JP2007076714A - Method for detecting inappropriately sterilized can and device for sterilizing vacant can - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform a positive and rapid detection of a defective can when an inappropriate sterilization of a vacant can Ec under atomization of medical liquid occurs. <P>SOLUTION: A method for detecting an inappropriately sterilized can is carried out at a sterilization step for a vacant can Ec where sterilization liquid adhered to the vacant can Ec is decomposed and removed by atomizing sterilization liquid while the vacant can Ec is being rotated and by blowing hot air against the vacant can Ec having the sterilization liquid adhered to it, wherein rotating states of suction pads 28 sucking and holding the moving vacant cans Ec are detected in sequence for every can Ec with a plurality of sensors PH1, PH2, PH3 and PH4 arranged at predetermined positions at the midway part of a transferring path, and when all the detecting signals of each of the sensors PH1, PH2, PH3 and PH4 are light shielding states or incident light states, it is judged that the vacant cans Ec sucked by the suction pads 28 are inappropriately sterilized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for detecting a sterilization-defective can by monitoring the sterilizing liquid application state of a can body in an aseptic filling line for filling and sealing a content such as a sterilized beverage, and empty can sterilization for implementing the method. Relates to the device.

  When producing canned foods, it is preferable to reduce the heat history and keep the original taste, aroma or color of the contents such as beverages as much as possible. For this purpose, an aseptic filling method has been known. This method fills a sterilized empty can with a sterilized beverage that has been sterilized in a short time at a high temperature and rapidly cooled in an almost aseptic atmosphere. Further, it is a method of sealing with a sterilized can lid. As a method for sterilizing empty cans used in such aseptic filling, spray the sterilizing liquid on both the inside and outside of the empty can, then heat the hot can by blowing it into an oven and spraying it with hot air, and adhere to the empty can There is known a method in which the sterilizing liquid being heated is decomposed and removed (for example, Patent Document 1).

Further, if the sterilizing liquid is not sprayed stably and uniformly on the empty can, defective products due to insufficient sterilization and defective products with the remaining sterilizing liquid are likely to be generated. In order to avoid such a problem, pressurize the low-concentration hydrogen peroxide solution with compressed air, and in that state, atomize from the spray nozzle and spray toward the empty can. It has been proposed that the sterilizing solution is uniformly attached to an empty can (for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 10-2111912 A JP 2002-2626 A

  All of the conventional methods described above spray the sterilizing liquid toward the empty can, but in order to uniformly apply the sterilizing liquid to the empty can evenly, the spray nozzle sprays the sterilizing liquid uniformly. In addition, it is necessary to satisfy conditions such that the relative position between the spray nozzle and the empty can is properly maintained, and the concentration of the sterilizing liquid is uniform. In other words, when these conditions are not satisfied or temporarily not satisfied, an empty can that has been sterilized at that time may become a sterilization defective can.

  Each of the above patent documents does not describe a technique that assumes the occurrence of such a sterilized defective can, and there is room for developing a new technique for detecting the sterilizing defect of an empty can and dealing with the occurrence of a sterilized defective can. was there.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the technical problem described above, and a method for detecting defective sterilization cans by detecting whether the sterilizing liquid is sprayed uniformly over the entire circumference of the can body with a simple configuration. And it aims at providing the empty can sterilizer which enforces the method.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of claim 1 sprays a sterilizing liquid (hereinafter also referred to as a chemical liquid) while rotating an empty can, and then blows hot air onto the empty can on which the sterilizing liquid is adhered. In the method for detecting defective sterilization cans in the sterilization process of empty cans, which disassembles and removes the sterilization liquid adhering to the empty cans, a plurality of sensors are arranged at predetermined positions in the middle of the empty can transport path, When the rotation state of the suction pad that holds and holds the empty can is sequentially detected without contact, and the detection signals of the plurality of sensors that detect the rotation state of each suction pad are all ON or all OFF, The method is characterized in that an empty can adsorbed by a suction pad is determined to be a poorly sterilized can.

  The invention according to claim 2 is a spray nozzle for spraying and adhering a sterilizing liquid toward an empty can that rotates, an adsorbing pad that adsorbs and rotates the empty can, and moves the adsorbing pad along the transport path. Conveying means, empty can heating means for disassembling and removing the sterilizing liquid attached by blowing hot air to the empty can on which the sterilizing liquid is attached, rotating with the suction pad, and at equal intervals in the rotation direction A detected portion having a discontinuous portion, and a plurality of sensors arranged at equal intervals in a predetermined range along the conveying direction, detecting the detected portion in a non-contact manner and outputting an ON signal or an OFF signal. An empty can sterilization apparatus comprising: a signal processing unit that determines whether the suction pad is in a rotating state based on detection signals of the sensors that are output in synchronization with the transport unit.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the detected portion includes a light transmitting portion that transmits light and a light shielding portion that blocks light, and is attached to a rotation shaft of the suction pad. An empty can sterilization apparatus comprising a plate, wherein the sensor is arranged to face the rotating plate and is constituted by a transmission type sensor that outputs a signal in response to light.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the invention, the signal processing unit is configured such that the detection signals of the plurality of transmissive sensors for detecting the rotation state of the predetermined suction pad are all in a light shielding state or a light incident state. An empty can sterilizer characterized in that the predetermined suction pad is determined to be defective in rotation.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, at least three sensors are provided at an interval less than a distance that the suction pad rotating in a normal state moves during a half rotation. The empty can sterilization apparatus is characterized in that all of the sensors are arranged over a range that is equal to or greater than the distance moved during half rotation.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is the empty can sterilization according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, wherein the sensor is provided on the downstream side of the conveyance path from the region where the sterilizing liquid is sprayed. Device.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention is the empty can according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, wherein the sensor is disposed along a conveyance path that is out of a region where the suction pad is driven and rotated. Sterilizer.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, with respect to the empty can moving along the transfer path, the rotation state of the suction pad that holds the empty can being sucked and held by a plurality of sensors arranged at a predetermined position in the transfer path. Because it is detected sequentially without contact, and the detection signal of each sensor is all ON or all OFF, the application state of the sterilizing liquid sprayed toward the empty can is indirectly determined as defective. The rotation state of the suction pad that is not rotating can be reliably detected, and the suction pad that rotates slowly can be detected to some extent. Therefore, it becomes possible to reliably detect a sterilization defect can without providing a complicated control means.

