compressive force generated when the spring member is compressed and deformed increases the pressing force pressing against the edges of the lid and the container. The compressive force of the spring member can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the spring member during normal operation, when not pressing, to adjust the magnitude of the pressing force of the heater body 1023 against the lid and the container.

[0203] The cover body 1021 is a cover-like member formed to cover the periphery of the heater 1020 (at least the front of the heater 1020). This cover body 1021 prevents a user from accidentally touching the heated heater main body 1023 and blocks the heat radiated from the heater main body 1023 during heating, thereby reducing the psychological burden that a user may feel due to the heat when using the sealing device 1001. Note that, although any conventionally known material can be selected and used for this cover member, it is preferable to use a material that is not easily affected by the heat radiated from the heater 1020, since it is provided near the heater 1020.

[0204] The operating unit 1022 includes a rack 1025, a pinion 1026, and a lever 1027. One end of the rack 1025 is connected to the plate-like member 1024 of the heater 1020, and is configured to be able to slide up and down (in the Z-axis direction). The pinion 1026 is connected to the lever 1027 at the center of rotation, and teeth formed on the outer periphery are arranged to mesh with the teeth of the rack 1025. One end of the lever 1027 is connected to the pinion 1026 via a shaft member, and the other end is configured to be able to be gripped by a user. The rack 1025, pinion 1026, and lever 1027 can be selected from conventionally known materials, and conventionally known materials can also be selected from conventionally known materials.

[0205] The joining force applying portion 1004 is formed with a locking protrusion 1028. This locking protrusion 1028 is a member that protrudes laterally from the joining force applying portion 1004 and is configured to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the lever 1027. That is, this locking protrusion 1028 is located at a position radially outwardly offset from the center of rotation of the pinion 1026, which rotates with the rotation of the lever 1027, so that when the lever 1027 is rotated, the locking protrusion 1028 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the pinion 1026. Furthermore, this locking protrusion 1028 is located within the movement space 1013 of the lock member 1012 in a position that is likely to come into contact with the back surface (ceiling surface) of the upper portion. That is, within the movement space 1013, this locking protrusion 1028 is configured to come into contact with the ceiling surface of the upper portion when it attempts to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the lever 1027. Therefore, in the sealing device 1001, the locking protrusion 1028 is configured to restrict further rotation, in other words, to restrict further rotation of the lever 1027. This locking protrusion 1028 is also configured to be able to rotate at the disengagement portion without coming into contact with the upper ceiling surface. Therefore, the rotation of the lever 1027 can be operated without being restricted.

[0206] Furthermore, when the holding jig 10 has the positioning structure described above, the bonding force applying portion 1004 may be provided with an opening / closing member for opening and closing the positioning structure. The opening / closing member is a rod-shaped member extending in the front-rear direction, and is provided as a pair, one on each side of the heater 1020. The opening / closing member is spaced a predetermined distance from the rear end, and the space between the opening / closing members gradually narrows from a predetermined position at the front toward the front end.

[0207] (Moving Unit 1005) The moving unit 1005 is used to move the joining force applying unit 1004 between a standby position and an operable position located forward of the standby position. The moving unit 1005 is composed of guide rails fixed to the right and left side plates of the housing 1002, and a moving body slidably attached to the guide rails and provided in the joining force applying unit 1004. The moving body slides forward and backward along the guide rails of the moving unit 1005, allowing the joining force applying unit 1004 to smoothly slide between the standby position and the operable position.

[0208] (Lid Storage Section 1006) The lid storage section 1006 is used to store lids formed into individual sheets before they are joined to containers in the sealing device 1001. The lid storage section 1006 is attached and fixed to the right and left side plates of the housing 1002, and is provided with a storage space for storing lids located above the pressing force applying section. In the sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment, the lid storage section 1006 has multiple storage spaces formed therein. These multiple storage spaces may be classified, for example, by the size of the lids or whether the contents to be placed in the containers are cold or hot beverages, or lids of the same type may be stored in multiple storage spaces. The configuration of the lid storage section 1006 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 1, etc., and the number and size of the storage spaces may be determined arbitrarily.

[0209] Next, the effects of the sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment will be described. In this sealing device 1001, the bonding force applying unit 1004 is normally positioned in a standby position, and the holding unit 1003 is normally in a state in which no container or the like is placed. When a user seals a lid on a container, the user inserts the container into the through-hole of the holding jig 10 and holds the container. The user inserts the lower end of the container from above the holding jig 10, and the lower end of the rim formed at the upper end of the container abuts the inner end of the displacer constituting the holding jig 10. That is, the container is inserted until the lower end of the rim of the container abuts the displacer of the holding jig 10. At this time, the displacer contacts the outer peripheral surface of the container when the container is inserted to a certain extent. Thereafter, the displacer allows the container to be inserted while still in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the container and expanding the diameter of the through-hole. When the lower end of the rim of the container reaches a position where it abuts the inner end of the displacer, the holding jig 10 holds the container in that position.

[0210] After the container is held by the holding jig 10, the user places a lid on the held container. At this time, if the holding jig 10 has a positioning structure, for example as shown in the above-described modified example, the user can accurately determine the position at which to place the lid on the container. Furthermore, if the holding jig has a positioning structure, the positioning structure also makes it possible to maintain the lid in a position relative to the container.

[0211] Next, the user moves the joining force imparting part 1004 from the standby position to the operable position. At this time, the user grasps the lever 1027 constituting the joining force imparting part 1004 and moves it (from rear to front) from the standby position to the operable position. This allows the joining force imparting part 1004 to smoothly slide from the standby position to the operable position by the moving part 1005. Note that when the joining force imparting part 1004 is in the standby position or when the joining force imparting part 1004 is positioned halfway between the standby position and the operable position, if the user attempts to rotate the lever 1027 in direction A, the rotation operation causes the locking protrusion 1028 of the joining force imparting part 1004 to abut against the ceiling surface of the upper part of the locking member 1012. Therefore, the rotation of the locking protrusion 1028 accompanying the rotation operation of the lever 1027 is restricted, and the rotation of the lever 1027 is also restricted. This restricts the downward movement of the heater 1020 due to the rotation of the lever 1027, thereby restricting the heater 1020 from descending at a position other than the point where the lid body and the container are heat-sealed, thereby preventing damage to the sealing device 1001 and injury to the user due to incorrect operation of the sealing device 1001.

[0212] When the connecting force applying portion 1004 reaches the operable position from the standby position, the locking protrusion 1028 is positioned at the disengagement portion of the locking member 1012. At this position, the locking protrusion 1028 is locked by the locking member 1012, and its rotation is not restricted, allowing it to rotate. Therefore, the lever 1027, which is connected to the locking protrusion 1028 via the pinion 1026, is also able to rotate. When the user moves the connecting force applying portion 1004 from the standby position to the operable position and then rotates the lever 1027, the pinion 1026, which is connected to the lever 1027, begins to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the lever 1027. When the pinion 1026 begins to rotate, the rack 1025, which is meshed with the pinion 1026, begins to move up and down in conjunction with the rotation of the pinion 1026. In this case, the user rotates lever 1027 in direction A in Figure 7, causing pinion 1026 to rotate in direction B. As a result, rack 1025, which is engaged with pinion 1026, moves in direction C in the figure, i.e., downward. Because heater 1020 is attached to rack 1025 via plate-like member 1024, when rack 1025 moves downward, heater 1020 also moves downward in response. In the operable position, a container with a lid placed thereon is located below heater 1020. Therefore, heater 1020 presses against the lid and container located below.

