JP4828732B2 - Article processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an article processing apparatus, and more specifically, for example, a lid mounting process, an accessory sticking process, a printing process, etc., for an article in which beverages or various foods are filled in a packaging container. It relates to a processing device for performing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, for articles in which soft drinks and other beverages and various foodstuffs are filled in packaging containers such as synthetic resin containers, paper containers, metal containers or glass containers, a lid is placed on the top opening of the container. Cover attachment process for attaching the body, sticking process for attaching contents such as display of the contents, display of the date of manufacture and expiration date, etc. It is requested to perform additional processing.
[0003]
Conventionally, as a processing apparatus for performing such a process, for example, an additional process such as a process for attaching an accessory to a packaging container and a cover mounting process are performed on the same transport line. It is known and is usually configured such that the lid mounting process is performed after the additional process is performed.
Then, from the viewpoint of preventing the appearance of the product from being damaged, a direction control process for controlling the front direction of the article is performed when the additional process is performed.
[0004]
Thus, in such an article processing apparatus, the lid mounting process is performed in a state where an additional process is performed prior to the lid mounting process and the accessory is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the article. Therefore, there is a problem that when the lid is mounted on the article by the lid mounting apparatus, the lid may not be mounted on the packaging container because the accessory interferes.
[0005]
In addition, even if the contents in the packaging container are shielded from the outside air by an appropriate sealing material, it is subjected to direction control processing by the direction control device before the lid is attached, so that dust etc. It is difficult to say that it is in a favorable state in terms of hygiene.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an article processing apparatus that can securely attach a lid to an article to which the lid is to be attached. It is to provide.
Another object of the present invention is that it can be arranged with a small installation occupation area, can reliably control the direction of the article, and can reliably perform additional processing without deteriorating the appearance of the article. An object of the present invention is to provide an article processing apparatus.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The article processing apparatus of the present invention includes a lid mounting apparatus that mounts a lid on each cup-shaped article that is sequentially transported along a transport path.A lid that is disposed in parallel with the article transporting means in a state where the article transporting means for transporting the article to the lid mounting device and the transporting direction is the same as the transporting direction of the article transporting means A lid transporting means for supplying to the mounting device; and disposed at a downstream position of the lid mounting device with respect to the conveying direction of the article,A direction control device for controlling the front direction of each article in a direction control region in the conveyance path;,Downstream of the direction control area with respect to the conveyance direction of the articleArranged, A sticking device that performs sticking processing to attach or attach accessories to the outer peripheral surface of each articleWhen,Common drive source for driving the lid mounting device, the direction control device, and the sticking device through different power transmission systemsAnd
  The lid mounting device includes a rotary transport mechanism that transports a plurality of transport platforms on which articles to be mounted with a lid are placed along an arc-shaped transport path, and a lid provided above the rotary transport mechanism. It consists of a body mounting mechanism,
  The lid mounting mechanism is a lid supplied from the lid transport means, which is arranged to face each of the transport bases in the rotary transport mechanism in a state supported by the pipe-shaped support rods to which the suction means are connected. Rotation drive that rotates a plurality of lid holding members that are transported in a state where the body is sucked and held around the rotation center axis of the rotary conveyance mechanism, with each lid holding member facing the corresponding conveyance stand A mechanism, a pressing mechanism for moving the lid holding member in the vertical direction, and an encoder for detecting the position of the individual conveyance table in the conveyance path,
  The suction force in the lid holding member is adjusted based on the data detected by the encoderIt is characterized by that.
[0009]
  In the article processing apparatus of the present invention,,The pressing mechanism can be constituted by a cam mechanism.
[0010]
Moreover, in the article processing apparatus according to the present invention, the direction control device transports a plurality of transfer platforms on which articles to be subjected to the direction control process are placed, and the transfer tables along an arc-shaped transfer path. It can be set as the structure provided with the rotation conveyance mechanism and the conveyance stand rotation mechanism which rotates each conveyance stand.
[0011]
  In the processing apparatus of the present invention,The sticking deviceFrom the outside in the radial direction to the outer peripheral surface of the article with the lidAttachment processing of accessoriesIt can be set as the structure which performs.
[0013]
[Action]
According to the article processing apparatus of the present invention, basically, an additional process such as a lid mounting process and an accessory attaching process for the article is performed in the same transport line, so that the article can be processed with high efficiency. In addition, since the lid mounting process is performed prior to the additional processing, the lid mounting process can be performed in a state where there is no obstacle to the article. Can be securely attached to the article.
[0014]
Further, according to the processing apparatus of the present invention, the lid transport means is disposed in parallel with the article transport means in a state in which the transport direction is the same as the transport direction of the article transport means. The lid supply device can be arranged at a space utilization rate, and the direction control device is composed of a plurality of power transmission systems. Therefore, the installation required for the direction control device itself is required. The occupation area may be small, and therefore the installation occupation area of the entire processing apparatus can be reduced.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the “front direction of an article” refers to a direction serving as a reference for direction control in an article to be direction-controlled for convenience of explanation. It is expressed and does not necessarily mean a direction that is uniquely determined in each actual article.
