JP2009029426A - Container carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To move positioning members 12 in the radial direction and to lock them so as not to move furthermore so that a container carrier 2 supporting and conveying a container 4 by four positioning members 12 can be used both for it and the container 4 with a different size. <P>SOLUTION: Four positioning members 12 are engaged in four guide channels 8a in the radial direction formed on a supporting member 8 and are movable in the radial direction. As projections 12a provided on the undersurface of respective positioning members are engaged in four spiral cam channels 6a formed in a cam member 6 arranged in the lower surface of the supporting member, when the supporting member and the cam member are relatively rotated, the positioning members are moved in the radial direction. Pin storing holes 8b deeper than magnet pins 16 are formed on the undersurface on the supporting member, and a plurality of pin inserting holes 6b shallower than the pins 16 are formed on the upper surface of the cam member. When the pins 16 are lifted up by the magnets 30b, the supporting member and the cam member can be relatively rotated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a container carrier that positions and supports a container with a plurality of positioning members, and particularly relates to a container carrier that can be used for containers of different sizes.

  2. Description of the Related Art A carrier that can hold an article by changing the position of a positioning member so that it can also be used for an article of a different size has been conventionally known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Although the circular object holding device described in Patent Document 1 is not related to a container, it supports articles of various sizes and processes the articles, and performs the same function.

  The invention described in Patent Document 1 is configured as follows. That is, four oscillating bodies 22 whose one ends are pivotally supported by pins 23 are arranged on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 21, and a disk-like rotating body 24 is pivotally supported by the central shaft 25 so as to be freely rotatable. Has been. Holding pins 26 are respectively fixed to the other ends of the four oscillating bodies 22, and the holding pins 26 pass through the four long hole portions 27 provided in the rotating body 24 and protrude above the rotating body 24. ing. An operation knob 28 for rotating the rotating body 24 is provided on the side surface of the rotating body 24. Further, the four clamping pins 26 protruding above the rotating body 24 are each provided with a notch 31, and the four clamping pins so that the extension spring 32 is locked to the notch 31. 26 is wound around the outer periphery. The expansion spring 32 is always biased in a direction to reduce the diameter of the fitting portion A of an article (a capacitor in the present invention) constituted by the four clamping pins 26.

In the case where the circular object holding device (corresponding to the carrier of the present invention) holds an article, when the rotating body 24 is rotated by holding the operation knob 28, the four pinching pins 26 are connected to the expansion spring 32. The fitting portion A of the article composed of the four clamping pins 26 is enlarged by relatively moving in the four long hole portions 27 against the spring force. When the article is inserted into the fitting portion A, the four clamping pins 26 return to contact with the outer surface of the article by the spring force of the expansion and contraction spring 32. Thus, since the size of the fitting part A can be freely changed within the range of the long hole part 27, articles having different outer shapes can be held by one holding device.
Japanese Patent No. 2748545 (page 2-3, FIG. 3)

  In the conventional circular article holding device (carrier), the holding pin 26 for positioning the article can be moved to change the size of the space surrounded by the four holding pins. There is no mechanism for locking, and the four clamping pins 26 are urged by the telescopic spring 32 in a direction in which they are always approaching. Therefore, when holding or taking out the article, the four clamping pins 26 must be once separated by the operation knob 28, and the operation is complicated. Moreover, since the holding | maintenance goods are pressed from the four directions with the pinching pin 26, there existed problems, such as a possibility of damaging goods.

  The present invention provides a container carrier for positioning and supporting a container with a plurality of positioning members, a guide member formed with a guide portion for guiding the positioning member in the radial direction, and a lower surface side of the guide member. And a cam member formed with a cam that engages with the positioning member and moves the positioning member along the guide portion. The cam member is connected to the cam member in the rotation direction. A receiving hole for receiving the connecting means is opened downward, and the cam member can be inserted with the connecting means, and a plurality of insertion holes shallower than the vertical dimension of the connecting means are arranged on the same circumference. A magnetic member that is attracted to the connecting means by a magnetic force, and is pulled up from the insertion hole by the magnetic member, and is extracted from the insertion hole. After the positioning member is moved by relatively rotating the guide member and the cam member in the positioned state, the magnetic force action of the magnetic member is released, and the connecting means is inserted into one of the insertion holes, The guide member and the cam member are connected in the rotation direction.