[0213] The heater 1020 is preheated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 170°C to 200°C, but is not limited to this temperature), so when pressing the lid, it not only applies a pressing force but also heats the periphery of the lid and the container to seal them. At this time, the heater 1020 is provided with a spring member, which can further increase the pressing force.

[0214] The time for which the heater 1020 heat-seals the lid to the container can be determined arbitrarily. For example, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the heater 1020 began pressing the lid against the container, the sealing device 1001 notifies the user that the sealing of the container is complete, for example, by changing the color of a lamp or playing a voice message. The user sees this display (alert) and operates the lever 1027 in the direction opposite to the direction A described above. When the user rotates the lever 1027 in this direction, the pinion 1026 connected to the lever 1027 rotates, and the rack 1025 meshing with the pinion 1026 moves upward. This movement of the rack 1025 raises the heater 1020 connected to the rack 1025, completing the sealing of the container. Thereafter, the user rotates the lever 1027 to its initial position, then moves the joining force applying part 1004 from the operable position to the standby position, and then removes the container (container with lid) sealed by the lid held by the holding jig 10 and serves it for eating or drinking.

[0215] The sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment allows for accurate positioning of the lid relative to the container, significantly reducing misalignment of the lid after sealing. Furthermore, since the sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment seals the container using a single lid, it is possible to significantly reduce loss during lid formation compared to sealing the container by sequentially punching a rolled elongated body to form the lid. Furthermore, the sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment does not require a configuration for loading the elongated body into the sealing device 1001 or a configuration for cutting the elongated body to a predetermined shape and size, allowing for a more compact sealing device 1001. This is extremely advantageous when installed in a limited space, such as in a store. Furthermore, the sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment is configured such that the holding jig 10 that holds the container containing the contents does not move, but the bonding force applying part 1004 slides between a standby position and an operable position, preventing the contents from spilling out of the container due to shaking. Therefore, it is possible to significantly reduce the possibility of the contents adhering to the periphery of the holding jig 10 of the sealing device 1001 and causing contamination, and it is also possible to more reliably heat seal the lid body.

[0216] Next, the next embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 57 to 60 and 62. A sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment includes a base 1051, a holding unit, a bonding force applying unit 1004, a moving unit 1005, and a lid storage unit. In the sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment, the holding jig 10 constituting the holding unit and the lid storage unit have the same configuration as those described above, and therefore will not be described here.

[0217] (Base Portion 1051) The base portion 1051 is the foundation of the sealing device 1001. This base portion 1051 is formed by integrating a bottom plate portion 1052, a right side plate 1053, a left side plate 1054, and an upper plate portion 1055 by welding or the like. The upper plate portion 1055 is formed so that a holding portion can be attached and fixed thereto. A through-hole penetrating the upper plate portion 1055 in the thickness direction is formed at a location corresponding to the location where the through-hole of the attached holding jig 10 is formed. The right side plate 1053 and the left side plate 1054 are joined to the upper plate portion 1055 on the inner side of the left-right ends of the upper plate portion 1055. Guide rails constituting the moving portion 1005 are provided at the end of the upper plate portion 1055 located to the right of the right side plate 1053 and the end located to the left of the left side plate 1054. The joining force applying portion 1004 is slidable in the front-rear direction along the guide rails. Although the sealing device 1001 according to the present embodiment is formed so that the length of the bottom plate portion 1052 of the base portion 1051 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) is fixed and does not change, the end portion of one end side (e.g., the front side) of the bottom plate portion 1052 and / or the end portion of the other end side (e.g., the rear side) of the bottom plate portion 1052 may be configured to extend by a predetermined length. By configuring the bottom plate portion 1052 in this manner, it is possible to further improve the stability when installing the sealing device 1001, and it becomes possible for the user to use the sealing device 1001 in a more stable and safe state.

[0218] The bonding force applying unit 1004 includes a heater 1020, a drive motor 1056, a connecting member 1057, and a cover. The configuration of the heater 1020 is the same as that described in the previous embodiment, and therefore will not be described here. The drive motor 1056 applies a driving force to move the heater 1020 (as a bonding body) between a close position where the heater 1020 contacts the holding jig 10 via a lid positioned on the container, and a separated position where the heater 1020 and the holding jig 10 are further away from each other than the close position. Any conventionally known drive motor may be selected and used as long as it has an output capable of moving the heater 1020 between the separated position and the close position.

[0219] The connecting member 1057 is provided between the drive motor 1056 and the heater 1020, and transmits the driving force of the drive motor 1056 to the heater 1020 to move the heater 1020 between the separated position and the approach position. In the sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment, the connecting member 1057 is composed of a first connecting member 1058 having one end connected to the drive shaft of the drive motor 1056 and the other end provided at a predetermined distance from the drive shaft, a second connecting member 1059 having one end connected to the first connecting member 1058, and a third connecting member 1060 having one end connected to the other end of the second connecting member 1059 and the other end connected to the plate-like member of the heater 1020. The sealing device 1001 of this embodiment is configured to be equipped with the first connecting member 1058, the second connecting member 1059, and the third connecting member 1060, thereby converting the rotational motion of the drive shaft of the drive motor 1056 into linear motion such that the heater 1020 slides up and down, and further applying a pressing force.

[0220] The cover body includes an upper cover body 1061 and a lower cover body 1062, and is configured to accommodate the heater 1020, the drive motor 1056, and the connecting member 1057. The upper cover body 1061 has a handle 1063 attached to its entire surface so that a user can grip it when using the sealing device 1001. The lower cover body 1062 is located below the upper cover body 1061, and is provided with an operation panel 1064 constituting an operation unit on its front surface. This operation panel 1064 allows various settings to be made, such as turning the power to the sealing device 1001 on and off, as well as the set temperature of the heater 1020 body and the sealing time. The operation panel 1064 may be any conventionally known operation panel, such as a button-type operation panel 1064 or a touch-type operation panel 1064. The operation panel 1064 may also be configured in a manner other than that described above.

[0221] (Moving unit 1005) The moving unit 1005 is composed of a guide rail and a moving body, as explained in the previous embodiment. The guide rails are provided on both ends of the upper plate 1055 in the left and right direction, and the moving body is attached so as to be able to slide along the guide rails.

[0222] As described above, the heater 1020 and the like are housed and disposed inside the upper cover body 1061 and the lower cover body 1062. In this bonding force imparting unit 1004, the trigger for the drive motor 1056 to start driving, i.e., the trigger for the heater 1020 to start moving from the separated position to the close position, can be, for example, when the user moves the bonding force imparting unit 1004 from the standby position to the operable position and the heater 1020 remains in the operable position for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 0.5 to 1.5 seconds). Note that the above-described trigger is merely an example, and other conditions may be set to trigger the heater 1020 to move from the separated position to the close position.

[0223] According to the sealing device 1001 of this embodiment, a user places a container on a holder, specifically, the holding jig 10, and the holding jig 10 holds the container. Next, the lid is placed on the container. At this time, since the container is held by the holding jig 10, the sealing device 1001 accurately positions the lid relative to the container. In particular, if the holding jig 1010 has a positioning structure, the positioning accuracy can be particularly improved. Next, the user pulls the handle 1063 of the upper cover body 1061 forward in the front-to-rear direction, causing the joining force applying unit 1004, which is located in the standby position, to move to the operable position. At this time, the joining force applying unit 1004 can be moved smoothly because the moving body slides along the guide rails in the moving unit 1005.

