CN1096389C - Array of side-inverted spouts and its forming process - Google Patents

Abstract

A pour spout array comprising a plurality of resin molded pour spouts for attachment to a container and a carrier, each of the plurality of resin molded pour spouts being arranged to be attached to the carrier in a row, each pour spout comprising a floor portion adapted to be attached to a container, and an opening portion which is movable relative to the floor portion to create an opening in the container, said plurality of pour spouts being attached to the carrier in such a manner that the pour spouts are separated from the carrier when the carrier is pulled away from the pour spouts. And a process for forming the pour spout array.

Description

Pour spout array and its forming process

Field of Invention

The invention relates to an array of pouring spouts and a process for forming the array of pouring spouts. More particularly, the present invention relates to an array of resin molded pouring spouts for use in, for example, pouring attachments on containers, and a process for forming such an array of pouring spouts.

Background of the Invention

Liquid holding containers made of paper, plastic or similar materials are generally provided with a pouring attachment or pouring spout through which the liquid contents can be drained from the container. The pouring attachment is usually molded from a plastic material and then attached to the container, once attached, the pouring attachment can be opened to pour the contents from the container.

Automatically attaching the molded resin pour attachment to the container utilizes an automatic attachment device. These automatic attachment devices are designed to continuously advance the containers along a conveying path, while the pouring attachment is in turn secured or attached to the continuously moving containers.

The pouring attachment is provided to the automatic attachment device typically by a parts feeder. The parts feeder is designed to sequentially align the pouring accessories with the automatic attachment device and to continuously feed them onto the automatic attachment device. Conventional parts feeders are mainly vibratory, and parts such as pouring attachments are aligned and fed one by one.

The vibratory parts feeder or feeder includes a track arranged helically at a fixed angle of inclination. Vibration is applied to the track while feeding the part into the middle of the track. This vibration causes the parts to vibrate and thus line up and gradually move down the inclined track.

However, there is such a problem with the above-mentioned vibratory parts feeder that in order to arrange the parts in a single row, a relatively long track must be used. In addition, due to the complexity of the track shape and overall device structure, reducing the size of the device is difficult, if not impossible, and cost-prohibitive.

Additionally, for containers used to hold liquid contents for drinking, the pouring attachment attached to the container must be hygienic or sterile. But when the vibrating parts feeder described above is used to supply the pouring attachment which is then attached to the container, there is a risk of foreign matter sticking to the pouring attachment as it moves down the track gradually. Foreign matter on these pouring attachments can adversely affect the sterility of the container when the pouring parts supplied by the vibrating parts feeder are subsequently attached to the container.

In addition to the problems found above, vibratory parts feeders of the type described above also have the disadvantage that although the feeder enables parts to be aligned to a certain extent, it often happens that the vibration does not fully develop in some places. function to form a neat arrangement of parts. Furthermore, problems arise to some extent when using this feeder to supply parts having different shapes. In this regard, some parts of the vibratory parts feeder may not be well suited to the particular shape of parts to be fed, and difficulties arise in arranging the parts in a desired row, so it has been found necessary in some cases Conduct experiments and design alternatives to this feeder to address these issues.

Summary of the invention

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for arrays of pouring spouts which enable a reduced cost and reduced size of devices suitable for supplying parts.

There is also a need for a parts feeder and pour spout array that is designed to enable precise orientation of the parts to be served.

It would also be desirable to provide an aseptic and hygienic parts supply and pour spout array.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a pouring spout array includes a plurality of resin molded pouring spouts for connecting containers and a carrier, each of the plurality of resin molded pouring spouts is attached to the carrier so that pouring The spouts are arranged in a row on the carrier, each pouring spout comprising a base portion adapted to be attached to a container, and an opening portion which moves relative to the base portion to create an opening in the container, the plurality of A pouring spout is attached to the carrier in such a way that when the carrier is pulled away from the pouring spout, the pouring spout is separated from the carrier.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the array of parts includes a plurality of resin molded parts and a carrier to which the plurality of molded parts are attached so that the molded parts are arranged in a row on the carrier. The molded part is attached to the carrier in such a way that the molded part is detachable from the carrier when the carrier is pulled away from the molded part.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a process for forming an array of pouring spouts includes providing a carrier to which a plurality of resin molded pouring spouts are attached, each pouring spout comprising a a floor portion on the container, and an opening portion that moves relative to the floor portion to create an opening in the container, the pouring spout is attached to the carrier and arranged in a row on the carrier, the pouring spout is attached to The way on the carrier is that when the carrier is pulled away from the pouring spout, the carrier separates from the pouring spout.