  The container carrier of the present invention can move the positioning member to a predetermined position and can be locked at that position. Therefore, no complicated operation is required when inserting and removing the container, and the outer surface of the container is removed. There is no fear of being hurt by pressure.

  The positioning member can be moved back and forth along the guide portion formed on the guide member, and the positioning member engages with the cam of the cam member disposed on the lower surface side of the guide member so as to be relatively rotatable. Relative to the guide member, the positioning member is moved along the guide portion. The guide member has a receiving hole for receiving the connecting means, while the cam member has a housing hole larger than the vertical dimension of the connecting means. A plurality of shallow insertion holes are formed. Usually, the connecting member is inserted into one of the insertion holes of the cam member and the accommodation hole of the guide member to restrict relative rotation between the guide member and the cam member, When the connecting means is pulled up by the member, the connecting means comes out of the insertion hole of the cam member, enters the accommodation hole of the guide member, and allows the relative rotation between the guide member and the cam member. After changing the position of the-decided Me member, by restricting the relative rotation between the guide member and the cam member, it is possible to achieve the object of locking the position of the positioning member.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. 1 is a plan view of a container carrier 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the container carrier 2, and FIG. 3 is a container 4 of a different size (see FIG. 6 described later). It is a top view of the cam member 6 for performing adjustment when applying to (1). The container carrier 2 is disposed at the upper portion thereof, and is disposed so as to be rotatable relative to a container support member (guide member) 8 that positions and supports the container 4. The container carrier 2 is used when the container carrier 2 is used. A cam member 6 connected to the container support member 8 and a base member 10 that rotatably supports the container support member 8 and the cam member 6 are provided.

  The container support member 8 and the cam member 6 have a circular outer peripheral surface. Further, the outer surface of the lower base member 10 has a square shape in which the four corners 10a are chamfered in a circular shape. The container support member 8 is formed with four guide grooves (guide portions) 8a toward the center thereof at equal intervals, that is, every 90 degrees. Positioning members 12 are fitted in the respective guide grooves 8a so that they can advance and retreat in the radial direction. Each positioning member 12 protrudes in an upright posture on the upper surface of the container support member 8, and positions the container 4 by surrounding the container 4 placed at the center of the container support member 8 from four sides.

  On the cam member 6 disposed below the container support member 8, four arc-shaped cam portions (cam grooves) 6a are formed at equal intervals. Each of the arc-shaped cam grooves 6a has a spiral shape in which one end 6aa is located on the radially outer side and the other end 6ab is located on the radially inner side. The four end portions 6aa of the four cam grooves 6a located on the radially outer side and the four end portions 6ab located on the radially inner side are positioned on the same circumference. is doing. Each of the four positioning members 12 provided on the container support member 8 has a protrusion 12a formed on the bottom thereof, and the protrusions 12a of the positioning members 12 correspond to the four arc-shaped cam grooves of the cam member 6. Each is fitted in 6a. Accordingly, when the container support member 8 and the cam member 6 are rotated relative to each other, the protrusion 12a of the positioning member 12 moves in the rotational direction and also in the radial direction within the cam groove 6a. It moves in the radial direction within the eight guide grooves 8a. A positioning pin 14 inserted through the central portion of the container support member 8 is inserted into the central hole of the cam member 6, and the center positions of these upper and lower circular plates (the container support member 8 and the cam member 6) are shifted. Relative rotation without

  On the lower surface side of the outer peripheral portion of the container support member 8, two pin receiving holes 8 b that open downward are formed at symmetrical positions. Magnet pins 16 as connecting means are inserted into these pin housing holes 8b. The depth of the pin accommodation hole 8b is deeper than the length of the magnet pin 16, so that the entire magnet pin 16 can be accommodated. FIG. 2 shows a state where the entire magnet pin 16 is housed in the pin housing hole 8b. In this embodiment, two pin accommodating holes 8b are formed at symmetrical positions, but the number is not limited to two, and may be three or more. Further, the arrangement is not limited to a symmetrical position.