Therefore, a certain article has a direction that is naturally recognized as the front due to the nature of the article, and for example, the name of the product that is displayed on the front when displayed as a product in a store or the like is displayed large. The direction of the location is usually the front direction. In this case, the direction of the product name display location can be the front direction. However, setting the direction as the front direction is not essential in the present invention, and even if a different direction is set as the front direction, no particular problem occurs.
In addition, in an article in which there is no direction recognized as the front or an unclear article, an arbitrarily selected direction can be set as the front direction.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is a plan view for explaining the outline of the configuration of an example of the processing apparatus of the present invention.
The articles W to be processed by this processing apparatus each have a frustoconical, so-called cup-shaped identical outer shape that gradually increases as the outer diameter increases upward. An annular lid mounting convex portion is formed over the circumference (see FIG. 2). On the outer peripheral surface of each article W, a mark M, which is a detected portion that is detected by a sensor in a direction control device described later, is formed in advance at a specific angle with respect to the front direction. In each article W, the mark M may be formed in the front direction.
The lid C to be mounted on the article W has a lower end opening edge that matches the outer diameter of the upper end opening edge of the article W, and the lid for mounting the article W on the inner peripheral surface of the lower end opening edge. An engaging portion that is detachably engaged with the convex portion is formed.
[0017]
This processing apparatus moves a predetermined direction (upward in FIG. 1) and conveys an article W, a belt conveyor 10 that is an article conveying means, and sequential articles W conveyed by the belt conveyor 10. For each of the screw conveyor 11 that is adjusted to be arranged at equal pitch intervals on the belt conveyor 10 and the articles W that are sequentially conveyed along the arcuate conveyance path R1 disposed at a position facing the belt conveyor 10. The lid mounting device 20 for mounting the lid C, the lid supplying device 45 for supplying the lid C to be mounted on the article W, and the lid mounting device 20 in parallel with the moving direction of the belt conveyor 10. In the direction control region α set in the arcuate conveyance path R2, the direction control device 50 that controls the front direction of the article W and the downstream position of the direction control region α are arranged. And an additional processing apparatus that performs appropriate additional processing on each of the articles W.
[0018]
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 12 denotes an input which is disposed in a space region between the belt conveyor 10 and the lid mounting device 20 and is rotated to supply articles W sequentially from the belt conveyor 10 to the lid mounting device 20. The side star wheel 13 is disposed in a space region formed by the belt conveyor 10, the lid mounting device 20, and the direction control device 50, and is rotated to drive the article W from the lid mounting device 20 to the direction control device 50. The transfer star wheel 14, which is sequentially supplied to the belt, is disposed in the space region between the belt conveyor 10 and the direction control device 50, and is driven to rotate so that the articles W are sequentially transferred from the direction control device 50 to the belt conveyor 10. This is the exit side starfoil that is discharged.
[0019]
The article holding part 12 </ b> A of the entry-side star wheel 12 and the article holding part 13 </ b> A of the delivery star wheel 12 both coincide with the pitch of the transport base 21 </ b> A transferred by the first rotary table 21 that constitutes the lid mounting device 20. The entry-side star wheel 12 and the delivery star wheel 13 are both driven to rotate in the same direction (clockwise in the illustrated example) at a constant speed, and the first rotary table 21 is provided with these star wheels. 12 and 13 at a constant speed corresponding to 12 and 13 and rotated in a different direction (counterclockwise in the illustrated example).
[0020]
Further, the article holding part 13 </ b> A of the delivery star wheel 13 and the article holding part 14 </ b> A of the exit side star wheel 14 both have the pitch of the transport table 51 </ b> A transferred by the second rotary table 51 constituting the direction control device 50. The delivery star wheel 13 and the delivery star wheel 14 are both rotationally driven at a constant speed in the same direction (clockwise in the illustrated example), and the second rotary table 51 is It is rotationally driven in a different direction (counterclockwise in the illustrated example) at a constant speed corresponding to the star wheels 13 and 14.
[0021]
The lid supply device 45 is disposed at a position downstream from the entry star wheel 12 with respect to the conveyance direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 1) of the article W on the first rotary table 21, and includes a large number of lids. A lid storage section 46 that stores C, and a lid transport conveyor 47 that is positioned below the lid storage section 46 and serves as a lid transport means for supplying the lid C to the lid mounting device 20. And a lid supply star wheel 48 for supplying the lid C from the lid transport conveyor 47 to the lid mounting mechanism 30.