  According to invention of Claim 2, an empty can is conveyed along a conveyance path | route, adsorb | sucking by a suction pad and rotating. In the process, a state where the sensor detects the detected part and a state where it does not detect occur. Then, the rotation state of the suction pad and the empty can adsorbed by the suction pad is determined based on the output signals based on these states. That is, it is determined whether or not the sterilizing liquid is attached. In that case, the rotation state of the suction pad can be reliably detected even if the suction pad is not stable and moves up and down or left and right due to mechanical vibrations. Favorable for high-speed sterilization.

  In addition, when the detected part rotates together with each suction pad, a state where the sensor reacts to the detected part and a state where it does not react are generated, and an output signal corresponding to the state is synchronized with the conveyance speed of the empty can. And read into the signal processing unit. And when all the detection signals of each sensor per can are in a detection state or a non-detection state, it is conveyed by the suction pad which is not rotating by judging that the suction pad is poor rotation in the signal processing unit. It is possible to reliably and quickly detect defective sterilized cans and sterilize empty cans.

  According to the third or fourth aspect of the invention, since the rotation state of the suction pad that optically sucks the empty can can be detected based on the presence or absence of transmitted light, there is almost no malfunction.

  According to the invention of claim 5, three or more of the sensors are provided at an interval less than the distance that the suction pad moves during half rotation, and over a range that is greater than or equal to the distance that moves during half rotation. By arranging and configuring all of the sensors, when the suction pads are rotating normally, all of the sensors will not be in a light-shielding state or incident light state, and an abnormal suction pad (rotation defective head) can be ensured. Can be detected.

  According to invention of Claim 6 and 7, since the said sensor is provided in the downstream of the conveyance path | route of the area | region where a sterilizing liquid is sprayed, a sterilizing liquid adheres to the detection head of the said sensor, and sensitivity. Can be prevented. In addition, in the area where the driving force to the suction pad is not transmitted, the rotation of the suction pad is attenuated, so that a clearer difference appears between the normal and abnormal cases, and the suction is more accurately performed. Appropriateness of rotation of the pad can be detected. As a result, it is possible to accurately detect the occurrence of a defective sterilization can.

  First, an example of an empty can sterilizer to which the present invention can be applied will be described. An empty can sterilizer 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes an empty can supply means 11, an empty can transport means 21, a can body outer peripheral surface chemical spray means SP1, a can inner surface chemical spray means SP2, an approach transport means 81, and a can bottom outer surface chemical liquid. It comprises spraying means SP3.

  The empty can supply means 11 is configured, for example, by winding a belt conveyor (hereinafter referred to as a supply conveyor) 13 around a pair of front and rear rotating wheels (also referred to as sprocket wheels) 12 that are rotated by an electric motor. In the illustrated case, the supply conveyor 13 rotates counterclockwise, and the upper empty can conveyance surface 14 aligns empty cans Ec with the outer surface of the bottom of the can facing up and the opening facing downward, and conveys it to the left in the drawing. To do.

  The supply conveyor 13 can adjust the height of the empty can conveyance surface 14 by a vertical movement means (not shown). The height of the empty can conveyance surface 14 is adjusted according to the height size of the empty can Ec. In addition, the structure which moves the empty can conveyance means 21 up and down with respect to the supply conveyor 13 may be sufficient as vertical height adjustment. On the other hand, a slack prevention roller 15 for preventing slack of the supply conveyor 13 is provided on a part of the return side of the supply conveyor 13 on the lower side in the figure.

  A timing screw 16 in which, for example, a spiral female screw-like concave groove is formed is disposed on the leading end side in the conveying direction of each empty can Ec facing downward. Each empty can Ec conveyed on the empty can conveyance surface 14 is sent to a female screw-like concave groove accompanying the rotation of the timing screw 16 to adjust the conveyance timing.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the empty can conveying means 21 is disposed on the leading end side in the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 13 so as to be spaced apart above it. A drive sprocket wheel 24, a driven wheel 25 on the right side of the figure, an endless chain 26 wound between the drive sprocket wheel 24 and the driven wheel 25, a plurality of chain rollers 27 loosely fitted on the chain 26, and The shaft 31 is configured to include a plurality of suction pads 28 attached to the chain link plates 33 via members which will be described later.