  On the upper surface of the cam member 6, a plurality of pin insertion holes 6 b having openings upward are formed on the same circumference as the pin accommodation holes 8 b of the container support member 8. The pin insertion hole 6 b is shallower than the length of the magnet pin 16, and when the magnet pin 16 is inserted to the bottom of the pin insertion hole 6 b, the upper part of the magnet pin 16 is the pin receiving hole 8 b of the container support member 8. (Refer to FIG. 8 described later). A plurality of pin insertion holes 6b are provided on the same circumference in pairs corresponding to the two pin receiving holes 8b (a pair of pins on the right and left sides in FIG. 3). An insertion hole 6b is provided).

  As described above, when the container support member 8 and the cam member 6 are relatively rotated, the protrusion 12a of the positioning member 12 moves in the cam groove 6a. When this protrusion 12a moves to the innermost radial direction 6ab of the cam groove 6a, the position of the pin accommodating hole 8b and the position of the insertion hole 6b on one end side of each pair of pin insertion holes 6b (For example, in the right set of pin insertion holes 6b in FIG. 3, the position of the pin accommodation hole 8b coincides with the position of the uppermost pin insertion hole 6b (6ba)). This state is the state shown in FIG. Conversely, when the protrusion 12a of the positioning member 12 moves to the outermost radial direction 6aa of the cam groove 6a, it coincides with the insertion hole 6b at the other end of the pair of pin insertion holes 6b. For example, in the case of the right set of pin insertion holes 6b in FIG. 3, the position of the pin accommodation hole 8b and the position of the lowest pin insertion hole 6b (6bb) coincide (state shown in FIG. 5).

  When the container carrier 2 is in use, any one of the pin accommodation hole 8b and the pair of pin insertion holes 6b coincides, and the pin accommodation hole 8b and the pin insertion hole 6b whose upper and lower positions coincide with each other. The magnet pin 16 is simultaneously inserted into the inside of the housing, whereby relative rotation between the upper container support member 8 and the cam member 6 is restricted.

  A rotation shaft portion 6 c is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the cam member 6 and is inserted into a bearing hole 10 b formed at the center of the lower base member 10. The cam member 6 is inserted into the base member 10. It can be rotated.

  A configuration of a filling apparatus that transports the container 4 using the container carrier 2 having the above-described configuration and fills the contents (in this embodiment, a highly viscous liquid such as hand cream) will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. . The conveyor 20 that transports the container carrier 2 that supports the container 4 moves forward and stops intermittently, and when the container 4 stops at the filling position P, it is filled with liquid from the upper filling nozzle 22. In this embodiment apparatus, in order to fill a high-viscosity liquid, the liquid flows down from the filling nozzle 22 while rotating the container 4 during filling. The container support member 8 that supports the container 4 and the cam member 6 that is connected to the lower side of the container support member 8 can rotate with respect to the lower base member 10 that supports them. A rotating means (roller) 24 is installed on the side of the conveyor 20 at the filling position P. The roller 24 is rotated by a motor 26. By rotating the roller 24 in contact with the outer surfaces of the container support member 8 and the cam member 6 of the container carrier 2 stopped at the filling position P on the conveyor 20, The container 4 supported by the container support member 8 is rotated.

  The container carrier 2 transported by the conveyor 20 can rotate the upper container support member 8 and the cam member 6 that support the container 4, but supports the container support member 8 and the cam member 6. The lower base member 10 is restricted in rotation by a conveyance guide 28 disposed above the conveyor 20. The base member 10 basically has a square shape, and a conveyance guide 28 serving as a rotation prevention means is disposed at a distance slightly larger than the distance between the two side surfaces 10c and 10c facing each other. Even when 8 is forcibly rotated by the roller 24, the lower base member 10 is prevented from rotating by the conveyance guide 28.

