JP4488349B2 - Cap stopper alignment device - Google Patents

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a shaded plug aligning device that directs a shaded plug such as a shaded cork stopper in a target direction.

  A cap with cap (mushroom plug) having a cap and a trunk is known (see Patent Documents 2 and 3). In general, a cap with a cap has a trunk portion made of cork, and such a cap with cap is called a cork cap with cap.

Patent Document 1 describes a cork stopper that plugs a cork stopper into the mouth of a container. In the cork stopper machine described in Patent Document 1, the cork stopper is transported with the light cork portion facing upward and the heavy upper side (cap portion) facing downward, and the cork stopper is inverted at the time of stoppering. However, in Patent Document 1, a cork stopper that faces only in one direction (the cork portion is up and the cap portion is down) faces the other direction (the cork portion is down and the cap portion is up). It is only disclosed to operate, and it is not disclosed to direct a cork stopper that can face any direction in a target direction.
JP-A-6-144487 JP-A-11-227809 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-227810

When plugging caps into the mouth of containers with an automatic stopper, or when cleaning caps with an automatic cleaning device, it is required to align a number of caps in advance in the target direction. The If this alignment work is to be performed manually, a corresponding work man-hour is required and it is difficult to increase the speed. Further, if the alignment work is mistakenly performed and the cap with cap is supplied to an automatic plugging machine (for example, a plugging machine described in Patent Document 1) or a cleaning device without being directed in the target direction, the plugging is not performed. Or poor cleaning may occur.
The present invention has been made on the basis of recognition of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to direct a cap with a cap facing an arbitrary direction in a target direction.

  A first aspect of the present invention relates to a cap stopper aligning device that directs a cap with a cap portion and a trunk portion in a target direction. The cap stopper aligning device includes a transport mechanism for transporting the cap cap and the transport mechanism. An engaging portion configured to engage a cap portion of the cap with a cap that is not oriented in the target direction among the caps with the cap that is being transported, and on the downstream side in the transport direction of the transport mechanism with respect to the engaging portion A sensor that is disposed and detects a cap with a cap not facing the target direction, a squeezing mechanism that rejects the cap with a cap not facing the target direction based on the output of the sensor, and the transport than the engagement portion A cap disposed on the downstream side of the transport direction of the mechanism, and having a guide for moving the cap with the cap facing the target direction and stopping the cap with the cap not facing the target direction, the cap with the cap not facing the target direction The shade part of this engages with the engaging part Orientation to the target direction the Kasazuke plug is rotated by said sensor detects the Kasazuke stopper is stopped by the guide.
  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the engaging portion is configured to engage a cap portion of the cap with a cap facing in the first direction among the caps with the cap transported by the transport mechanism. The 2nd engagement comprised so that the cap part of the cap with a cap facing the 2nd direction different from the said 1st direction among the caps with the cap transported by the said transport mechanism may engage with the 1st engagement part. And the cap with the cap facing the first direction is rotated by engaging the cap with the first engaging portion, and the cap with the cap facing the second direction is It is preferable that the cap is rotated by engaging the second engaging portion, and thereby the cap with cap that is not oriented in the target direction is oriented in the target direction.
  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the shaded plug aligning device further includes a supply unit that feeds the shaded stopper accommodated in a container to the transport mechanism.
  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transport mechanism preferably includes a screw conveyor.
  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cap plug aligning device for directing a cap plug having a cap portion and a body portion in a target direction, the cap plug aligning device including a transport mechanism for transporting the cap plug and the transport mechanism. An engaging portion configured to engage a cap portion of the cap with a cap that is not oriented in the target direction among the caps with the cap that is being transported, and on the downstream side in the transport direction of the transport mechanism with respect to the engaging portion And a guide for stopping the cap with the cap not arranged in the target direction, wherein the cap portion of the cap with the cap not arranged in the target direction is moved. By engaging with the cap, the cap with cap is rotated to face the target direction.