[0224] The sealing device 1001 detects that the joining force applying unit 1004 has reached the operable position using a detection means (not shown), such as a sensor or limit switch. When the detected state is determined to have continued for a predetermined time, the drive motor 1056 of the joining force applying unit 1004 begins to drive. At this time, the drive motor 1056 rotates the drive shaft a predetermined amount. When the drive motor 1056 rotates the drive shaft, the first connecting member 1058 connected to the drive shaft rotates around one end connected to the drive shaft. When the first connecting member 1058 starts to rotate, the second connecting member 1059 connected to the first connecting member 1058 converts the rotation of the first connecting member 1058 into linear motion. The third connecting member 1060 connected to the second connecting member 1059 then performs linear sliding motion in the up-down direction. In this way, the third connecting member 1060 performs a linear movement in the vertical direction, thereby enabling the heater 1020 to move in the vertical direction. In addition, the force of the heater 1020 pressing when joining the lid to the container can also be transmitted from the drive motor 1056 via the connecting member 1057.

[0225] Then, as the drive motor 1056 begins to drive, the heater 1020 begins to descend. Next, the heater 1020 body of the heater 1020 begins to press and heat the lid and container. Whether the heater 1020 body has descended to a position where it can press the lid and container can be determined, for example, by controlling the rotation amount of the drive motor 1056 or by detecting the position of the heater 1020 body using a sensor (not shown) that detects the position of the heater 1020 body. Then, when a predetermined time (e.g., 1 to 5 seconds, but not limited to this time) has elapsed since the start of pressing and heating, the drive motor 1056 rotates in the opposite direction to the previous rotation, raising the heater 1020 body. The container with the joined lid can then be removed by the user gripping the handle 1063 and pushing it backward in the front-to-back direction, causing the joining force applying portion 1004 to retract. At this time, a mechanism may be provided that raises the container to which the lid is joined (container with lid) as the joining force applying part 1004 retracts. By providing such a mechanism, it becomes easier for the user to remove the container with lid. Finally, the user removes the container with lid from the holding jig 10 and eats or drinks.

[0226] As described above, with the sealing device 1001 according to the present embodiment, the user simply grasps the handle 1063 and pulls it from the standby position to the operable position, or pushes it from the operable position to the standby position. When the user performs these actions, the sealing device 1001 joins the lid to the container and seals it. Therefore, it is possible to join the lid to the container and seal the container with a very simple operation. Furthermore, the sealing device 1001 according to the present embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those described for the sealing device 1001 according to the previous embodiment. Furthermore, the sealing device 1001 according to the present embodiment is configured such that the joining force applying portion 1004 moves back and forth above the holding portion, so that the holding portion that holds the container with the contents contained therein does not move. Therefore, according to the sealing device 1001 of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the container and the content particles from shaking when the holding part (and thus the container held in the holding part) is positioned in close proximity to the sealing part, and it is also possible to significantly reduce the possibility that the contents of the container will fly out of the container and soil the area around the holding part due to this movement, making it possible to maintain good hygienic conditions.

[0227] In the sealing device 1001 according to this embodiment, the lid body storage unit 1006 shown in FIGS. 63 to 66 may be used. Figures 63 and the like show a modified example of the sealing device 1001 according to the present invention, which is the embodiment of the sealing device 1001 shown in FIG. 57 . As shown in FIGS. 63 to 66 , the lid body storage unit 1006 of this sealing device 1001 includes a first roller 2001, a second roller 2002, and an interlocking member 2003 for interlocking the first roller 2001 and the second roller 2002. The lid body storage unit 1006 has a storage space for storing a plurality of lid bodies in a stacked state, and the first roller 2001, the second roller 2002, the interlocking member 2003, and the like are disposed below the storage space. In other words, the first roller 2001 and the like are located below the stack of lid bodies. Furthermore, when the lid group is stored in the storage space, the lid located at the bottom of the lid group is stored in contact with the first roller 2001 and the second roller 2002. As shown in FIG. 28 and other figures, the first roller 2001 and the second roller 2002 are arranged so that the height position of the first roller 2001 is higher than that of the second roller 2002. The first roller 2001 is formed to have a larger diameter than the second roller 2002. By forming and arranging the first roller 2001 and the second roller 2002 in this manner, the contact resistance with the lid can be increased. The lid storage section 2006 can remove the lids that make up the lid group stored in the storage space one by one. That is, when attempting to pull out and remove the lowest lid L among the group of lids stored in the storage space, the back surface of this lowest lid L is in close contact with at least the first roller 2001, so the first roller 2001 also rotates in accordance with the movement of the pulled-out lid L. When the first roller 2001 rotates, the interlocking member 2003 provided between the first roller 2001 and the second roller 2002 so as to interlock with them also starts to operate, and the movement of the interlocking member 2003 causes the second roller 2002 to also start to rotate.That is, when the lid body L is pulled out, the first roller 2001 and the second roller 2002 begin to rotate via the interlocking member 2003. Furthermore, the second roller 2002 comes into contact with the back surface of the lid body L that will be at the bottom after the lid body L being pulled out (the lid body at the top of the lid body L being pulled out), so when the second roller 2002 begins to rotate, it acts as if it is being pushed forward by the frictional resistance generated between the second roller 2002 and the lid body L. Then, when the lid body L that was previously pulled out is removed from the storage space, the rotation of the first roller 2001 and the second roller 2002 that was caused by the movement of this lid body L also stops. Therefore, the lid body to be pulled out next will be stopped in its forward movement while slightly projecting forward from the storage space. In this way, with this lid storage section 1006, the lowest lid L among the group of lids stored in the storage space will wait in a state where it protrudes slightly forward from the storage space, so that when you try to remove the next lid L, you can easily pick up and remove just one lid, greatly improving ease of handling.

[0228] Figure 61 shows a modified example of the holding part 1003. This holding part 1003 can be applied to each of the sealing devices of the embodiments described above. This holding part 1003 is used when the diameter (size) of the container is constant. In this case, the user places the lid on the container to position it. In this case, the holding part 1003 of this modified example has positioning parts at four locations around the opening where the container is inserted, making it possible to easily position the lid and improve the positioning accuracy. Note that the number, shape, and size of the positioning parts are arbitrary and are not limited to these.

[0229] The sealing device 1001 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 67 includes a base portion and a movable portion, and the movable portion is configured to slide back and forth on top of the base portion. The base portion also includes a holding member for holding a container. The holding member has an insertion space for inserting the container. The insertion space is large enough to accommodate the container and is formed by a wall portion surrounding the insertion space. The wall portion is formed to form the insertion space and is formed by combining multiple displacement elements. The displacement elements have side surfaces formed as wall portions and an upper surface formed as a holding portion for holding the container. That is, the holding portion is configured so that when the container is inserted, an extension portion extending radially (or a curled portion, if the extension portion is curled) contacts the top of the container, thereby holding the container. Note that the insertion space may be configured so that its radial size changes with the displacement of each displacement element, or its radial size may be constant. In the case where the radial size is constant, a through hole of a predetermined size may be formed in the holding member, and this through hole may serve as the insertion space.

[0230] A pedestal is provided on the base member below the holding member in a manner that allows it to move up and down. A pedestal body, on which the bottom of the container rests, is located below the insertion space, and a lock receiving portion is formed at the rear of the pedestal body and is locked by a locking member provided on the base member. The lock receiving portion maintains the vertical position at a predetermined height by engaging with the locking member. That is, when the lock receiving portion is engaged with the locking member, the pedestal is located below and close to the holding member. When the engagement between the lock receiving portion and the locking member is released, the pedestal descends to a position below and separated from the holding member. The engagement between the locking portion and the lock receiving portion can be released by an operating portion. The operating portion is a rod-shaped member that extends forward from the base portion of the sealing device. Pushing the operating portion backward moves the locking member backward, thereby releasing the engagement with the lock receiving portion. When the container is inserted into the insertion space and placed on the base body while the base is in the raised position, the container's extension (curl portion) is positioned so that it does not come into contact with the holding portion of the holding member. When the operating portion is operated to release the engagement between the locking member and the lock receiving portion and lower the base, the container placed on the base body also lowers along with the lowering of the base. At this time, the container's extension comes into contact with the holding portion, and it is held by the holding member.