  A positioning hole 8c penetrating vertically is formed on the radially inner side of the two pin receiving holes 8b formed in the container support member 8. These positioning holes 8c are used for changing the radial position of the positioning member 12 provided in the container support member 8 by rotating the container support member 8 and the cam member 6 relative to each other. Used for 30 positioning. The changing tool 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. The remodeling jig 30 has an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape that is slightly longer than the diameter of the container support member 8 so as not to interfere with each positioning member 12, and two engagement pins 30 a projecting on the lower surface side thereof. It is provided at a symmetrical position. These engagement pins 30 a are located on the same circumference as the positioning holes 8 c of the container support member 8. Further, magnets 30b are attached to the outer sides in the radial direction of these two engagement pins 30a. When the two engaging pins 30 a of the remodeling jig 30 are inserted into the two positioning holes 8 c of the container support member 8, the magnets 30 b are positioned at the upper and lower positions of the two pin receiving holes 8 b of the container support member 8. Are in agreement (state shown in FIG. 9). Further, a contact portion 30 c that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the container support member 8 is provided at the lower end of the outer peripheral portion of the mold changing jig 30.

  As described above, the magnet pins 16 housed in the two pin housing holes 8b of the container support member 8 are normally inserted into one of the pin insertion holes 6b of the lower cam member 6 by their own weight. ing. From this state, as shown in FIG. 8, when the mold changing jig 30 is approached from above and the two engaging pins 30a of the mold changing jig 30 are inserted into the positioning holes 8c, the magnetic force of the magnet 30b causes The magnet pin 16 is attracted, the lower part inserted into the pin insertion hole 6b of the cam member 6 is pulled out, and the whole is accommodated in the pin accommodation hole 8b of the container support member 8 (see FIG. 9). As a result, the container support member 8 and the cam member 6 are disconnected from each other, and both the members 6 and 8 can be relatively rotated.

  The operation of the container carrier 2 according to the above configuration and the filling device using the container carrier will be described. The container 4 is placed between the four positioning members 12 set at predetermined positions of the container holding member 8 according to the outer shape of the container 4 filled with the liquid. The containers 4 supported one by one on the container carrier 2 are transported together with the container carrier 2 by the conveyor 20. The conveyor 20 moves forward and stops intermittently, and a filling nozzle 22 is located above the center of the container 4 stopped at the filling position P (see FIGS. 6 and 7). Fill with. A roller 24 is arranged on the side of the conveyor 20 at the filling position P. The roller 24 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the container support member 8 and the cam member 6 on the upper side of the stopped container carrier 2 and driven by the motor 26. Rotate. The magnet pin 16 accommodated in the pin accommodation hole 8 b of the container support member 8 is inserted into any of the plurality of pin insertion holes 6 b formed in the lower cam member 6. Since the magnet pin 16 is longer than the depth of the pin insertion hole 6b, the lower part is inserted into the pin insertion hole 6b, and the upper part is located in the pin receiving hole 8b. The container support member 8 and the cam member 6 are connected in the rotation direction and rotate integrally.

  At the filling position P, a highly viscous liquid is discharged from the filling nozzle 22 and filled into the container 4. In the meantime, the container 4 is rotated by the roller 24 together with the supporting container supporting member 8 so that the liquid with high viscosity is uniformly filled in the entire container 4. The base member 10 that rotatably supports the container support member 8 and the cam member 6 of the container carrier 2 is restricted in rotation by the conveyance guides 28 arranged on both sides of the conveyor 20 during conveyance by the conveyor 20. Even when the upper container support member 8 rotates, the lower base member 10 stops without rotating. When the filling of one container 4 is completed, the conveyor 20 advances by one pitch (distance corresponding to one piece of the base member 10) and stops again. The next container 4 stopped at the filling position P is filled while being rotated in the same manner as the container 4. In this way, the container 4 is intermittently transported one by one and filled while it is stopped.

  When filling differently shaped containers 4 with this filling device, the radial position of the positioning member 12 provided on the container support member 8 of the container carrier 2 is moved according to the outer shape of the next container 4. Let At this time, the mold changing jig 30 is brought close to the container support member 8 from above (see FIG. 8), and the two engaging pins 30a projecting to the lower surface side of the mold changing jig 30 are moved to the lower container. It is lowered while being aligned with the positions of the two positioning holes 8c formed in the support member 8, and inserted into these positioning holes 8c (see FIG. 9). The two engaging pins 30 a of the remodeling jig 30 are inserted into the two positioning holes 8 c of the container support member 8, and the contact portion 30 c formed on the outer periphery of the lower surface of the remodeling jig 30. Are brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the container support member 8 and the two are overlapped and positioned, the two magnets 30b provided on the remodeling jig 30 are connected to the pin receiving holes 8b of the container support member 8. It is located above. Then, the magnet pin 16 is pulled up by the action of the magnet 30 b and comes out of the pin insertion hole 6 b of the cam member 6, and is accommodated entirely in the pin accommodation hole 8 b of the container support member 8.