The pitch of the lid holding part 48 </ b> A of the lid supply star wheel 48 is in a state that matches the pitch of the transport base 21 </ b> A transferred by the first rotary table 21.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 2, the first rotary table 21 constituting the lid mounting device 20 is rotatably supported by a cylindrical support shaft 16 </ b> A extending upward and fixed to a horizontal substrate 15 constituting the machine frame. A cylindrical main rotary drive shaft 22 extending in the vertical direction and a rotary disk 23 extending in parallel with the horizontal substrate 15 are integrally fixed to the upper end portion of the main rotary drive shaft 22.
[0023]
A plurality of, for example, 16 conveyance bases 21A, for example, are provided at equiangular intervals on the outer peripheral edge portion of the rotating disk 23, and a member for preventing the articles W from tipping over is located at the radially inner position of each conveyance base 21A. 24 is provided corresponding to the transport table 21A.
[0024]
The first rotary table 21 has a rotary transport mechanism that revolves each of the transport bases 21A around the rotation center axis Y1 by rotationally driving the rotary disk 23 about the rotation center axis Y1 extending in the vertical direction. Is provided.
The rotary conveyance mechanism is configured such that a drive gear 25 connected to a common drive source 70 with a direction control device 50 (to be described later) via an appropriate power transmission mechanism, and a drive gear 25 integrally fixed to a lower end portion. The main rotating drive shaft 22 extends in a cylindrical shape, and a rotating disk 23 is integrally fixed to a flange portion 22 </ b> A formed at the upper end of the main rotating drive shaft 22.
[0025]
On the upper surface of the upper end flange portion 22A of the main rotation drive shaft 22, a cylindrical rotation drive shaft 31 in the lid mounting mechanism 30 is arranged coaxially with the main rotation drive shaft 22 and fixed integrally therewith. It is rotatably supported by the support shaft 16A.
[0026]
A ring-shaped lower support substrate 32A is integrally fixed to the upper end side portion of the rotation drive shaft 31 so as to extend in parallel with the rotation disk 23, and a rotation disk is provided on the outer peripheral edge portion of the lower support substrate 32A. A lower support member 33 </ b> A is fixed at a position corresponding to the transport table 21 </ b> A in FIG.
A ring-shaped upper support substrate 32B is integrally fixed to the upper end portion of the support shaft 16A so as to extend in parallel with the rotating disk 23 on a cylindrical member 35 rotatably supported by the support shaft 16A. The upper support member 33B is fixed to the outer peripheral edge portion of the upper support substrate 32B at a position corresponding to the lower support member 33A.
[0027]
The upper support member 33 </ b> B and the lower support member 33 </ b> A hold a pipe-like support rod 36 that extends vertically, and the support rod 36 serves as a follower driven up and down by a pressing mechanism including a cam mechanism 40. The lifting / lowering member 37 is integrally fixed so that the support rod 36 can be displaced in the vertical direction.
The cam mechanism 40 includes a support disc 41 fixed to the support shaft 16 </ b> A and a cylindrical side plate 42 provided on the outer end edge of the support disc 41. A roller 44 fixed to the elevating member 37 is held in the slope-shaped guide groove 43 formed over the entire area. Thereby, in the example of FIG. 2, the elevating member 37 is moved between the upper left height level and the lower right height level.
[0028]
A through hole 38 communicating with the flow path of the support rod 36 through an appropriate connecting member (not shown) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lower support member 33A. However, the suction means is connected via the decompression state adjusting means.
A lid holding member 39 for sucking and holding the lid C from the lid supply star wheel 13 is fixed to the lower end of the support rod 36.
[0029]
  A straight tubular shaft member 17A is supported on the support shaft 16A via a bearing provided on the inner peripheral surface thereof so as to be rotatable about the rotation center axis Y1. The shaft member 17A includes a rotating disk. An encoder (not shown) for detecting the rotational angle state of 23 is provided.
  The encoder is connected to a control circuit 18A disposed below the shaft member 17A. The control circuit 18A uses the rotation angle data of the rotary disk 23 detected by the encoder to It has a function of recognizing the position in the arcuate conveyance path R1, and after the lid C is mounted on the article W, the suction force in the lid holding member 39 that holds the lid C is reduced.Depressurized state adjustment meansIt has a function to adjust.
[0030]
The screw conveyor 11 and the entry side star wheel 12 are respectively connected to a common drive motor 70 via an appropriate driving force transmission mechanism such as a gear transmission mechanism or a belt transmission mechanism, whereby the screw conveyor 11 The entry star wheel 12 is driven in common by the drive motor 70.
[0031]
Specifically, a star wheel drive gear 122 that meshes with the drive gear 25 in the rotary conveyance mechanism is fixed to the rotation shaft 121 of the entry side star wheel 12 that penetrates the horizontal substrate 15 and extends in the vertical direction. Thus, the entry side star wheel 12 is rotationally driven by the common drive motor 70.
Further, a sub-transmission gear 191 is provided at a level below the horizontal substrate 15 in the rotating shaft 121, and this sub-transmission gear 191 is connected to the screw conveyor drive gear 111 via the driven gear 192 and the belt transmission mechanism 19. Accordingly, the screw conveyor 11 is driven by the common drive motor 70.