  In other words, the empty can conveying means 21 includes suction pads 28 for each chain roller 27 loosely fitted to the chain 26 and the chain link plate 33 that connects the chain rollers 27 to each other. It is configured to endlessly cascade in the transport direction and move at a constant speed.

  Each suction pad 28 is rotated and transferred to the left in the figure together with each chain roller 27 that rotates as the chain 26 rotates in the clockwise direction as the drive sprocket wheel 24 rotates, and is supplied from the timing screw 16. The can bottom outer surface of the downward empty can Ec is sucked and held by generation of negative pressure (suction force), and each downward empty can Ec is conveyed in the left direction in the figure, that is, in the direction of a straight line in the direction of arrow A in the figure. The regions of the suction pads 28 arranged in a straight line in the direction of arrow A constitute an empty can transport region (corresponding to a transport area of the present invention) Ce that transports each downward empty can Ec in the left direction.

  Each suction pad 28 sucks the outer surface of the can bottom of the empty can Ec by a suction method via a spatial communication with a vacuum chamber 29 disposed inside an endless chain 26 arranged in a pair of left and right. . The suction pad 28 that has passed through the empty can transport region Ce is disconnected from the vacuum chamber 29 and no negative pressure is generated. As a result, the suction of the empty can Ec is canceled and the empty can Ec is removed. Detach (natural fall).

  FIG. 2 is a partially broken explanatory view for explaining each component of the empty can conveying means 21. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG. Each chain 26 is provided in a pair of left and right, and each chain roller 27 is mounted so as to be rotatable about a shaft 31. Each chain roller 27 rolls on the guide rail 32 along the rotation locus of the chain 26 while being pulled by the rotation of the chain 26.

  A so-called L-shaped chain link plate 33 is mounted inside each chain roller 27, and a horizontal portion of each chain link plate 33 fixes a connecting plate 34. Specifically, each chain link plate 33 is held between the connecting plate 34 and the presser portion 35 fixed on the connecting plate 34 to maintain a fixed posture and firmly support each chain roller 27.

  The connecting plate 34 includes a pair of roller mounting portions 36 on both bottom surfaces, and auxiliary rollers 37 and 38 that stabilize the movement accuracy of the suction pad 28 are provided on the outer surface and the outer bottom surface of each roller mounting portion 36. It is mounted so that it can rotate. The auxiliary roller 37 on the outer surface of each roller mounting portion 36 rolls along the upper surface of the second guide rail 39, and the auxiliary roller 38 on the outer bottom surface of each roller mounting portion 36 is on the inner surface of the second guide rail 39. Roll along.

  The second guide rail 39 is fixed to a fixed portion 41 below the guide rail 32, and the movement of the connecting plate 34 in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction is maintained with high accuracy by contacting the auxiliary rollers 37 and 38. Thus, the movement accuracy of the suction pad 28 that moves together with the connecting plate 34 is increased.

  For example, a circular opening is formed in the center of the coupling plate 34, and the holding member 42 of the suction pad 28 is fixed vertically downward in the circular opening. The holding member 42 has, for example, a cylindrical shape, and is firmly fixed to the connection plate 34 by a support plate 43 attached to the bottom surface of the connection plate 34.

  A hollow shaft 45 that rotates together with the suction pad 28 via a bearing 44 is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the lower end side of the holding member 42. A locking portion 46 for restricting the downward movement of the suction pad 28 is formed on the distal end side of the hollow shaft portion 45, and the suction pad 28 is slidably attached to the locking portion 46 through a coil spring 47 in the vertical direction. Has been. Thereby, the empty can Ec supplied by the timing screw 16 can be pressed down from above, and the empty can Ec can be reliably adsorbed to the suction pad 28. The suction pad 28 rotates on the vertical axis together with the hollow shaft portion 45 by the elastic force of the coil spring 47. In the case of this example, the hollow shaft portion 45 is attached to the holding member 42 by, for example, mounting a ring-shaped engagement portion 45 a that engages with the ring-shaped upper end of the bearing 44 on the circumferential upper end of the hollow shaft portion 45. Is possible.

  Inside the empty can transport area Ce, the inside of the rotation trajectory (transfer trajectory) of each chain roller 27, that is, a position slightly above the position between the pair of chains 26, is the entire length of the empty can transport area Ce. A vacuum chamber 29 having a length is disposed. A longitudinal support 29a is provided along the longitudinal direction on the bottom surface side of the vacuum chamber 29, and an outer suction guide 48 and an outer suction guide 48 along the longitudinal direction are provided on the bottom surface side of the longitudinal support 29a. An inner suction guide (long pad) 49 entering the inside is mounted. Two linear rails 49a are formed on the bottom surface of the inner suction guide 49 along the longitudinal direction thereof, and the inner suction guide 49 is biased downward by a spring (not shown). . Two linear concave grooves (labyrinths) 34 a that slidably receive the two rails 49 a of the inner suction guide 49 are formed on the upper surface of the connecting plate 34.