[0231] The movable unit is slidably mounted on the upper portion of the base unit in the forward and backward directions, and can move between a normal position spaced apart from the holding member and a sealing position above the holding member. The movable unit has a sealing device operation panel on its front surface, and is equipped with a heater heated to a predetermined temperature (e.g., between 100°C and 250°C) and a drive motor for moving the heater up and down. The heater is normally located at a first position spaced apart from the holding member, and is configured to move to a second position, approaching the holding member, when the movable unit moves from the normal position to the sealing position, or when a predetermined time (e.g., 0.5 seconds) has elapsed since the movable unit moved from the normal position to the sealing position, where the heater seals the container held by the holding member with a lid. The heater is operated by the drive motor. The movable unit also has an inclined portion at its rear. This inclined portion raises the base from a lowered position to a position close to the holding member when the movable unit moves from the sealing position to the normal position. The inclined portion has a recess formed at its bottom so that it does not engage with the inclined receiving portion formed at the rear of the base when the movable portion moves from the normal position to the sealed position. When the movable portion moves from the sealed position to the normal position, the inclined portion moves while engaging with the inclined receiving portion. When the movable portion reaches the normal position from the sealed position, the inclined portion moves while engaging with the inclined receiving portion, raising the base, and the lock receiving portion of the base engages with the lock portion to lock the base.

[0232] Next, the configuration of the storage unit will be described. The storage unit is used to store lids to seal the openings of containers in the sealing device. This storage unit includes a driving roller, a driven roller, and a connecting member connecting the driving roller and the driven roller. This storage unit includes a collection of lids provided in the storage space, a driving roller and a driven roller disposed below the collection of lids, and the driving roller and the driven roller. When an attempt is made to pull a lid to remove it, the lids and the driving roller are in close contact, so the drive roller also begins to rotate in accordance with the movement of the lid. The rotational motion of the driving roller is then transmitted to the driven roller via the connecting member. Once the lid has been pulled out to a certain extent, the driven roller, to which force is transmitted from the driving roller, comes into contact with the next lid to be pulled out. The next lid then enters a standby state with only its leading edge protruding. This makes it easier for users to remove lids one by one, significantly improving ease of handling. The storage unit includes a storage space for storing the collection of lids, and a cylindrical body for forming the storage space. The cylindrical body has a hinge portion at the top, and the hinge portion allows the front portion of the cylindrical body to be opened and closed. By opening and closing the front portion in this manner, the collection of lids can be stored together in the storage space, greatly improving the work efficiency when setting the lids in the storage unit.

[0233] The sealing device according to the present invention is not limited to being provided with the above-mentioned storage section, but it is preferable to install the storage section above the sealing device from the viewpoints that the space above the sealing device can be efficiently used to store lid bodies in advance, and that it is easy for a user who removes and uses the lid body to remove the lid body and to seal the lid body on the container.

[0234] The lid body sealed by this sealing device can be appropriately selected and used, for example, one made of a paper-based material or a film material (sheet material) formed from various resin materials such as polypropylene (PP).

[0235] The holding jig, sealing device, and sealing method according to the present invention have been described in detail above, but the above descriptions are merely examples of the holding jig, sealing device, and sealing method according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these. Therefore, the present invention includes appropriate modifications within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the various aspects described above can be applied and used separately, or the configurations of each aspect can be used in appropriate combination.

[0236] The present invention encompasses the following technical concepts. (A1) A holding jig including a through hole formed in the vertical direction for inserting a holding object, the holding body being formed so as to bring the holding object into contact with the upper edge of the through hole, the holding body including a plurality of displacers forming at least a portion of the through hole, the displacer displacing at least some of the displacers in a displacement direction determined for the displacers such that an exposed area of ​​each of the displacers exposed on a circumferential surface of the through hole varies, and when the displacers move so that the exposed area increases, stress is applied to the displacers to move to a position where the exposed area is smaller. (A2) The holding jig described in (A1) above, in which adjacent displacers slide relative to each other along the displacement direction determined for the respective displacers. (A3) The holding jig described in (A1) or (A2) above, in which the through hole is formed by a plurality of the displacers. (A4) The holding jig described in any one of (A1) to (A3) above, in which the plurality of displacers are arranged in a ring shape. (A5) The holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A4) above, wherein the holding body includes a restricting structure that restricts the displacement direction of at least some of the displacers, the restricting structure including guide portions provided corresponding to each of the displacers and guiding the displacers in a predetermined direction, the displacement direction of the displacers being a direction along the guide portion corresponding to the displacer. (A6) The holding jig according to (A5) above, wherein one of the adjacent displacers applies a pressing force to the other displacer when moving along the guide portion corresponding to the one displacer, and the other displacer moves along the guide portion corresponding to the other displacer based on the pressing force. (A7) The holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A6) above, wherein the holding body includes a restricting wall portion that restricts the displacement distance of at least one of the displacers, the restricting wall portion coming into contact with the displacer when the displacer reaches a predetermined position.(A8) The holding jig described in (A7) above, wherein the holder has a first groove portion in the restriction wall portion, the displacer that contacts the restriction wall portion has a second groove portion formed at a position corresponding to the first groove portion, and a restriction rod that is common to the first groove portion and the second groove portion and embedded in the first groove portion and the second groove portion is provided. (A9) The holding jig described in any one of (A1) to (A8) above, wherein adjacent displacers contact each other at their side surfaces. (A10) The holding jig described in any one of (A1) to (A9) above, wherein adjacent displacers are prevented from overlapping each other in the vertical direction. (A11) The holding jig described in any one of (A1) to (A10) above, wherein the positions of the upper surfaces of adjacent displacers are aligned at the upper edge portion of the through hole. (A12) The holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A11) above, further comprising a base plate, wherein the displacer is disposed on an upper surface of the base plate and rubs against the upper surface of the base plate. (A13) The holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A12) above, wherein an extension extending along the circumferential surface of the through hole is formed on the lower surface of the displacer. (A14) The holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A13) above, wherein at least a portion of the displacer corresponding to the exposed region forms an inclined surface that slopes downward from the upper edge of the through hole toward the inside of the through hole as it extends downward. (A15) The holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A14) above, further comprising a protective plate, wherein the protective plate covers at least a portion of the displacer. (A16) A holding jig described in (A15) above, in which a fixing member for fixing the position of the protective plate is attached to the protective plate in a manner that allows it to be freely attached and detached, and in which, when the fixing member is removed, the protective plate is configured to be displaceable in a planar direction having the thickness direction of the protective plate as the normal line.(A17) The holding jig described in any one of (A1) to (A16) above, wherein the object to be held includes a first object to be held that contacts the through hole and a second object to be held that is placed on the first object to be held, and wherein, when a surface direction of a plane normal to the up-down direction is defined as a planar direction, a positioning structure is provided on the upper surface side of the holder that determines the position of at least the second object to be held relative to the first object in the planar direction. (A18) The holding jig described in (A17) above, wherein the positioning structure includes a plurality of pins erected on the upper surface side of the holder, the plurality of pins determine the position of the second object to be held in the planar direction, and each of the pins is configured to be displaceable in the up-down direction. (A19) The holding jig described in any one of (A1) to (A18) above, wherein the object to be held includes at least a container having a main body and a flange extending outward from an upper end of the main body, the flange contacting an upper edge of the through hole. (A20) The holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A19) above, wherein the holder includes an elastic member that biases at least one of the displacers, and the elastic member applies stress to the displacer so that the exposed area is smaller when the displacer has moved to increase the exposed area. (A21) The holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A20) above, which has an outer periphery and is provided with a cushioning covering material surrounding the outer periphery. (A22) The holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A21) above, which is provided with a displacement guide structure on the lower surface of the displacer that regulates the displacement direction of the displacer. (A23) The holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A22) above, which has a groove formed on the upper surface of the displacer. (A24) The holding jig according to (A23) above, wherein the groove on the upper surface of the displacer extends along the displacement direction of the displacer. (A25) The holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A24) above, wherein a groove is formed on at least a part of the side surface of the displacer excluding the surface forming the through hole. (A26) The holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A25) above, wherein a step is formed on the upper surface of the displacer.(A27) A sealing device comprising the holding jig according to any one of (A1) to (A26) above and a pressing body that applies a pressing force to the holding object from above the holding object, wherein when the pressing force is applied to the holding object while the holding object is placed on the holding jig, at least one of the pressing body and the holding jig moves from an initial position where the pressing body and the holding jig are separated by a predetermined distance to a position where the holding object is pressed, the pressing body is present above the holding object, and the pressing force is applied to the holding object from above the holding object. (A28) The sealing device according to (A27) above, wherein the holding jig moves toward the pressing body. (A29) The sealing device according to (A27) or (A28) above, wherein the pressing body moves toward the holding jig. (A30) The sealing device according to any one of (A27) to (A29) above, wherein the pressing body has a pressing surface, and the pressing surface is an uneven surface. (A31) The sealing device according to any one of (A27) to (A30) above, comprising a heating mechanism capable of heating the pressing body. (A32) The sealing device according to any one of (A27) to (A31) above, wherein a fluororesin sheet is provided between the pressing body and the holding jig. (A33) The sealing device according to any one of (A27) to (A32) above, wherein the object to be held comprises at least a container having a main body portion with an opening formed on the upper side and a flange portion extending outward from the upper end of the main body portion. (A34) The sealing device according to (A33) above, in which a lid is placed on the container so as to cover the opening and the flange portion on the upper side of the main body, the container and the lid are interposed between the pressing body and the holding jig, and the lid is joined to the container at the position of the flange portion of the container. (A35) A sealing method using the sealing device according to (A33) above, in which the container and the lid are interposed between the pressing body and the holding jig, and the lid is joined to the container at the position of the flange portion of the container.