[0032]
As shown in FIG. 3, the second rotary table 51 constituting the direction control device 50 is vertically supported by a cylindrical support member 16 </ b> B that is fixed to the horizontal substrate 15 constituting the machine frame and extends upward. A cylindrical revolving drive shaft 52 extending in the direction, and a rotating disk 53 extending in parallel with the horizontal substrate 15 are integrally fixed to the upper end portion of the revolving drive shaft 52.
[0033]
A plurality of, for example, twelve bearing portions 54 are provided at equiangular intervals on the outer peripheral edge portion of the rotating disk 53, and a conveyor base rotating shaft 55 extending in the vertical direction rotates in each of the bearing portions 54. It is held freely.
A transport table 51A on which one article W is placed is fixed to the upper end of the transport table rotation shaft 55.
[0034]
The second rotary table 51 includes a rotary transport mechanism that rotates the rotary disk 53 around a rotation center axis Y2 extending in the vertical direction and revolves each of the transport bases 51A around the rotation center axis Y2, and each transport. Two drive mechanisms of a transport table rotating mechanism for rotating the table 51A are provided.
[0035]
The rotary transport mechanism meshes with a drive motor 70 as a drive source arranged so that the drive shaft 71 extends upward, a transmission gear 72 fixed to the drive shaft 71 of the drive motor 70, and the transmission gear 72. The revolving drive shaft 52 includes a main gear 73 provided at a lower end portion of the revolving drive shaft 52 and a revolving drive shaft 52.
[0036]
The transport table rotating mechanism is coaxial with the interlocking gear 60 fixed to the revolving drive shaft 52 in the rotating transport mechanism and integrated with the main gear 73 and with the revolving drive shaft 52 inserted therein. Is fixed integrally to the upper end of the rotation drive shaft 61 and a gear train 62 composed of a plurality of relay gears connecting the rotation drive shaft 61 and the interlocking gear 60. The rotation driving gear 63, the rotation driven gear 64 fixed to the conveyance table rotating shaft 55, meshed with the rotation driving gear 63, the clutch 65 supported at the lower portion of the bearing portion 54, and the conveyance table 51A. And a direction maintaining mechanism 66 for maintaining the posture of the article W placed on the rotating drive mechanism 61. The rotation driving shaft 61 is different from the revolution driving shaft 52 by a driving motor 70 common to the rotation conveyance mechanism. Different from each other It is supported so as to be rotated via the power transmission system.
[0037]
The gear train 62 includes a plurality of, for example, three relay gears, that is, a first relay gear 62A that meshes with the interlocking gear 60 that is rotatably supported by an upwardly extending fixed shaft 151 that is fixed to the horizontal substrate 15, and the first relay gear. The second relay gear 62B, which is fixed integrally with 62A and constitutes a transmission gear, and the third relay gear 62C, which is fixed to the lower end of the rotation drive shaft 61 and meshes with the second relay gear 62B, are shown in FIG. In the example shown, the diameter of the first relay gear 62A is set larger than that of the second relay gear 62B.
[0038]
The clutch 65 is disconnected by a control circuit 18B, which will be described later, in a connected state in which the driven gear 64 for rotation and the transport base rotating shaft 55 are coupled in the direction of rotation, and the connection state is released and the free state is established between the two. It is possible to switch between states.
[0039]
The direction maintaining mechanism 66 is a ring-shaped support substrate 67 fixed to and supported by the rotary disc 53 in a state parallel to the rotary disc 53 at a level below the rotary disc 53, and the support substrate 67. A sliding plate 68 fixed to the lower end of each of the transport table rotation shafts 55 so as to frictionally slide with respect to the upper surface, and a spring (not shown) that elastically contacts the sliding plate 68 with the support substrate 67. And a friction material 68A made of a brake lining material such as leather having a large coefficient of friction with respect to the support substrate 67 is provided on the lower surface portion of the sliding plate 68.
[0040]
On the upper surface of the rotating disk 53, a sensor 74 for detecting the mark M of the article W placed on the conveying table 51A corresponding to each of the conveying tables 51A includes the center position of the conveying table 51A and the rotating disk. In addition to being disposed on a straight line connecting the center position of 53 (see FIG. 1), an overturn prevention material 75 for the article W is disposed corresponding to each of the transport bases 51A.
[0041]
A cylindrical shaft member 17B is supported on the support member 16B via a bearing provided on the inner peripheral surface thereof so as to be rotatable about the rotation center axis Y2. The shaft member 17B includes a rotating disk. An encoder (not shown) for detecting the rotation angle state of 53 is provided. The encoder is connected to a control circuit 18B disposed below the shaft member 17B, and the detected rotation angle data of the rotating disk 53 is supplied to the control circuit 18B.
The lead wires of the sensors 74 on the rotating disk 53 extend downward through the shaft member 17B and are connected to the control circuit 18B.