  As described above, when the mold changing jig 30 is overlaid and positioned from above the container support member 8, the mold changing jig 30 and the container support member 8 are connected to each other so as to be integrally rotatable. The connection between the support member 8 and the cam member 6 is released and the relative rotation is possible. In this state, the container support member 8 is rotated to move the positions of the four positioning members 12 in accordance with the size of the new container 4. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the container support member 8 is rotated counterclockwise with respect to the cam member 6, the protrusion 12 a provided at the lower end of the positioning member 12 causes the cam groove of the cam member 6 to be The positioning member 12 moves inward in the radial direction while rotating in 6 a, and the positioning member 12 moves in the guide groove 6 a toward the center of the container support member 8. As shown in FIG. 4, the four positioning members 12 move to close positions suitable for the small container 4. Conversely, when the container support member 8 is rotated clockwise relative to the cam member 6, the protrusion 12a at the lower end of the positioning member 12 moves radially outward while rotating in the cam groove 6a. To do. As a result, the positioning member 12 moves radially outward in the guide groove 8 a of the container support member 8 and moves to a position suitable for the large container 4.

  After the four positioning members 12 are moved in the guide grooves 8a of the container support member 8 and stopped at a predetermined position, the mold changing jig 30 is removed upward. When the remodeling jig 30 is moved upward, the magnetic force of the magnet 30b does not act on the magnet pin 16, the magnet pin 16 housed in the pin housing hole 8b of the container support member 8 falls, and the lower part is The container member 8 is inserted into the pin insertion hole 6b of the cam member 6 and the upper part is positioned in the pin accommodation hole 8b, so that the container support member 8 and the cam member 6 are connected in the rotational direction. When the container support member 8 and the cam member 6 are connected and cannot be rotated relative to each other, the positioning member 12 is locked at that position and does not move.

It is a top view of the container carrier which concerns on one Example of this invention. Example 1 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the said container carrier. It is a top view of the cam member of the said container carrier. It is a figure explaining the structure which changes the position of the radial direction of the positioning member of the said container carrier. It is a figure explaining the structure which changes the position of the radial direction of the positioning member of the said container carrier, and shows a different state from FIG. It is a front view of the filling apparatus using the said container carrier. It is a top view of the filling apparatus using the said container carrier. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which changes the type | mold of a container carrier with the jig | tool for a type change. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state which changes the type | mold of a container carrier with the jig | tool for a type change, and shows the next step of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

2 Container carrier 4 Container 6 Cam member 6a Cam (cam groove)
6b Insertion hole (pin insertion hole)
8 Guide member (container support member)
8a Guide part (guide groove)
8b receiving hole (pin receiving hole)
12 Positioning member 16 Connecting means (magnet pin)
30b Magnetic member (magnet)

Claims (1)

In a container carrier that positions and supports a container with a plurality of positioning members,
A guide member formed with a guide portion for guiding the movement of the positioning member in the radial direction and a lower surface of the guide member are rotatably disposed, and the positioning member is engaged with the positioning member to guide the positioning member. And a cam member formed with a cam that is moved along the guide member, and the guide member has a receiving hole that opens a connecting means for connecting the cam member and the cam member in the rotational direction. A plurality of insertion holes that can be inserted into the connecting means and that are shallower than the vertical dimension of the connecting means are arranged on the same circumference and opened upward, and are further attracted to the connecting means by magnetic force. With components,
In the state where the connecting means is pulled up by the magnetic member, extracted from the insertion hole and positioned in the accommodation hole, the positioning member is moved by relatively rotating the guide member and the cam member, and then the magnetic force action of the magnetic member is performed. A container carrier characterized in that the guide member and the cam member are connected in the rotational direction by releasing and inserting the connecting means into any of the insertion holes.

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