[0237] The present invention can also be interpreted as including the following technical ideas: (B1) A holding jig, comprising: a through hole formed in the vertical direction for inserting a held object; and a holding body formed to bring the held object into contact with the upper edge of the through hole; the holding body comprising a plurality of displacers forming at least a portion of the through hole; and an elastic member biasing at least one of the displacers; in at least some of the displacers, an exposed area of ​​each of the displacers exposed on the circumferential surface of the through hole changes as the displacer displaces in a displacement direction determined for the displacer; and the elastic member biases the displacer to a position where the exposed area is smaller. (B2) The holding jig described in (B1) above, in which adjacent displacers slide relative to each other along the displacement direction determined for each of the displacers. (B3) The holding jig described in (B1) or (B2) above, in which the through hole is formed by a plurality of the displacers. (B4) The holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B3) above, wherein the plurality of displacers are arranged in a ring. (B5) The holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B4) above, wherein the holder includes a restricting structure that restricts the displacement direction of at least some of the displacers, the restricting structure having guide portions provided corresponding to each of the displacers that guide the displacers in a predetermined direction, the displacement direction of the displacers being a direction along the guide portion corresponding to the displacer. (B6) The holding jig according to (B5) above, wherein when one of the adjacent displacers moves along the guide portion corresponding to the one displacer, a pressing force is applied to the other displacer, and the other displacer moves along the guide portion corresponding to the other displacer based on the pressing force. (B7) A holding jig described in any one of (B1) to (B6) above, wherein the holding body has a regulating wall portion that regulates the displacement distance of at least one of the displacers, and the regulating wall portion contacts the displacer when the displacer is displaced to a predetermined position.(B8) The holding jig described in (B7) above, wherein the holder has a first groove portion in the restriction wall portion, the displacer that contacts the restriction wall portion has a second groove portion formed at a position corresponding to the first groove portion, and a restriction rod that is common to the first groove portion and the second groove portion and embedded in the first groove portion and the second groove portion is provided. (B9) The holding jig described in any one of (B1) to (B8) above, wherein adjacent displacers contact each other at their side surfaces. (B10) The holding jig described in any one of (B1) to (B9) above, wherein adjacent displacers are prevented from overlapping each other in the vertical direction. (B11) The holding jig described in any one of (B1) to (B10) above, wherein the positions of the upper surfaces of adjacent displacers are aligned at the upper edge portion of the through hole. (B12) The holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B11) above, further comprising a base plate, wherein the displacer is disposed on an upper surface of the base plate and rubs against the upper surface of the base plate. (B13) The holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B12) above, wherein an extension portion extending along the circumferential surface of the through hole is formed on the lower surface of the displacer. (B14) The holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B13) above, wherein at least a portion of the displacer corresponding to the exposed region forms an inclined surface that slopes downward from the upper edge of the through hole toward the inside of the through hole as it extends downward. (B15) The holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B14) above, further comprising a protective plate, wherein the protective plate covers at least a portion of the displacer. (B16) A holding jig described in (B15) above, in which a fixing member for fixing the position of the protective plate is attached to the protective plate in a manner that allows it to be freely attached and detached, and in which, when the fixing member is removed, the protective plate is configured to be displaceable in a planar direction having the thickness direction of the protective plate as the normal line.(B17) The holding jig described in any one of (B1) to (B16) above, wherein the object to be held includes a first object to be held that contacts the through hole and a second object to be held that is placed on the first object to be held, and wherein, when a surface direction of a plane normal to the up-down direction is defined as a planar direction, a positioning structure is provided on the upper surface side of the holder that determines the position of at least the second object to be held relative to the first object in the planar direction. (B18) The holding jig described in (B17) above, wherein the positioning structure includes a plurality of pins erected on the upper surface side of the holder, the plurality of pins determine the position of the second object to be held in the planar direction, and each of the pins is configured to be displaceable in the up-down direction. (B19) The holding jig described in any one of (B1) to (B18) above, wherein the object to be held includes at least a container having a main body and a flange extending outward from an upper end of the main body, the flange contacting an upper edge of the through hole. (B20) The holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B19) above, wherein the holder includes an elastic member that biases at least one of the displacers, and the elastic member applies stress to the displacer so that the exposed area becomes smaller when the displacer moves to increase the exposed area. (B21) The holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B20) above, which has an outer periphery and is provided with a cushioning coating material surrounding the outer periphery. (B22) The holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B21) above, which is provided with a displacement guide structure on the underside of the displacer that regulates the displacement direction of the displacer. (B23) The holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B22) above, which has a groove formed on the upper surface of the displacer. (B24) The holding jig according to (B23) above, wherein the groove on the upper surface of the displacer extends along the displacement direction of the displacer. (B25) The holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B24) above, wherein a groove is formed on at least a part of the side surface of the displacer excluding the surface forming the through hole. (B26) The holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B25) above, wherein a step is formed on the upper surface of the displacer.(B27) A sealing device comprising the holding jig according to any one of (B1) to (B26) above, and a pressing body that applies a pressing force to the holding object from above the holding object, wherein when the pressing force is applied to the holding object while the holding object is placed on the holding jig, at least one of the pressing body and the holding jig moves from an initial position where the pressing body and the holding jig are separated by a predetermined distance to a position where the holding object is pressed, the pressing body is present above the holding object, and the pressing force is applied to the holding object from above the holding object. (B28) The sealing device according to (B27) above, wherein the holding jig moves toward the pressing body. (B29) The sealing device according to (B27) or (B28) above, wherein the pressing body moves toward the holding jig. (B30) The sealing device according to any one of (B27) to (B29) above, wherein the pressing body has a pressing surface, and the pressing surface is an uneven surface. (B31) The sealing device according to any one of (B27) to (B30) above, comprising a heating mechanism capable of heating the pressing body. (B32) The sealing device according to any one of (B27) to (B31) above, wherein a fluororesin sheet is provided between the pressing body and the holding jig. (B33) The sealing device according to any one of (B27) to (B32) above, wherein the object to be held comprises at least a container having a main body portion with an opening formed on the upper side and a flange portion extending outward from the upper end of the main body portion. (B34) The sealing device according to (B33) above, in which a lid is placed on the container so as to cover the opening and the flange portion on the upper side of the main body, the container and the lid are interposed between the pressing body and the holding jig, and the lid is joined to the container at the position of the flange portion of the container. (B35) A sealing method using the sealing device according to (B33) above, in which the container and the lid are interposed between the pressing body and the holding jig, and the lid is joined to the container at the position of the flange portion of the container.