[0042]
The control circuit 18B has a function of recognizing the position of the individual carriage 51A in the arcuate conveyance path R2 based on the rotation angle data from the encoder.
In the transport path R2, the direction control region α is set in advance over a predetermined angle range from a position on the downstream side by a slight angle from the start point position (see FIG. 1). When 51A is transferred and reaches this direction control region α, it has a function of bringing the clutch 65 related to the transfer table 51A into a connected state and a function of setting the sensor related to the transfer table 51A to an operating state, and further The sensor 74 has a function of disengaging the clutch 65 when it detects the mark M of the article W placed on the transport table 51A.
[0043]
The delivery star wheel 13 and the outgoing star wheel 14 are connected by a driving force transmission mechanism such as a flexible shaft and a gear so that they are commonly driven by the drive motor 70.
[0044]
In the above, a specific numerical example of each gear constituting the transport table rotation mechanism is shown, for example, the gear ratio of the interlocking gear 60 and the first relay gear 62A is 1: 1, the second relay gear 62B and the third relay gear 62C. The gear ratio between the rotation drive gear 63 and the rotation driven gear 64 is 5: 1, and the gear rotation ratio between the main gear 73 and the rotation driven gear 64 is 1: 4. .
[0045]
As described above, in this processing apparatus, an additional processing device arrangement region is set in the transport path R2 of the direction control device 50 between the direction control region α and the downstream end point, and this additional processing is performed. In the apparatus disposition area, an additional processing apparatus that performs appropriate additional processing on the article W to be transferred is disposed.
[0046]
Specifically, at a position downstream of the direction control region α with respect to the conveyance direction of the article W, a predetermined display is printed on the outer peripheral surface of the article W, and a print processing apparatus 81 such as an ink jet printer is cooled and solidified. A hot melt spraying device 82 for spraying the adhesive to be applied to a predetermined part of the article, and a sticking device 83 for attaching or attaching an accessory such as a straw or a spoon to the outer peripheral surface of the article W are arranged in this order. Yes.
[0047]
The print processing device 81, the hot melt spray device 82, and the sticking device 83 all share the direction control device 50 and the drive motor 70, and the additional processing device drive gear fixed to the drive shaft 71 of the drive motor 70. It is driven by a cam mechanism (not shown) through an appropriate power transmission system including 76.
[0048]
Hereinafter, the operation of the processing apparatus will be described.
In this processing apparatus, the lid mounting process, the direction control process, and the additional process are performed in this order for each article W to be processed.
Specifically, first, when the drive motor 70 is operated, each of the articles W sequentially conveyed by the belt conveyor 10 is adapted to the pitch of the article holding part 12A of the entry star wheel 12 by the screw conveyor 11. After being adjusted to an equal pitch, it is held by the entry-side star wheel 12 and is supplied to the sequential conveyance table 21A of the first rotary table 21 that rotates at a constant speed at the starting point of the conveyance path R1, and is fitted with a lid. Processing is performed.
[0049]
In the first rotary table 21, the article W is placed on the conveyance table 21 </ b> A fixed to the rotary disk 23 by rotating the rotary disk 23 around the rotation center axis Y <b> 1 via the main rotary drive shaft 22. In this state, it is transferred along the arcuate conveyance path R1 integrally with the rotating disk 23.
Further, the rotational drive shaft 31 is rotationally driven integrally with the main rotational drive shaft 22, and the lid mounting mechanism 30 has a constant speed in a state where the lid holding member 39 faces the transport base 21 </ b> A in the rotary disc 23. And the elevating member 37 is moved up and down by the cam action in a state where the amount of movement thereof is controlled, and the support rod 36 and the lid holding member 39 are displaced in the up and down direction.
[0050]
On the other hand, the lid C to be mounted on the article W is transported by the lid transport conveyor 47 and sequentially supplied to the lid mounting mechanism 30 by the lid supply star wheel 48. The lid C is conveyed by the upper position of the article W corresponding to the lid holding member 39 while being sucked and held by the lid holding member 39, and is lowered by a cam action in a predetermined region in the conveyance path R1. When the lid holding member 39 presses the article from above, the lid mounting convex portion of the article W is engaged with the engaging portion of the lid C and attached. Thereafter, the control circuit 18 </ b> A is controlled to reduce the suction force in the lid holding member 39, and the lid holding member 39 is raised and separated from the article W.
[0051]
Next, the article W to which the cover C is attached is held by the transfer star wheel 13 and supplied to the sequential conveyance platform 51A of the second rotary table 51 that rotates at a constant speed at the start point of the conveyance path R2. To the direction control process.
[0052]
When the rotary disc 53 in the second rotary table 51 is rotationally driven, the bearing portion 54, the rotation driven gear 64 and the direction maintaining mechanism 66 that are integrally fixed to the rotation disc 53 include the rotation drive gear. 64 and the rotation drive shaft 61 are revolved around the rotation center axis Y2 as a so-called planetary gear structure. At this time, the rotation driven gear 64 and the rotation drive gear 63 are the same as the rotation drive shaft 61. Since it is rotatably supported, it is practically unaffected by the rotational force of the rotating disk 53.