  In the center of each of the vacuum chamber 29, the longitudinal support 29 a, the outer suction guide 48, and the inner suction guide 49 along the longitudinal direction, a longitudinal suction opening 51 that communicates spatially with each other is formed. Suction holes 52 that can communicate spatially with the longitudinal suction openings 51 are also formed in the vertical center along the central axis of the holding member 42 and the center of the suction pad 28. The suction holes 52 of the holding member 42 and the suction pad 28 that are transferred together with the connecting plate 34 in the empty can transfer area Ce and the suction holes 52 of the suction pad 28 are always long suction openings on the vacuum chamber 29 side during transfer in the empty can transfer area Ce. 51 communicates spatially.

  When negative pressure (for example, 5.3 to 6.0 KPa) is generated in the vacuum chamber 29 in the empty can transport area Ce by driving a suction blower (not shown), Negative pressure is generated across the holding member 42 of the connecting plate 34 and the suction holes 52 of the suction pad 28. The suction pad 28 sucks the outer surface of the bottom of the empty can Ec by generating negative pressure through the suction hole 52.

  When each connecting plate 34 enters the empty can transporting area Ce together with the suction pad 28, the two rails 49a of the inner suction guide 49 on the vacuum chamber 29 side are two concave grooves 34a on the upper surface of each connecting plate 34. Since the inner suction guide 49 is urged toward the lower connecting plate 34, the longitudinal suction opening 51 of the inner suction guide 49 and the holding holes 42 and the suction holes 52 of the suction pad 28 are in close contact with each other. As a result, negative pressure is efficiently generated on the suction surface of the suction pad 28.

  In the empty can conveyance region Ce, the configuration in which the front and rear side surfaces of each connecting plate 34 are in close contact with each other does not cause an extra gap in the longitudinal suction opening 51 of the inner suction guide 49. As a result, the close contact communication between the longitudinal suction opening 51 of the inner suction guide 49 and the suction hole 52 of each holding member 42 being transported is further improved, and the suction efficiency of each suction pad 28 being transported is further improved.

  When each connecting plate 34 passes through the empty can transport area Ce together with the holding member 42 and the suction pad 28, the suction hole 52 of the holding member 42 is not connected to the longitudinal suction opening 51 of the vacuum chamber 29 or is blocked. Thus, the suction force of the suction pad 28 is lost, and the empty can Ec is separated from the suction pad 28.

  On the other hand, the suction pad 28 and the hollow shaft portion 45 are rotatably held by the holding members 42, and a rope 54, which is a component of the rotation applying means, is in contact with the outer periphery of the hollow shaft portion 45. Each hollow shaft portion 45 rotates by obtaining a rotational force with relative movement with the rope 54, for example, and simultaneously rotates the empty can Ec adsorbed by the suction pad 28.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, on the upstream side of the empty can transfer area Ce of the empty can transfer means 21, for example, a sterilizing chemical solution (on the outer peripheral surface of each empty can Ec transferred by each suction pad 28 ( For example, a can body outer peripheral surface chemical spraying means SP1 for spraying 5% by weight of a hydrogen peroxide water sterilizing liquid (hereinafter the same) is provided. The can body outer peripheral surface chemical spraying means SP1 is configured for a partially empty can Ec that is transporting a plurality of horizontal spray nozzles (horizontal spray nozzle group) Pn1 that sprays a chemical liquid laterally with an appropriate spray pressure (for example, 200 KPa to 400 KPa). For example, it is a configuration provided in alignment with the center height position.

  It is also important to set the installation angle of each horizontal blowing nozzle Pn1 so that the chemical solution is sprayed from the obliquely forward position toward the empty cans Ec that are sequentially conveyed to the slightly rearward position. That is, each horizontal blowing nozzle Pn1 is continuously sprayed from an oblique direction, and the chemical solution can be sprayed in the same direction as the rotating direction of the empty can Ec being conveyed, and sometimes in the opposite direction, and the spray time of the chemical solution on the empty can Ec is secured longer. Therefore, the chemical solution can be made finer and uniform chemical solution spraying can be performed. Further, it is possible to prevent interference with a chemical spray pattern (chemical solution spraying area) of the can inner surface chemical spraying means SP2 described later. Further, there is no loss that the chemical solution passes between the empty cans Ec, and efficient chemical solution spraying can be performed.

  For example, on the downstream side of the plurality of horizontal blowing nozzles Pn1 in the empty can transfer area Ce of the empty can transfer means 21, the chemical liquid for sterilization is sprayed on the inner surface of each downward empty can Ec transferred by each suction pad 28. A can inner surface chemical spraying means SP2 is disposed. The can inner surface chemical spraying means SP2 is located directly above the upper spray nozzle Pn2 with respect to the empty can Ec that is transporting a plurality of upper spray nozzles (upper spray nozzle group) Pn2 that sprays the chemical liquid upward with appropriate spray air. Intermittent spraying is performed according to the passing position. By intermittently spraying at such timing, it is possible to prevent entrainment of the air current and spray the chemical liquid uniformly to the bottom surface in the can.