[0238] Furthermore, the present invention can be construed as including the following technical ideas: (C1) A holding jig including a holding body having a through hole formed in the vertical direction for inserting a holding object, the holding body being formed so as to bring the holding object into contact with the upper edge of the through hole, the holding body having a plurality of displacers forming at least a portion of the through hole, the plurality of displacers being arranged in a ring, and at least some of the displacers being configured so that, as the displacers displace in a displacement direction determined for the displacers according to the size of the holding object, the exposed area of ​​each of the displacers exposed on the circumferential surface of the through hole changes, allowing the holding object to push the through hole wider. (C2) The holding jig described in (C1) above, in which adjacent displacers slide against each other along the displacement direction determined for each of the displacers. (C3) The holding jig described in (C1) or (C2) above, in which the through hole is formed by a plurality of the displacers. (C4) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C3) above, wherein the holding body includes a restricting structure that restricts the displacement direction of at least some of the displacers, the restricting structure including guide portions provided corresponding to each of the displacers and guiding the displacers in a predetermined direction, the displacement direction of the displacers being a direction along the guide portion corresponding to the displacer. (C5) The holding jig according to (C4) above, wherein one of the adjacent displacers applies a pressing force to the other displacer when moving along the guide portion corresponding to the one displacer, and the other displacer moves along the guide portion corresponding to the other displacer based on the pressing force. (C6) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C5) above, wherein the holding body includes a restricting wall portion that restricts the displacement distance of at least one of the displacers, the restricting wall portion coming into contact with the displacer when the displacer reaches a predetermined position. (C7) The holding body has a first groove portion in the regulating wall portion, and the displacer that contacts the regulating wall portion has a second groove portion formed at a position corresponding to the first groove portion, and a regulating rod that is common to the first groove portion and the second groove portion and is embedded in the first groove portion and the second groove portion is provided, as described in (C6) above.(C8) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C7) above, wherein adjacent displacers contact each other at their side surfaces. (C9) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C8) above, wherein adjacent displacers are prevented from overlapping each other in the vertical direction. (C10) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C9) above, wherein the positions of the upper surfaces of adjacent displacers are aligned at the upper edge of the through hole. (C11) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C10) above, further comprising a base plate, wherein the displacers are disposed on an upper surface of the base plate and slide along the upper surface of the base plate. (C12) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C11) above, wherein an extension portion is formed on the lower surface of the displacer, extending along the circumferential surface of the through hole. (C13) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C12) above, wherein at least a portion of the displacer corresponding to the exposed region forms an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the inside of the through hole as it extends downward from the upper edge of the through hole. (C14) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C13) above, further comprising a protective plate that covers at least a portion of the displacer. (C15) The holding jig according to (C14) above, wherein a fixing member for fixing the position of the protective plate is detachably attached to the protective plate, and when the fixing member is removed, the protective plate is displaceable in a planar direction normal to the thickness direction of the protective plate. (C16) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C15) above, wherein the holding object has a first holding object in contact with the through hole and a second holding object mounted on the first holding object, and when a surface direction of a plane normal to the up-down direction is defined as a planar direction, a positioning structure is provided on the upper surface side of the holding body that determines the position of at least the second holding object in the planar direction relative to the first holding object. (C17) The holding jig according to (C16) above, wherein the positioning structure includes a plurality of pins erected on the upper surface side of the holding body, the plurality of pins determine the position of the second holding object in the planar direction, and each of the pins is configured to be displaceable in the up-down direction.(C18) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C17) above, wherein the object to be held comprises at least a container having a main body and a flange extending outward from the upper end of the main body, the flange contacting the upper edge of the through hole. (C19) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C18) above, wherein the holder comprises an elastic member that biases at least one of the displacers, the elastic member applying stress to the displacer so that the displacer is positioned with the least exposed area when the displacer has moved to increase the exposed area. (C20) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C19) above, having an outer periphery and a cushioning covering material surrounding the outer periphery. (C21) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C20) above, wherein a displacement guide structure that regulates the displacement direction of the displacer is provided on the underside of the displacer. (C22) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C21) above, wherein a groove is formed on the upper surface of the displacer. (C23) The holding jig according to (C22) above, wherein the groove on the upper surface of the displacer extends along the displacement direction of the displacer. (C24) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C23) above, wherein a groove is formed on at least a part of the side surface of the displacer, excluding the surface forming the through hole. (C25) The holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C24) above, wherein a step is formed on the upper surface of the displacer. (C26) A sealing device comprising the holding jig according to any one of (C1) to (C25) above, and a pressing body that applies a pressing force to the holding object from above the holding object, wherein when the pressing force is applied to the holding object while the holding object is placed on the holding jig, at least one of the pressing body and the holding jig moves from an initial position where the pressing body and the holding jig are separated by a predetermined distance to a position where the holding object is pressed, the pressing body is above the holding object, and the pressing force is applied to the holding object from above the holding object. (C27) The sealing device according to (C26) above, wherein the holding jig moves toward the pressing body.(C28) The sealing device according to (C26) or (C27) above, wherein the pressing body moves toward the holding jig. (C29) The sealing device according to any one of (C26) to (C28) above, wherein the pressing body has a pressing surface, and the pressing surface is an uneven surface. (C30) The sealing device according to any one of (C26) to (C29) above, comprising a heating mechanism capable of heating the pressing body. (C31) The sealing device according to any one of (C26) to (C30) above, wherein a fluororesin sheet is provided between the pressing body and the holding jig. (C32) The sealing device according to any one of (C26) to (C31) above, wherein the object to be held comprises at least a container having a main body portion with an opening formed on the upper side and a flange portion extending outward from the upper end of the main body portion. (C33) The sealing device according to (C32) above, in which a lid is placed on the container so as to cover the opening and the flange portion on the upper side of the main body, the container and the lid are interposed between the pressing body and the holding jig, and the lid is joined to the container at the position of the flange portion of the container. (C34) A sealing method using the sealing device according to (C32) above, in which the container and the lid are interposed between the pressing body and the holding jig, and the lid is joined to the container at the position of the flange portion of the container.