On the other hand, when the main gear 73 is rotated, the rotation drive shaft 61 is driven via the interlocking gear 60, the first relay gear 62A, the second relay gear 62B, and the third relay gear 62C. If there is a difference between the rotation speed V1 of the plate 53 and the rotation speed V2 of the rotation drive shaft 61 rotated via the interlocking gear 60 and the gear train 62, the rotation speed and the rotation direction corresponding to the difference are different. The driven gear 64 for rotation is rotated in the controlled state.
[0053]
However, since the clutch 65 is in the disconnected state, the rotational force of the driven gear 64 for rotation is not transmitted to the transport table rotation shaft 55, and the sliding plate 68 at the lower end of the transport table rotation shaft 55 is supported with respect to the support substrate 67. Since the rotation is prohibited by the frictional engagement, the driven gear 64 for rotation simply idles around the conveyance table rotation shaft 55. At this time, the sensor 74 transferred together with the transfer table 51A is in an inoperative state.
[0054]
Then, the rotation angle state of the rotary disk 53 is monitored by an encoder provided on the shaft member 16B, and when a certain carriage 51A reaches the direction control region α, the control circuit 18B based on the rotation angle data from the encoder. In response to the command signal, the clutch 65 related to the transport table 51A is brought into a connected state, and as a result, the transport table rotation shaft 55 is integrally coupled to the driven gear 64 for rotation via the clutch 65. The rotational force of the rotation driven gear 64 due to the meshing with the rotation drive gear 63 is transmitted to the transport table rotation shaft 55. However, since the rotational force by the driven gear 64 for rotation is so-called forced, the transport table rotating shaft 55 rotates while sliding the sliding plate 68 at the lower end thereof against the support substrate 67, thereby The transport platform 51A rotates while being transported along the transport path R2.
Then, at the same time as the clutch 65 is brought into the connected state, the sensor 74 related to the transport table 51A is brought into the activated state by the control circuit 18B.
[0055]
As described above, the article W placed on the conveyance table 40A rotates due to the rotation of the conveyance table 40A transferred in the direction control region α. However, when the mark M of the article W reaches a position facing the sensor. The sensor 74 detects the mark M, and the clutch 65 is disengaged by a signal generated from the control circuit 18B in response to the mark detection signal. As a result, the transport base rotating shaft 55 becomes free from the rotation driven gear 64. The rotation of the transport table rotation shaft 55 is stopped by the frictional engagement between the sliding plate 68 and the support substrate 67, whereby the rotation of the transport table 51A is stopped. Here, in the article W on the conveyance table 51A, the mark M faces the sensor 74, that is, the mark M faces the center direction of the second rotary table 51, and the front direction of the article W is the conveyance path. This is a state in which the direction is controlled to be in a rotation state facing a specific fixed direction with respect to R2.
[0056]
Thereafter, the transport table 51A is transported along the transport path R2 by the second rotary table 51 in a state in which the rotation of the transport table 51A is prohibited by the action of the direction maintaining mechanism 66 and the front direction is controlled. Then, in a region where the additional processing apparatus is provided, after a predetermined display is printed on the outer peripheral surface of the article W by the print processing apparatus 81, the hot melt adhesive is applied to a predetermined portion of the article W by the hot melt spraying apparatus 82. The accessory is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the article W by the sticking device 83.
Then, at the end point of the transport path R2, it is received by the article holding portion 14A of the exit side star wheel 14 and discharged onto the belt conveyor 10.
[0057]
Thus, according to the above processing apparatus, basically, the lid mounting process for the article W and the additional process such as the accessory sticking process are performed in the same transport line. In addition, since the lid mounting process is performed prior to the additional process, the lid mounting process can be performed in the state where there is no obstacle to the article W. Therefore, the lid C can be securely attached to the article W.
[0058]
Further, the lid transport conveyor 47 is disposed in parallel with the article transport conveyor 10 in a state in which the transport direction is the same as the transport direction of the article transport conveyor 10. However, the space on the opposite side to the direction control device 50 adjacent to the lid mounting device 20 can be used effectively. The lid supply device 45 can be disposed at a high installation space utilization rate.
The direction control device is configured to combine a plurality of power transmission systems by arranging the rotation drive shaft 61 in the conveyance table rotation mechanism coaxially with the revolution drive shaft 52 in the rotation conveyance mechanism. Therefore, the installation occupation area required for the direction control device 50 itself can be reduced.
Therefore, the installation occupation area of the entire processing apparatus can be reduced.