  It should be noted that the installation positions of the plurality of side blowing nozzles (side blowing nozzle group) Pn1 and the plurality of top blowing nozzles (upper blowing nozzle group) Pn2 may be opposite to those in the above case. In this case, it is necessary to prevent the spray direction of the chemical liquid from each side blowing nozzle Pn1 from interfering with the chemical spray area of each top blowing nozzle Pn2 toward the downstream side of the empty can transport area Ce.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the approach conveying means 81 is configured, for example, by winding a belt conveyor (hereinafter referred to as an approach conveyor) 83 around a pair of front and rear rotating wheels 82 that are rotated by driving an electric motor (not shown). Yes. The approach conveyor 83 is located at a position where a part of the upstream side in the drawing is appropriately spaced downward from the empty can Ec that is transported in the empty can transport area Ce at a position directly below a part of the downstream side of the empty can transport area Ce. It is arranged. In the illustrated case, the approach conveyor 83 rotates counterclockwise, and each empty can Ec is placed on the upper empty can transport surface 84 with the outer surface of the can bottom separated from the empty can transport area Ce facing up. Receiving, the empty cans Ec are aligned and conveyed toward a heating furnace (heating oven) (not shown) in the left direction in the figure.

  Note that the approach conveyor 83 may also be provided with vertical movement means (not shown) so that the height of the empty can conveyance surface 84 can be adjusted. Further, it is preferable that the empty can Ec be sucked and transported from the viewpoints of transport stability and high speed.

  A can that sprays a sterilizing chemical solution downward at a predetermined position on the conveyance line of each empty can that conveys each empty can Ec of the approach conveyor 83 toward the can bottom outer surface of each downward empty can Ec that is being conveyed A bottom outer surface chemical spraying means SP3 is provided. The can bottom outer surface chemical spraying means SP3 aligns a plurality of lower blowing nozzles (lower blowing nozzle group) Pn3 for spraying the chemical liquid downward with appropriate high-pressure air to a position directly above the partially empty can Ec being conveyed. The structure is provided and is not directly affected by the rotation of the can.

  The configuration after the lower blowing nozzle group Pn3 will be briefly described. The empty can Ec having the sterilizing liquid sprayed on the inner and outer surfaces thereof is sent to a heating oven (not shown) by the approach conveyor 83 and is heated to a high temperature (about 250 ° C.). ) Is heated and evaporated to heat and evaporate the attached sterilizing liquid to complete the sterilization of the empty can Ec. And while conveying the sterilized empty can Ec carried out from the heating oven, the surrounding air is cleaned with clean air, and then the sterilized empty can Ec is sprayed with aseptic water so that the heated empty can The can Ec is cooled to near the filling temperature of the contents.

  The sterilized empty can Ec cooled to near the filling temperature of the contents as described above is a beverage filling machine (filler) installed in a clean booth in an almost aseptic atmosphere (air cleanliness is class 100) On the other hand, a sterilized beverage that has been sterilized by heating at a high temperature and short time in a beverage sterilizer (not shown) and then cooled to the filling temperature is supplied to a beverage filling machine through a pre-sterilized supply pipe. And each empty can Ec is filled with a drink with a drink filling machine.

  Then, the can filled with the beverage is placed on the can filled with the beverage in a lid tightening machine (not shown) in a clean booth in an almost aseptic atmosphere. After wrapping and sealing, the product is taken out from the clean booth to the clean room by a chute as a sterilized product of canned beverages, and then taken out by a conveyor (not shown) to a predetermined place outside the clean room.

  In the empty can sterilization apparatus 1 described above, the empty can Ec adsorbed and suspended by the adsorbing pad 28 is rotated with the adsorbing pad 28 so that the entire inner and outer surfaces other than the portion covered by the adsorbing pad 28 are evenly distributed. The chemical solution is attached to. Therefore, in order to perform reliable sterilization, it is necessary that the empty can Ec is surely rotated at least in the outer spray region of the chemical solution, otherwise, it becomes a defective sterilization can. The device according to the present invention is configured to detect a sterilization failure can due to such rotation failure. That is, the apparatus of the present invention is provided with a defective can detection means 90, and the installation position thereof is, as shown in FIG. 1, the forced spin region Asp in the direction in which the empty can transporting means 21 transports the empty can Ec. It is a position on the more downstream side. Here, the forced spin area Asp is an area in which the suction pad 28 is brought into contact with the rope 54 and is forcibly rotated. In the example shown in FIG. 1, in the introduction side end of the empty can transport area Ce This is a region (position after the can inner surface chemical spraying means SP2 is disposed) from the portion (tip portion on the timing screw 16 side) to the substantially middle portion.

  The specific configuration of the defective can detection unit 90 will be described. The defective can detection unit 90 in this specific example is configured to detect the rotation of the suction pad 28 in a non-contact manner. A device that outputs a signal in response to or magnetism is used. A detected portion to which the sensor reacts is provided on the suction pad 28 (particularly, the hollow shaft portion 45). The detected portion is discontinuous in the rotation direction of the suction pad 28, and is configured to have a light transmitting portion and a light shielding portion around it, or a small piece or a metal piece having a reflective surface in a part of the surroundings. It is provided and arranged so as to face the sensor. This is because an ON / OFF signal is obtained when the suction pad 28 rotates. And it is comprised so that the state of rotation of the suction pad 28, ie, determination of a sterilization defect can, may be performed by the signal processing part based on the output signal from the sensor.