  According to the present invention, a cap with a cap facing an arbitrary direction can be directed to a target direction.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a typical cap with cap. The cap with cap 10 includes a cap portion 11 and a trunk portion 12, and has a mushroom shape as a whole. The cap 11 can be made of glass, wood, plastic, or the like, for example. The trunk | drum 12 is typically comprised with a cork. A cap with a cap having a cork made of cork is called a cap with cap.

There are various ways of expressing the direction of the cap with cap 10, but here, the direction A from the cap portion 11 toward the trunk portion 12 along the axis of the cap with cap 10 is set as the direction of the cap with cap 10. In this specification and drawings, the cap with cap is represented by a symbol “10” or “10” followed by an alphabet. This alphabet is added for convenience to distinguish caps with different orientations.
2-7 is a figure which shows typically the principal part or component of the cap stopper apparatus of the suitable embodiment of this invention. More specifically, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are plan views showing main parts of the cap stopper aligning device 100, FIG. 4 is a side view showing a part of the cap stopper aligning device 100, and FIG. FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are plan views showing the guide 70. FIG.
A cap stopper aligning device 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a screw conveyor 20 as an example of a transport mechanism for transporting the cap stopper 10 and a target direction (here, the cap stopper 10 being transported by the screw conveyor 20). , A first engagement portion 35 and a second engagement portion 55 with which the shade portions 11 of the shade-attached plugs 10A and 10B that are not oriented in the substantially vertical direction are provided.

  In this embodiment, the first engagement portion 35 is formed in the first guide 30 that guides the cap with caps 10 (including 10A, 10B, and 10T), and the second engagement portion 55 guides the cap with caps 10. It is formed by the end of the second guide 50.

The cap with cap 10A is a cap with cap that faces A on the screw conveyor 20 side (first direction), and the cap A with cap has a direction A that faces the upper side of the first guide 30 (second direction). It is a cap with a cap whose tip of the body portion 12 is located on the first guide 30. Further, the cap 10T with caps is a cap with caps whose direction A is oriented substantially in the vertical direction (target direction).
In the configuration example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first engaging portion 35 is provided at two locations of the first guide 30, and the cap 10 </ b> A with the shade facing the first direction is moved along the target direction. Rotate to Specifically, the cap with cap 11A (FIG. 2) facing in the first direction is temporarily engaged (hooked) by the cap 11 with the first engaging portion 35 as it is conveyed by the screw conveyor 20. ), The direction is changed so as to rotate around the first engagement portion 35 as the center of rotation and toward the target direction (10T in FIG. 3).
As described above, the second engaging portion 55 is formed by the end portion of the second guide 50, and rotates the cap 10B with the shade facing the second direction so as to face the target direction along with the movement. . Specifically, the cap 10B with caps (FIGS. 2 to 4) facing in the second direction is pushed out toward the second guide 50 by the screw conveyor 20, and at this time, the cap 12 is in the second engagement. The joint portion 55 is temporarily engaged (hooked) and rotated around the second engagement portion 55 as the center of rotation, and the direction is changed so as to face the target direction (in FIGS. 2 to 4, the second guide 50T Kasatsu Line 10T).
The shaded plug aligning device 100 may further include a container 60 that temporarily stores the shaded stopper 10 that is not aligned, and a supply mechanism 90 that supplies the shaded stopper 10 in the container 60 to the screw conveyor 20. The container 60 has, for example, a bottom surface that is inclined downward toward the screw conveyor 20, and the cap with cap 10 moves in the direction of the supply mechanism 90 while rolling or sliding on the bottom surface. The supply mechanism 90 has, for example, a mechanism that pushes the cap 10 with caps toward the screw conveyor 20.

  By passing through the first engaging portion 35 and the second engaging portion 55, all the caps with caps 10 should be aligned to face the target direction. However, for some reason, the cap 10C with caps pushed out by the screw conveyor 20 to the second guide 50 without being directed to the target direction may occur. The shaded plug aligning apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a mechanism that prevents the shaded stopper 10C that is not oriented in the target direction from being conveyed to the next process device (for example, a plugging machine or a washing machine).