[0059]
Further, in the lid mounting mechanism, the lid C to be mounted on the article W is configured to be sucked and held by the lid holding member 39. Therefore, the suction force of the lid C by the lid holding member 39 is increased. By performing the control, the lid body transfer operation between the lid body supply star wheel 48 and the lid body holding member, the lid body mounting operation between the lid body holding member and the article W, and the like are smoothly performed. Therefore, the lid processing of the article can be reliably performed with high efficiency.
In addition, since the lid holding member 39 is moved in the vertical direction in a state where the movement amount is controlled by the cam mechanism 40, the lid C can be securely attached to the article W.
[0060]
Further, according to the direction control device that constitutes the processing device, the transport table rotation mechanism is driven via a separate power transmission system different from the rotation transport mechanism. Control is performed in accordance with the difference in rotational speed between the rotational speed of the rotation drive shaft 61 rotated by being rotated and the rotation speed of the rotation drive shaft 61 rotated via the interlocking gear 60 and the gear train 62. Thus, the rotation state, rotation speed, and rotation direction of the carriage 51A are determined by the configuration of the gear transmission mechanism including the gear train 62, for example, Since it is determined according to the gear ratio and the like, the degree of freedom in selecting the rotation condition settings such as the rotation direction and rotation speed of the conveyance platform 51A is increased. In addition, the rotation direction of the transport table 50 can be changed without significantly changing the structure of the direction control device.
[0061]
For example, in the direction control device of the illustrated example, the diameter of the first relay gear 62A is set larger than the diameter of the second relay gear 62B, and thereby the rotation drive shaft 61 is rotated via the interlocking gear 60 and the gear train 62. As a result, the conveyance platform 51A is rotated in a direction (clockwise) different from the rotation direction of the rotary disc 53.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, when the diameter of the first relay gear 62A is set smaller than that of the second relay gear 62B, the rotational speed of the rotation drive shaft 61 rotated through the interlocking gear 60 and the gear train 62 is increased. However, as a result of being relatively smaller than the rotational speed of the rotating disk 53, the transport base 51A can be rotated in the same direction (counterclockwise) as the rotating direction of the rotating disk 53. Here, a specific numerical example of each gear in the transport table rotation mechanism configured as shown in FIG. 4 is shown. For example, the gear ratio between the interlocking gear 60 and the first relay gear 62A is 1.8: 1, and the second relay gear. The gear ratio between 62B and the third relay gear 62C is 1: 1, the gear ratio between the rotation drive gear 63 and the rotation driven gear 64 is 5: 1, and the gear rotation ratio between the main gear 73 and the rotation driven gear 64. Is 1: -4.
[0062]
In addition, since the degree of freedom in selecting the condition setting for the rotation speed of the conveyance platform 51A is large, the conveyance platform 51A is rotated at a gear ratio set so as to increase the rotation speed, so that the rotation speed by the main gear 73 is reduced. In addition to being able to perform direction control and performing direction control processing with high time efficiency, the direction control region α in the arcuate conveyance path R2 can be reduced, so that the setting of the conveyance path R2, for example, Without changing the diameter and the length according to the size and number of the transport tables 51A to be arranged, a sufficient additional processing apparatus installation area can be secured, and a plurality of additional processing apparatuses can be secured. It is also possible to set the processing device arrangement area.
[0063]
Since the lid processing device, the direction control device, and the additional processing device are configured to be driven by a common drive source, it is not necessary to install a dedicated drive source for each device. Also, the installation occupation area of the processing apparatus itself can be reduced.
[0064]
In addition, when one conveyance line is branched into a plurality of, for example, two conveyance lines, and the processing apparatuses shown in FIG. 1 are symmetrically arranged in each conveyance line, the article for which direction control is achieved in the direction control region When a direction adjustment process for changing only a certain angle is required, the rotary transport mechanism having the configuration shown in FIG. 3 is used as one direction control device, and the rotary transport mechanism is configured as shown in FIG. By using the one as the other direction control device and disposing each on the outside of the transfer line, in each direction control device, the transfer platform is rotated in different directions, so in any direction control device, With a small rotation angle, an arbitrary circumferential location on the entire circumference of the article W can be in a state of facing outward in the radial direction of the rotary table. Therefore, the desired processing can be performed with high time efficiency, and the direction adjustment region in the arcuate conveyance path R can be reduced, so that a sufficiently large additional processing device installation region can be secured. can do.
[0065]
  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications as shown below can be added, for example..
[0066]
(2) In an actual processing apparatus, a specific configuration of each part, for example, the size of the rotary table, the rotation speed, the number of transfer tables, and the transfer table rotation mechanism in the lid mounting device and the direction control device are configured. The gear ratio of the gear is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected according to the type and size of the article to be processed, other conditions, or according to the purpose. However, in the direction control device, the direction control region of the conveyance path needs to be able to rotate the conveyance table over an angle range of 360 degrees or more.
[0067]
(3) In the lid mounting device,Position variable mechanism for moving the lifting memberIsThe cam mechanism is not limited.