  2 and 3 show an example in which a transmissive sensor 92 such as a fiber sensor or a photoelectric sensor is used. For example, the hollow shaft portion 54 of the suction pad 28 has a light beam in the transmissive sensor 92, for example. A rotating plate 93 is attached to the passing portion. The rotating plate 93 includes light-shielding portions that block light in the transmission sensor 92 and light-transmitting portions that transmit the light alternately at equal intervals. Specifically, as shown in FIG. It is constituted by a plate having a shape. In addition, a stainless plate, a synthetic resin plate, or the like having a structure in which a part of the transparent plate is covered with an impermeable material or a structure in which penetrating portions are formed at regular intervals can be employed.

  As described above, since each suction pad 28 is conveyed linearly by the chain 26 and is rotated by contacting the rope 54, the rotation of the suction pad 28 is performed in the single transmission type sensor 92 that is fixedly installed. It is difficult to reliably detect the state. Therefore, a plurality of transmission sensors 92 are arranged along the conveyance direction of the empty can Ec. As an example, three or more transmissive sensors 92 are provided at intervals of less than the distance that the suction pad that rotates in a normal state moves during a half-rotation, and all of the transmission sensors 92 cover a range that is greater than the distance that moves during a half-rotation. It is important that the sensors are arranged. In the example shown in the figure, four transmissive sensors 92 are arranged. In FIG. 3, these transmission sensors 92 are denoted by reference numerals PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4.

  These transmissive sensors PH 1, PH 2, PH 3, PH 4 are connected to a signal processing unit 94, and their detection signals are input to the signal processing unit 94. The four transmission sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4 are for detecting the rotation state of one empty can Ec (suction pad 28). It is necessary to read each detection signal in synchronization with the linear movement. For this purpose, a timing generator 95 for generating a timing signal is provided, and a timing signal for instructing a determination timing based on detection signals of the transmission sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4 is transmitted from the timing generator 95 to the signal processor 94. Have been entered. The operation timing that is the basis of the timing signal is the traveling speed of the chain 26. Therefore, the encoder 96 connected to the empty can conveying means 21 is electrically connected to the timing generator 95, and the encoder 96 A signal to be output is input to the timing generator 95.

  The signal processing unit 94 is connected to a display unit 97 for displaying the processing result, and displays the number of the rotation failure head (adsorption pad 28 with rotation failure), rotation failure detection data, and the like. .

  Next, the operation of the above-described sterilization failure can detection apparatus, that is, the detection method of the sterilization failure can of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for reading a detection signal and determining a sterilization failure based on the detection signal. As an initial setting, the number of sensors is determined and the determination timing of each sensor is set. The determination timing is the timing at which the signal processing unit 94 reads the output signal of the sensor, and the timing at which the suction pad 28 passes through the detection positions of the transmission sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, PH4 is fetched from the encoder 96. The determination timing is set so that detection signals of the transmission sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4 are obtained.

  Note that it may be visually confirmed that the transmission sensors pass through the front positions of the PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4, and the timing may be determined as the determination timing. The operation of the signal processing unit will be described below.

  The flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is repeatedly executed every predetermined short time (for example, several tens of milliseconds). After the start, first, in step S1, whether or not the determination timing of the first transmission sensor PH1 is reached. That is, it is determined whether or not the determination timing is ON. The determination in step S1 is repeatedly performed until the determination timing is turned on. The first transmissive sensor PH1 is the transmissive sensor 92 located on the most upstream side among the transmissive sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4 arranged along the transport direction of the empty can Ec.

  When the determination timing for the first transmission type sensor PH1 is ON, in step S2, the detection signal of the light emitted from the first transmission type sensor PH1 to the rotating plate 93 is incident light (ON) or light is blocked (OFF). ) Is determined. If it is determined in step S2 that the detection signal is in the incident (ON) state, the process proceeds to step S3 to determine whether or not the determination timing for the second transmission sensor PH2 is ON, and this step S3. If it is OFF, the determination in step S3 is repeatedly executed until the determination timing is turned ON. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that the detection signal is in the light shielding (OFF) state, the process proceeds to step S4, in which it is determined whether the determination timing for the second transmission sensor PH2 is ON, If the determination result is OFF, the determination in step S4 is repeatedly executed until the determination timing is turned ON.

  If the determination timing for the transmissive sensor PH2 is ON in step S3, the process proceeds to step S5, where the detection signal of the light emitted from the transmissive sensor PH2 to the rotating plate 93 is incident (ON) or blocked. Whether it is (OFF) is determined. If it is determined in step S5 that the detection signal is in the incident (ON) state, the process proceeds to step S6 to determine whether or not the determination timing for the third transmission type sensor PH3 is ON. If the result is OFF, the determination in step S6 is repeatedly executed until the determination timing is ON. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S5 that the detection signal is light-shielded (OFF), the rotating plate 93 transmits light with the first transmission sensor PH1 and shields light with the second transmission sensor PH2. The position of the rotating plate 93 changed while moving from the first transmission type sensor PH1 to the second transmission type sensor PH2. As a result, the empty can Ec is normal together with the rotating plate 93 and the suction pad 28. Since it is determined that the vehicle is rotating, it returns once.