[0239] The present invention can also be construed as including the following technical idea: (D1) A sealing device for sealing an opening of a container having an opening and an edge portion forming an outer periphery of the opening with a lid, comprising: a holding section having a holder that holds the container with the edge portion of the container exposed; and a joining force applying section having a joining member for joining the lid to the edge portion, wherein the holding section is formed so that a lid portion formed in advance in a sheet can be positioned to face the opening of the holding section, and the joining member joins the lid portion formed in advance in a sheet to the container. (D2) The sealing device according to (1), further comprising a moving unit that displaces at least one of the joining unit and the holding unit so as to be able to form a close position where the joined body and the holding body are in contact with each other via the container held by the holding unit and the lid body positioned on the container, and a separated state where the joined body and the holding body are further away from each other than the close position, and is configured so that the joining unit joins the lid body to the container in response to the moving unit forming the close position. (D3) The sealing device according to (1) or (2), further comprising a positioning unit that includes a guide that guides the position of the lid body into a predetermined space. (D4) The sealing device according to any one of (1) to (D3), further comprising an energy applying unit that applies energy to the contact portion between the lid body and the container, and (D5) The sealing device according to (D4), further comprising an energy applying unit that applies at least one type of energy selected from the group consisting of electrical energy, vibration energy, and thermal energy. (D6) A sealing device described in any one of (D1) to (D5) above, having an insertion section formed so that the lid body can be inserted, and a transport section that transports the lid body inserted from the insertion section toward the space.(D7) The sealing device according to any one of (D1) to (D6) above, wherein the holding portion has a through hole penetrating between the front and back surfaces and is formed so that the container can be inserted into the through hole, and a support portion located below the insertion portion and contacting the bottom of the container to support the bottom, and wherein the height direction position of the contact position between the support portion and the bottom changes with the transition between the close state and the separated state. (D8) The sealing device according to any one of (D1) to (D7) above, wherein the holding portion has an insertion portion formed to penetrate between the front and back surfaces of the holding portion and into which the container can be inserted, and the positioning portion is formed around the insertion portion. (D9) The sealing device according to any one of (D1) to (D8) above, wherein the positioning portion is formed of a flexible material. (D10) The sealing device according to any one of (D1) to (D9) above, wherein the positioning portion is formed of a heat-resistant material. (D11) The sealing device according to any one of (D1) to (D10) above, comprising: a storage section that houses a lid assembly formed by stacking the lids; a separator that individually separates the lids from the storage section; and a transfer section that transfers the lids separated by the separator toward the holding section, wherein, upon placement of the container in the holding section, the lids are moved from the storage section via the transfer section to be placed on the container. (D12) The sealing device according to any one of (D1) to (D11) above, wherein a plurality of the storage sections are provided, the dimensions of the lids stored in at least one of the storage sections are different from the dimensions of the lids stored in another of the storage sections, and the storage section that stores the lid to be placed on the container is selected from the transfer section according to the size of the container to be placed in the holding section, and the lid is placed on the container from the selected storage section via the transfer section. (D13) A sealing device described in any one of (D1) to (D12) above, wherein the transfer unit has a waiting unit in which the lid body sent from the storage unit is temporarily stored, and when the container is placed in the holding unit, the lid body placed in the waiting unit is placed on the container, and the lid body is sent from the storage unit to the waiting unit of the transfer unit.(D14) The sealing device according to any one of (D1) to (D13), wherein the storage section has an opening at a lower end, and the fractionator is configured to remove the lid body from the opening at the lower end of the storage section.

[0240] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10: Holding jig 10A: Outer peripheral portion 11: Holding body 11A: Outer peripheral surface 11B: Upper surface 12: Base plate 12A: Upper surface 12B: Lower surface 13: Receiving material 13A: Outer peripheral surface 13B: Inner peripheral surface 13C: Upper surface 14: Displacer 14A: Side surface 14A1: First side surface 14A2: Second side surface 14B: Upper surface 14C: Lower surface 14TRP: Displacer 15: Annular structure 15A: Outer peripheral surface 16: Through hole 16A: Peripheral surface portion 16B: Upper edge portion 17: Auxiliary hole 17A: Edge portion 18: Auxiliary hole 18B: Upper edge portion 19: Restricting structure 20: Guide portion 21 : Restricting wall portion 21A : Wall surface 22 : Elastic member 23 : Guide wall portion 24 : Wall portion 25 : Curved wall surface portion 26 : Hole portion 27 : First groove portion 27A : Groove bottom portion 28 : Second groove portion 28A : Groove bottom portion 29 : Restricting rod 30 : Inclined surface 31 : Protrusion 32 : Extension portion 33 : Protective plate 33A : Upper surface 33B : Lower surface 33C : Inner surface 34 : Convex piece 35 : Positioning structure 36 : Slide member 36A : Lower end portion 36B : Inner end surface portion 36C : Upper end portion 37 : Rail 38 : Fixing member 38A : First fixing member 38B : Second fixing member 39 : Elastic member 40 : Urging structure 41 : Hanging portion 42 : Support shaft 42A : Tip 43 : Rotating member 43A : Rotating member 43B : Rotating member 43C : Rotating member 43D : Rotating member 44 : Arm 44A : Tip 45 : Pin 45A : Tip 46 : Gear 47 : Head 48 : Bearing 48A : Hole 49 : Relief 50 : First extending portion 51 : Second extending portion 52 : Rotation restricting member 53 : Wall 55 : Pin 55A : Upper end 55B : Lower end 56 : Elastic member 57 : Insertion / removal opening 58 : Mounting hole59: Fixing member 60: Receiving member 61: Space 62: Opening 63: Pin biasing structure 64: Bottom surface 65: Flange portion 66: Eaves portion 67: Upper movement restricting structure 68: First insertion / removal through hole 69: Second insertion / removal through hole 70: Eaves portion 72: Elastic member 73: Hooking member 73A: Head portion 73B: Body portion 74A: Annular portion 74B: Annular portion 75: Hooking member 77: Step 78: Lower portion 79: Upper portion 80: Boss portion 80A: Upper surface 81: Boss hole 82: Fixing member 83: Hole portion 85: Displacement guide structure 86: Elongated hole portion 87: Leg portion 88: Leg material 88A: Flange portion 88B: Body portion 89: Ring material 90: Covering material 92: Groove 93: First groove 94: Second groove 95: Convex mountain-shaped portion 140: Base 141: Apex 200: Container 210: Main body portion 210A: Outer circumferential surface 220: Bottom portion 230: Space 240: Flange portion 250: Upper edge portion 260: Opening 290: Lid 300: Sealing device 310: Pressing body 310A: Pressing surface 310D: Side wall portion 311: Thick portion 320: Supporting member 320A: Base portion 320B: Standing wall portion 320C: Upper surface portion 320D: Side wall portion 330: Connecting material 350: Outer periphery 360: Convex portion 361: Concave portion 370: Suction cup 370A: Suction surface 371: Slot 372: Valve 374: Fluorine resin sheet 380: Support handle 381: Grip 382: Fixed base 385: Supporting material 386: Elastic member 387: Stopper 388: Connecting material 389: Support shaft 390: Lever 390A: Fulcrum portion 391: Movement control structure 392: Up and down movement structure 393: Gear 394: Rack 395: Fluorine resin sheet 396: Gap 397A: First roller 397B: Second roller398: Housing 398A: Top surface 398B: Side surface 400: Directional movement structure 401: Slide member 402: Rail 403: Rotating column body 404: Fixed member 405: Restricting member 406: Cover body 410: Protruding member 411: Support material 412: Guide rail 1001: Sealing device 1002: Housing 1003: Holding portion 1004: Jointing force applying portion 1005: Moving portion 1006: Lid body storing portion 1007: Bottom plate 1008: Right side plate 1009: Left side plate 1010: Rear plate 1011: Storage space 1012: Locking member 1013: Moving space 1014: Upper portion 1015: Lower portion 1016: Side portion 1017: Rear portion 1018 Unlocking portion 1019 Holding base plate 1020 Heater 1021 Cover body 1022 Operation portion 1023 Heater body 1024 Plate-like member 1025 Rack 1026 Pinion 1027 Lever 1028 Locking projection 1051 Base portion 1052 Bottom plate portion 1053 Right side plate 1054 Left side plate 1055 Upper plate portion 1056 Drive motor 1057 Connecting member AR1: Area AR2: Area BCT: Center CR: Covered area CT: Center ER: Exposed area F: Arrow FD: Arrow FH: Arrow J: Arrow K1: Arrow K2: Arrow K3: Arrow K4: Rotation direction M: Holding object MP: Center P: Arrow Q: Arrow SL: Arrow T: Displacement direction U: Arrow α: Inclination angle