In this embodiment, the second guide 50 is composed of two guide rails, and the cap 10 with caps facing the target direction has the body 12 sandwiched between the two guide rails, and the two guide rails. It is transported in a state where the cap portion 11 is placed on the guide rail. 10 C of shade caps which are not suitable for the target direction are facing upwards (including diagonally upward). Accordingly, the cap 10C with the cap not facing the target direction passes through a position higher than the cap 10T with the cap facing the target direction. Therefore, the sensor (for example, photo interrupter) 80 is arranged so that the cap 10C with the cap not facing the target direction blocks the sensor optical axis, and the cap 10T with the cap facing the target direction does not block the sensor optical axis. Thus, it is possible to detect the cap 10C with the shade that is not oriented in the target direction. The sensor 80 is disposed downstream of the first engagement portion 35 and the second engagement portion 55 in the conveying direction of the screw conveyor 20.
The evacuation mechanism 90 is configured to include, for example, an air cylinder, and evacuates the cap 10C with the cap that is not oriented in the target direction based on the output of the sensor 80 indicating the presence thereof.
Furthermore, the stoppered plug aligning device 100 moves the stoppered cap 10T facing the target direction among the stoppered caps 10 conveyed by the second guide 50, and stops the stoppered cap 10C not facing the target direction. A guide 70 is preferably provided. For example, the third guide 70 may be configured such that the cap with cap is moved by its own weight.

It is a figure which shows the structure of a typical cap with a cap. It is a top view which shows the principal part of a cap stopper aligning apparatus. It is a top view which shows the principal part of a cap stopper aligning apparatus. Side view showing a part of the cap stopper alignment device It is sectional drawing which shows the guide which moves the aligned cap with cap. It is a top view which shows the guide which moves the aligned cap with cap. It is a top view which shows the guide which moves the aligned cap with cap.

Explanation of symbols

10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10T: Cap with cap, 11: Cap portion, 12: Body, A: Direction of cap with cap, 20: Screw conveyor (conveyance mechanism), 30: First guide, 35: First engagement 50: 2nd guide, 55: 2nd engaging part, 60: Container, 70: 3rd guide, 80: Sensor, 90: Exhaust mechanism, 100: Cap stopper alignment apparatus

Claims (4)

A cap stopper aligning device for directing a cap cap having a cap portion and a trunk portion in a target direction,
A transport mechanism for transporting the cap with cap,
An engagement portion configured to engage with a shade portion of the shade cap that is not oriented in the target direction among the shade caps being conveyed by the conveyance mechanism;
A sensor that is arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction of the transport mechanism with respect to the engaging portion, and detects a cap with a cap that does not face the target direction;
Based on the output of the sensor, an evacuation mechanism that evacuates the cap with a cap that does not face the target direction;
A guide that is arranged downstream of the engagement portion in the transport direction of the transport mechanism, moves the cap with the cap facing the target direction, and stops the cap with the cap not facing the target direction;
When the cap portion of the cap with a cap not facing the target direction is engaged with the engagement portion, the cap with the cap rotates to face the target direction,
The sensor detects a cap with a cap stopped by the guide;
A cap aligning device characterized by that. The engaging portion includes a first engaging portion configured to engage a cap portion of the cap with a cap facing in the first direction among the caps with the cap transported by the transport mechanism, and the transport mechanism. A second engaging portion configured to engage with a cap portion of the cap with a cap facing the second direction different from the first direction among the caps with the cap being transported,
The cap with caps facing in the first direction rotates when the cap portion engages with the first engaging portion, and the cap with caps facing in the second direction has the cap portion in the second direction. 2. The shaded plug aligning device according to claim 1, wherein the shaded stopper is rotated by engaging with the engaging portion, and thereby the shaded stopper not oriented in the target direction is oriented in the target direction.   The shaded plug aligning device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a supply unit that feeds the shaded cap accommodated in the container to the transport mechanism.   4. The shaded plug aligning device according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism includes a screw conveyor.

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