  If the determination timing for the third transmissive sensor PH3 is ON in step S6, the process proceeds to step S7, where the detection signal of the light emitted from the transmissive sensor PH3 to the rotating plate 93 is detected. A determination is made as to whether light is incident (ON) or light is blocked (OFF). If it is determined in step S7 that the detection signal is in the incident (ON) state, the process proceeds to step S8 to determine whether or not the determination timing for the fourth transmission sensor PH4 is ON. When the determination result is OFF, the determination in step S8 is repeatedly executed until the determination timing is turned ON. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S7 that the detection signal is light-shielded (OFF), the rotary plate 93 transmits light through the first transmission sensor PH1 and the second transmission sensor PH2, and transmits the third transmission light. Since the type sensor PH3 is shielded from light, the position of the rotary plate 93 is changed while moving from the first transmission type sensor PH1 to the third transmission type sensor PH3. As a result, the empty can Ec is turned into the rotary plate. Since it is determined that the motor 93 and the suction pad 28 are rotating normally, the process returns once.

  Similarly, in step S9, it is determined whether the detection signal from the fourth transmission sensor PH4 is incident (ON) or blocked (OFF). If it is determined in step S9 that the detection signal is in the light incident (ON) state, the process proceeds to step S1O and the display unit 97 displays the rotation failure head number (the number of the suction pad 28) and rotation as a sterilization failure can. Defect detection data is displayed. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S9 that the detection signal is in the light shielding (OFF) state, the rotating plate 93 transmits light through the first transmission sensor PH1 to the third transmission sensor PH3 and performs the fourth transmission. Since the type sensor PH4 shields light, the position of the rotary plate 93 is changed while moving from the first transmission type sensor PH1 to the fourth transmission type sensor PH4. As a result, the empty can Ec is turned into the rotary plate. Since it is determined that the motor 93 and the suction pad 28 are rotating normally, the process returns once.

  That is, when an ON signal is output from all four transmission sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4, the position of the light shielding portion on the rotating plate 93 does not change in the region where the defective can detection means 90 is provided. As a result, since the empty can Ec does not rotate normally, it is determined that the sterilization liquid is not uniformly attached, and the sterilization defective can is determined.

  If it is determined in step S2 that the detection signal is in the light shielding (OFF) state, it is determined in step S4 whether the determination timing of the second transmission sensor PH2 is ON, and the determination result. If is OFF, the determination in step S4 is repeatedly executed until the determination timing is ON. Similarly, except that the determination of each sensor is reversed ON / OFF, in steps S11 and 12, operations corresponding to the above-described steps S5 and 6 are performed, and in steps S13 and 14, the above-described steps S7 and 8 are performed. In the corresponding operation, step S15, the operation corresponding to step S9 described above is executed.

  And when OFF determination is made in any of step S2, step S11, step S13, and step S15, that is, when OFF signals are output from all four transmission sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4. This means that the position of the translucent part on the rotating plate 93 does not change in the region where the defective can detection means 90 is provided, and as a result, the direction of the empty can Ec does not change, and thus the sterilizing liquid does not adhere. It is judged that it is uniform, and a sterilization defective can is judged. On the contrary, if any of the transmission sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4 outputs an ON signal and the other transmission sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4 output an OFF signal, the rotation is performed. The plate 93 is rotated together with the suction pad 28. Therefore, it is determined that the empty can Ec is rotated and the sterilizing liquid is uniformly attached, and the determination of failure is not established, and the flowchart of FIG. Then return once.

  FIG. 5 shows a normal rotation pattern of the rotating plate 93 that rotates together with any one of the suction pads 28 (a diagram in which the position of the rotating plate 93 is schematically represented by an ON and OFF rectangular wave with respect to the moving direction). It is a figure shown in relation to ON / OFF of transmission type sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4, and the rotation state of ON shows the state where transmission type sensor 92 is located in a translucent part (half rotation), The OFF rotation state indicates a state in which the transmissive sensor 92 is located at the light shielding portion (half rotation). And the horizontal axis of FIG. 5 shows the movement direction (conveyance direction) of the empty can Ec, and shows the case where it moves to the right direction of FIG.

  If the suction pad 28 is rotating normally, the rotating plate 93 integrated with the suction pad 28 alternately blocks and transmits the light from the transmissive sensor 92. Therefore, the rotation pattern has the waveform (rectangular waveform) shown in FIG. Indicated by In the specific example described above, four transmission sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4 are arranged at equal intervals within a range L of about 1 pitch of the waveform signal. As a result, each transmission sensor PH1, PH2, The interval between PH3 and PH4 is less than half the pitch of the waveform signal. If the suction pad 28 is rotating normally and the first transmission type sensor PH1 is turned off by being shielded as shown in FIG. 5, for example, the second and third transmission type sensors PH2, PH3 is in a light incident state and is turned on, and further, the fourth transmission sensor PH4 is shielded from light and turned off. On the other hand, if the suction pad 28 does not rotate or rotates slowly, the phase of the rotating plate 93 relative to the transmission sensor 92 does not change during the movement process, or one pitch of the waveform signal is long. Therefore, all the transmission sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4 are turned on or off. Therefore, by reading the detection signals of the transmission sensors PH1, PH2, PH3, and PH4 in accordance with the transport timing of the empty can Ec, the suction pad 28, that is, the empty can, based on the ON / OFF state of the detection signal. The state of rotation of Ec can be detected, and the quality of sterilization can be determined. In addition, although the discontinuous part of the to-be-detected part (rotary plate) which has a discontinuous part of equal intervals is made into the length equivalent to a half rotation in this example, it can also be set more finely than this and the discontinuous state The distance between the sensors and the installation range are determined as appropriate.