[0068]
(4) The additional processing apparatus is not limited to the above example, and for example, a labeler for attaching a label to the outer peripheral surface of the article W can be disposed.
[0069]
【The invention's effect】
According to the article processing apparatus of the present invention, basically, an additional process such as a lid mounting process and an accessory attaching process for the article is performed in the same transport line, so that the article can be processed with high efficiency. In addition, since the lid mounting process is performed prior to the additional processing, the lid mounting process can be performed in a state where there is no obstacle to the article W. The lid can be securely attached to the article.
[0070]
Further, according to the processing apparatus of the present invention, the lid transport means is disposed in parallel with the article transport means in a state in which the transport direction is the same as the transport direction of the article transport means. The lid supply device can be arranged at a space utilization rate, and the direction control device is composed of a plurality of power transmission systems. Therefore, the installation required for the direction control device itself is required. The occupation area may be small, and therefore the installation occupation area of the entire processing apparatus can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a configuration in an example of a processing apparatus of the present invention.
2 is a partial cross section showing an outline of the configuration of an example of a lid mounting device in the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an outline of a configuration of an example of a direction control device in the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an outline of a configuration in another example of the direction control device.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Belt conveyor
11 Screw conveyor
111 Screw conveyor drive gear
12 Entering star foil
12A article holding part
121 Rotating shaft
122 Starwheel drive gear
13 Starfoil for delivery
13A article holding part
14 Outgoing Starfoil
14A article holding part
15 Horizontal board
151 Fixed shaft
16A, 16B Support shaft
17A, 17B Shaft member
18A, 18B control circuit
19 Belt transmission mechanism
191 Sub transmission gear
192 Driven gear
20 Lid mounting device
21 First rotary table
21A Transport stand
22 Main rotational drive shaft
22A Flange part
23 Rotating disc
24 Fall prevention member
25 Drive gear
30 Lid mounting mechanism
31 Rotary drive shaft
32A Lower support substrate
32B Upper support substrate
33A Lower support member
33B Upper support member
36 Support rod
37 Lifting member
38 Through hole
39 Lid holding member
40 cam mechanism
41 Support disk
42 Side plate
43 Guide groove
44 Laura
45 Lid supply device
46 Lid storage part
47 Cover Conveyor
48 lid supply star foil
48A lid holding part
50 direction control device
51 Second rotary table
51A Transport stand
52 Drive shaft for revolution
53 Rotating disc
54 Bearing part
55 Transfer platform rotation axis
60 interlocking gear
61 Drive shaft for rotation
62 Gear train
62A-62C Relay gear
63 Drive gear for rotation
64 Driven gear for rotation
65 clutch
66 Directional maintenance mechanism
67 Support substrate
68 Sliding plate
68A Friction material
70 Drive source
71 Drive shaft
72 Transmission gear
73 Main gear
74 sensors
75 Fall prevention material
81 Print processing device
82 Hot melt spraying equipment
83 Adhering device

Claims (4)

A lid mounting device for mounting a lid on each cup-shaped article that is sequentially transported along the transport path, an article transporting means for transporting the article to the lid mounting device, and a transport direction of the article transporting means The lid transporting means for supplying the lid to the lid mounting device, which is arranged in parallel with the article transporting means in the same direction as the transport direction, and the lid mounted on the article transporting direction. A direction control device for controlling the front direction of each article in the direction control region in the conveyance path disposed at a downstream position of the apparatus, and disposed at a position downstream of the direction control region with respect to the conveyance direction of the article , A sticking device that performs a sticking process for attaching or attaching accessories to the outer peripheral surface of each article, and the lid mounting device, the direction control device, and the sticking device are driven via different power transmission systems. With a common drive source ,
The lid mounting device includes a rotary transport mechanism that transports a plurality of transport platforms on which articles to be mounted with a lid are placed along an arc-shaped transport path, and a lid provided above the rotary transport mechanism. It consists of a body mounting mechanism,
The lid mounting mechanism is a lid supplied from the lid transport means, which is arranged to face each of the transport bases in the rotary transport mechanism in a state supported by the pipe-shaped support rods to which the suction means are connected. Rotation drive that rotates a plurality of lid holding members that are transported in a state where the body is sucked and held around the rotation center axis of the rotary conveyance mechanism, with each lid holding member facing the corresponding conveyance stand A mechanism, a pressing mechanism for moving the lid holding member in the vertical direction, and an encoder for detecting the position of the individual conveyance table in the conveyance path,
An article processing apparatus, wherein a suction force in a lid holding member is adjusted based on data detected by an encoder . The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing mechanism includes a cam mechanism . The direction control device rotates a plurality of transfer tables on which articles to be subjected to direction control processing are placed, a rotation transfer mechanism that transfers the transfer tables along an arc-shaped transfer path, and the respective transfer tables. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transport table rotation mechanism . The sticking apparatus performs sticking processing of accessories from the outer side in the radial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the article on which the lid is mounted . Processing equipment.

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