A brief description of the drawings

Other details and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated with like reference numerals, wherein:

1 is a top perspective view of a parts supply device according to the present invention and an array of parts supplied by the device;

Figure 2 is a top perspective view of a portion of the parts supply apparatus shown in Figure 1, showing the array of parts supplied by the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a side view of that part of the parts supply device shown in Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a pouring spout or pouring attachment attached to two wires and forming part of an array of parts according to the invention;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a container with a pouring spout or pouring accessory attached thereto;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a component train with the pouring spout secured to a strap;

Fig. 7 is a top perspective view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, showing a part of the part supply device, wherein the spouts are arranged on a belt to form part arrays; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the top of a container with the pour spout secured thereto.

Detailed description of the invention

Referring firstly to FIG. 1 , the parts supply device according to the invention is designed for supplying a component array 10 in the form of a plurality of pouring spouts or pouring attachments 11 . The pouring attachment is attached to two wires 31 and 33 arranged substantially parallel to each other. The pouring attachment 11 is a molded item and they are attached in a row to the wires 31 , 33 forming a long strip or array of pouring attachments 11 . As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the pouring attachments 11 placed on the row of parts 10 are in substantially the same vertical orientation relative to one another.

As can be seen in Fig. 4, each pouring attachment 11 includes a base plate 16, an opening portion 15 suitable for opening an opening of the container to which the attachment is attached, and a lifting portion 15 that makes the opening portion 15 complete the opening operation through a pulling action. Part 13. The underside of each pouring attachment 11 is attached to two parallel wires 31 and 33 . The wires 31, 33 are preferably attached or formed integrally with the resin molded pouring attachment 11 by placing the wires 31, 33 in the molding die while the attachment 11 is being molded. The wires 31 , 33 , which can be made of plastic or metal such as steel, constitute the carrier carrying the pouring accessories 11 and form the array 10 of pouring accessories.

The wires 31, 33 are attached to the underside outer surface of the pouring attachment 11 so that the wires 31, 33 can be detached from the pouring attachment 11 by pulling the wires away from the pouring attachment. The wires 31, 33 attached to the pouring device are spaced apart from each other and are preferably located near the two ends of the pouring attachment, as shown in FIG.

Figure 5 shows the pouring attachment 11 detached from the wires 31, 33 attached to the top of a container 20 made of paper, plastic or similar material. Figure 8 also shows the pouring spout 11 attached to the top of the container. The pouring attachment can be secured to the container 20 by an automatic positioning device not specifically shown. More specifically, the pouring attachment 11 is attached to a sealing sheet (not particularly shown in the drawings) that has been previously bonded to the container 20 to close or seal the container opening 21 formed at the top of the container 20 . The opening 21 on the container 20 can then be opened by pulling up on the lift portion 13 of the pouring attachment 11 , as shown in FIG. 5 . This causes the opening portion 15 to pivot downwards into the container opening 21 , breaking the seal covering the container opening 21 .

Referring back to Fig. 1, the parts supply device includes a winding mechanism 40, which includes a motor 41, a winding drum 43, a winding position regulator 45, two spaced apart guide rollers 47, 49 and two interphase Separated guide plates 51, 53 are formed. The motor 41, winding drum 43, winding position regulator 45, pair of guide rollers 47, 49 and pair of guide plates 51, 53 are all oriented substantially vertically and arranged substantially parallel to each other. Motor 41, winding drum 43 and winding position regulator 45 protrude from respective corresponding holes on a first plate member 42, and a pair of guide rollers 47,49 and a pair of guide plates 51,53 are arranged on On a second plate-shaped member 44 , the second plate-shaped member 44 is located at a certain distance above the first plate-shaped member 42 .

The motor 41 has a rotary shaft 55 which is coupled via a horizontally arranged belt 57 to a rotary shaft 59 of the winding drum 43 . Winding position regulator 45 includes a rotating body or shaft 65 terminated by a gear 63 . The end of the rotating shaft 59 is also equipped with a gear 61 . The gear 61 on the rotating shaft 59 meshes with the gear on the rotating body 65 . In this way, the rotation of the motor 41 is transmitted to the winding drum 43 and to the rotating body 65 of the winding position regulator 45 .