  The signal processing unit 94 is configured to determine that the suction pad 28 is defective in rotation when all the detection signals of the plurality of transmissive sensors 92 are in a light shielding (OFF) or light incident (ON) state. However, the present invention is not limited to this as long as the rotation state of the rotary plate 93 or the suction pad 28 can be detected by ON / OFF, and the reflection state or the magnetic sensor is used to detect the rotation state from the rotary plate 93 or the suction pad 28. Thus, it may be electrically detected.

  The above-described detection flow for a sterilization defective can is applied when all sensors are arranged within the interval between adjacent suction pads 28 (rotating heads). When the interval between the pads 28 is exceeded, for example, the determination timing for the transmissive sensor PH1 is inserted before the determination timing for the transmissive sensor PH4, so that parallel processing is performed for each even head and each odd head. You can do it.

  In the above-described specific example, the example of the cylindrical empty can Ec has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to a reseal can such as a bottle type can in addition to the cylindrical can. In that case, the bottle-shaped can with which the opening of the screw part is smaller than the diameter of the trunk part and is easy to tip over is not fallen because the mouth and neck part where the screw part is formed is conveyed downward. Thus, the sterilizing liquid may be attached by transferring and conveying the sterilizing liquid on the inner surface of the can and the outer surface of the bottom of the can.

It is explanatory drawing explaining the outline of the whole structure of the empty can sterilizer which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the rotational movement means and rotation detection part which rotate an empty can during the conveyance. The block diagram which shows an example of the detection system of a sterilization defect can is shown. It is a figure which shows the flowchart for detecting a sterilization defect can. It is a figure which shows the arrangement | positioning relationship between the rotation pattern of the rotating plate normally rotated while moving, and each transmission type sensor.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Empty can sterilizer, 11 ... Empty can supply means, 21 ... Empty can conveyance means, SP1 ... Can barrel outer peripheral surface chemical spraying means, SP2 ... Can inner surface chemical spraying means, Ec ... Empty can, 26 ... Chain, 28 ... Adsorption pad, Pn1... Horizontal blowing nozzle (horizontal blowing nozzle group), Pn2... Upper blowing nozzle (upper blowing nozzle group), 90... Defective can detection means, 92, PH1, PH2, PH3, PH4. Rotating plate, 94: signal processing unit, 95: timing generation unit, 97: display unit.

Claims (7)

Spraying the sterilizing solution while rotating the empty can, and then spraying hot air to the empty can with the sterilizing solution attached thereto to decompose and remove the sterilizing solution adhering to the empty can in the sterilization defective can in the sterilization process of the empty can In the detection method of
A plurality of sensors are arranged at a predetermined position in the middle of the empty can transport path, and the rotation state of the suction pad for sucking and holding the moving empty can by each sensor is sequentially detected in a non-contact manner.
When the detection signals of a plurality of sensors that detect the rotation state of each suction pad are all ON or all OFF, the empty can sucked by the suction pad is determined as a sterilization defective can A method for detecting defective sterilization cans.   A spray nozzle for spraying and adhering a sterilizing liquid toward an empty can which rotates, an adsorbing pad for adsorbing and rotating the empty can, a conveying means for moving the adsorbing pad along a conveying path, and the sterilizing liquid An empty can heating means for decomposing and removing the sterilizing liquid attached by blowing hot air on the empty can with the adhering to the can, and a detected object that rotates together with the suction pad and has discontinuous portions at equal intervals in the rotation direction A plurality of sensors arranged at equal intervals in a predetermined range along with the transport direction, and a synchronization with the transport means An empty can sterilizer comprising: a signal processing unit for determining whether the rotation state of the suction pad is good or not based on detection signals output from the sensors.   The detected portion includes a light transmitting portion that transmits light and a light shielding portion that blocks light, and is configured by a rotating plate attached to a rotation shaft of the suction pad, and the sensor faces the rotating plate. The empty can sterilizer according to claim 2, wherein the empty can sterilizer is constituted by a transmission type sensor that is arranged in a manner that emits a signal in response to light.   The signal processing unit determines that the predetermined suction pad is defective in rotation when all the detection signals of the plurality of transmissive sensors for detecting the rotation state of the predetermined suction pad are in a light shielding state or a light incident state. The empty can sterilizer according to claim 3, wherein   Three or more of the sensors are provided at intervals of less than the distance that the suction pads that rotate in a normal state move during half rotation, and all of the sensors cover a range that is greater than the distance that moves during half rotation. The empty can sterilizer according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that are arranged.   The empty can sterilizer according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the sensor is provided on the downstream side of the conveyance path from an area where the sterilizing liquid is sprayed.   The empty can sterilizer according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the sensor is disposed along a conveyance path that is out of a region where the suction pad is driven and rotated.

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