Claims

1. A holding tool comprising a holding body in which a through hole for inserting an object to be held is formed in the vertical direction and which is formed to bring the object to be held into contact with the upper edge of the through hole, the holding body having a plurality of displacers which form at least a part of the through hole, wherein in at least some of the displacers, the exposed area of ​​each of the displacers exposed on the circumferential surface of the through hole changes as the displacer is displaced in a displacement direction determined for the displacer, and when the displacer moves so that the exposed area becomes larger, stress is applied to the displacer so that the exposed area becomes smaller.

2. The holding jig according to claim 1, wherein adjacent said displacers slide relative to each other along the displacement direction determined for each of said displacers.

3. The holding jig according to claim 1, wherein the through hole is formed by a plurality of the displacers.

4. The holding jig according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of displacers are arranged in an annular shape.

5. A holding jig as described in claim 1, wherein the holding body is provided with a regulating structure that regulates the displacement direction of at least some of the displacers, the regulating structure has a guide portion provided corresponding to each of the displacers and guiding the displacers in a predetermined direction, and the displacement direction of the displacers is a direction along the guide portion corresponding to the displacer.

6. A holding jig as described in claim 5, wherein when one of adjacent displacers moves along the guide portion corresponding to the one displacer, a pressing force is applied to the other displacer, and the other displacer moves along the guide portion corresponding to the other displacer based on the pressing force.

7. The holding jig according to claim 1, wherein the holding body has a regulating wall portion that regulates the displacement distance of at least one of the displacers, and the regulating wall portion comes into contact with the displacer when the displacer is displaced to a predetermined position.

8. A holding jig as described in claim 7, wherein the holding body has a first groove portion in the regulating wall portion, the displacer that contacts the regulating wall portion has a second groove portion formed at a position corresponding to the first groove portion, and a regulating rod is provided that is common to the first groove portion and the second groove portion and is embedded in the first groove portion and the second groove portion.

9. The holding jig according to claim 1, wherein adjacent displacers are in contact with each other at their side surfaces.

10. The holding jig according to claim 1, wherein adjacent displacers are prevented from overlapping with each other in the vertical direction.

11. The holding jig according to claim 1, wherein the positions of the upper surfaces of adjacent said displacers are aligned at the upper edge of said through hole.

12. The holding jig according to claim 1, further comprising a base plate, the displacer being disposed on an upper surface of the base plate, and the displacer rubbing against the upper surface of the base plate.

13. The holding jig according to claim 1, wherein an extension portion is formed on the lower surface of the displacer, the extension portion extending along the peripheral portion of the through hole.

14. A holding jig as described in claim 1, wherein at least the portion of the displacer corresponding to the exposed region forms an inclined surface that slopes downwardly from the upper edge of the through hole toward the inside of the through hole.

15. The holding jig according to claim 1, further comprising a protective plate, the protective plate covering at least a portion of the displacement element.

16. A holding jig as described in claim 15, wherein a fixing member for fixing the position of the protective plate is attached to the protective plate in a manner that allows it to be freely attached and detached, and wherein, when the fixing member is removed, the protective plate is configured to be displaceable in a plane having the thickness direction of the protective plate as the normal line.

17. The holding jig described in claim 1, wherein the held object has a first held object in contact with the through hole and a second held object mounted on the first held object, and when the surface direction of a plane having the up-down direction as a normal is defined as a planar direction, the upper surface side of the holder is provided with a positioning structure that determines at least the position of the second held object in the planar direction relative to the first held object.

18. A holding jig as described in claim 17, wherein the positioning structure comprises a plurality of pins erected on the upper surface side of the holding body, the plurality of pins determining the position of the second held object in the planar direction, and each of the pins being configured to be displaceable in the vertical direction.

19. A holding jig as described in claim 1, wherein the object to be held comprises at least a container having a main body and a flange portion extending outward from an upper end of the main body, the flange portion contacting the upper edge portion of the through hole.

20. The holding jig described in claim 1, wherein the holding body is provided with an elastic member that biases at least one of the displacers, and the elastic member applies stress to the displacer so that, when the displacer moves so that the exposed area is increased, the displacer is positioned so that the exposed area is reduced.

21. A holding jig as described in claim 1, having an outer periphery, and a covering material having cushioning properties is provided so as to surround the outer periphery.

22. The holding jig according to claim 1, wherein a displacement guide structure for regulating the displacement direction of the displacer is provided on the underside of the displacer.

23. The holding jig according to claim 1, wherein a groove is formed on the upper surface of the displacer.

24. The holding jig according to claim 23, wherein the groove on the upper surface of the displacer extends along the displacement direction of the displacer.

25. The holding jig according to claim 1, wherein a groove is formed on at least a part of the side surface of the displacer excluding the surface forming the through hole.

26. The holding jig according to claim 1, wherein a step is formed on the upper surface of the displacer.

27. A sealing device comprising: a holding jig as defined in any one of claims 1 to 26; and a pressing body which applies a pressing force to the held object from above the held object, wherein when the pressing force is applied to the held object while the held object is placed on the holding jig, at least one of the pressing body and the holding jig moves from an initial position where the pressing body and the holding jig are separated by a predetermined distance to a position where the held object is pressed, the pressing body is present on the held object, and the pressing force is applied to the held object from above the held object.

28. The sealing device according to claim 27, wherein the holding jig moves toward the pressing body.

29. The sealing device according to claim 27, wherein the pressing body moves toward the holding jig.

30. The sealing device according to claim 27, wherein the pressing body has a pressing surface, and the pressing surface is an uneven surface.

31. The sealing device according to claim 27, further comprising a heating mechanism capable of heating the pressing body.

32. The sealing device according to claim 27, further comprising a fluororesin sheet provided between the pressing body and the holding jig.

33. The sealing device according to claim 27, wherein the object to be held comprises at least a container having a main body portion with an opening formed on its upper side and a flange portion extending outward from an upper end of the main body portion.

34. A sealing device as described in claim 33, wherein a lid is placed on the container so as to cover the opening on the upper side of the main body and the flange portion, and the container and the lid are interposed between the pressing body and the holding jig, and the lid is joined to the container at the position of the flange portion of the container.

35. A sealing method using the sealing device according to claim 33, in which the lid is joined to the container at the position of the flange portion of the container, with the container and the lid being interposed between the pressing body and the holding jig.

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