In addition to the rotating body 65, the winding position regulator 45 also includes a generally vertically oriented support member 67, which supports the rotating body 65 in a manner that allows it to rotate freely, and includes a vertical shaft movable along the longitudinal direction of the rotating body 65. Movable arm 69. The supporting member 67 is provided with a groove 73 extending along the surface of the supporting member 67 facing the rotating body 65 .

The outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 65 is provided with a helical groove 71 which is engaged with a pin (not particularly shown) located in a through hole on the movable arm 69 . The arm 69 includes a generally horizontally extending projection 69a having a free end engaging a vertical slot 73 of the support 67 so that the projection 69a is guided in a vertical passage. The protruding portion 69a also has a generally horizontal elongated hole 75 adapted to allow the two wires 31, 33 to pass therethrough.

As shown in Figure 3, there are two small holes 77,77 on the first guide plate 51, and there are two small holes 79,79 on the second guide plate 53 as well. The holes 77, 77, 79, 79 are suitable for passing the two wires 31, 33, relative to the running direction of the wires 31, 33, the wires 31, 33 first pass through the first guide plate 51 and then through The second guide plate 53 located downstream of the first guide plate 51 . The distance between a pair of holes 79, 79 on the second guide plate 53 is smaller than the distance between a pair of holes 77, 77 on the first guide plate 51, so that the wires 31, 33 follow from the first guide plate 51 Pass through to reach the second guide plate 53 and approach each other.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the device also includes a set of column guides 80 for guiding the columns 10 of the interconnected pouring accessories 11 . The guide 80 is an elongated box-shaped member having a guide hole or channel 81 extending along the length of the guide 80 . The guide hole 81 is sized such that its interior is suitable for receiving the pouring attachment 10 .

As can be seen in FIG. 3 , the guide member 85 is provided with a pair of outlets 85 communicating with the guide hole 81 . The outlet 85 extends through the guide facing the side wall 84 of the first guide plate 51 . The inner surface of the side wall of the guide through which the outlet extends extends constitutes the guide surface 83 of the guide 80 .

As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, what two outlets 85, 85 have played is the effect of traction device, by which the two wires on the dumping accessory group row 10 that pass through in the guide hole 81 of guide member 80 are pulled 31, 31. In addition, a substantially horizontal long hole 87 is provided on the other side wall 86 of the guide member 80 opposite to the side wall 84 having the outlets 85 , 85 . This elongated hole 87 is adapted to receive a part of the outer circumference of a rotary stack advance body 89 located in the vicinity of the guide 80 .

The pouring device 11 on the array 10 is introduced into the longitudinally extending hole 87 and pushed against the guide surface 83 of the guide 80 by a rotor 89 adapted to rotate freely about an axis 91 . The axis of rotation of the rotor 89 is substantially vertically oriented and the rotor 89 lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of motion of the train 10 . The outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 89 is provided with protrusions 93 spaced apart from each other, and the distance between them is approximately the same as the distance between adjacent pouring accessories 11 on the array 10 .

The wires 31, 33 separated from the pouring attachment 11 are fed into the outlets 85, 85 of the guide 80, and then by a pair of guide plates 51 and 53 downstream of the first guide plate 51 and the second guide plate 53 with respect to the advancing direction of the array 10. Guide rollers 47 , 49 feed into the winding mechanism 40 . Two guide rollers 47, 49 are fixed on the second plate member 44 and can rotate freely. The rotation axes of the guide rollers 47 , 49 are substantially parallel to each other, and parallel to the rotation axes of the advancing rotating body 89 in a row.

The following is a description of the operation of the parts supply device. When the motor 41 turns, the winding drum 43 starts to turn via the belt connection 57 . Simultaneously, the rotating body 65 is rotated by the gears 61 , 63 meshing with each other. The rotation of the rotating body 65 causes the arm 69 to move axially up and down along the longitudinal direction of the rotating body 65 through the engaging relationship between the pin (not shown) on the arm 69 and the helical groove 71 on the rotating body 65 .

Due to the rotation of the winding drum 43, the wires 31, 33 are drawn through the holes 85 in the guides 80 in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. This moves the pouring accessory train 10 through the guide channel 81 of the guide 80 . Simultaneously, the outer peripheral surface of the part of the rotating body protruding through the opening 87 of the guide member 80 into the guide channel 81 presses the array 10 to contact the guide surface 83 of the guide member 80 .

The aforementioned operation also enables the wires 31 , 33 to be disengaged from the pouring attachment 11 . As the rotor 89 pushes the pouring attachment array 10 against the guide surface 83 of the guide, the wires 31, 33 attached to the pouring attachment peel off from the pouring attachment 11 and pass through the outlets 85, 33 on the guide surface 83. 85 pulled out. The detachment of the wires 31 , 33 from the pouring attachment can be carried out quite easily, since the array 10 is pushed against the guide surface 83 by the rotating body 89 .

Once separated from the wires 31, 33, the pouring attachment 11 is output from the guide 80 to the outside, and is sequentially fed to an automatic positioning device (not shown) by a feeding device (not particularly shown) such as a chute or a manipulator arm. specifically shown). All detached pouring attachments 11 face the same direction or are oriented in the same way, and it is impossible for any one to turn over. Thus, it is possible to attach the pouring attachment 11 to the container precisely in place, as shown in FIG. 5 .

As the two wires 31,33 are pulled out from the outlets 85,85, and pass through the small holes 77,77,79,79 arranged on the two guide plates 51,53, as shown in Figure 3, because the second guide The spacing between the holes 79, 79 in the plate 53 is small and the wires 31, 33 come together. The wires 31 , 33 are then conveyed over guide rollers 47 , 49 and directed to the winding position regulator 45 where the joined wires 31 , 33 pass through holes 75 in the projection 69 a of the mounting arm 69 . The wires 31, 33 are finally wound on a winding drum 43, as shown in FIG. 1 . The mounting arm 69 is movable vertically along the winding drum to form a generally uniform layer of wire wrap.

Because the pouring attachment 11 and the wires 31, 33 are molded in one piece at the same time, and since the array 10 is in a sealed box, the array of parts 10 according to the invention can be transported aseptically to the parts supply shown. Furthermore, only the guide 80 and the rotor 89 are in contact with the component array 10, so it is only necessary to keep these two components sterile. In this way, it is possible to easily keep the pouring attachment 11 in a hygienic or sterile state without great difficulty.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a pouring attachment or array 10'. The pouring attachment 11 is of the same type as described above. In this alternative, however, the carrier on which the accessory 11 is arranged is in the form of a strap 131 . The strap 131 is preferably wide enough that the entire accessory rests on the strap 131. The strap 131 is very thin, the thickness of the strap is much smaller than the width of the strap.

The pouring attachment 11 is preferably attached or secured to one surface of the belt 131 by intermittently injecting thermoplastic resin onto the belt 131 at spaced locations corresponding to the positions of the attachment 131 . For example, the portion of the carrier (eg strap 131) corresponding to the position of the pouring attachment is placed on a flat wall of a first molding mould. The part of the carrier is then placed between the walls of a first molding die and a second molding die pushed down from above the surface of the carrier. Then, thermoplastic resin is injected onto the carrier to mold or form an accessory. After the injection step, the second mold is removed from the accessories already molded on the carrier, and the carrier with the accessories molded integrally with it is moved with the distance between the accessories a necessary distance so that the next pouring Accessories can be molded. The advantage of this process is that it represents a more efficient way of manufacturing sterile parts assemblies.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a parts supply device for use in combination with the parts array 10' shown in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. It can be seen that the device is very similar to the one described above except that certain parts of the device have been modified to accommodate the tape carrier shown in FIG. 6, which differs from the multi-wire carrier shown in FIG. In particular, the first and second guide plates 51', 53' are each provided with a vertically elongated hole to accommodate the shape of the belt 131. It is also conceivable that the guide rollers 47', 49' need not be provided with grooves for receiving the tape as in the embodiment of the device in Fig. 3 . Instead, the guide rollers 47', 49' may have cylindrical outer surfaces generally as shown in FIG. Finally, although not specifically shown in FIG. 6, the elongated slot 75 (see FIG. 1) on the raised portion 69a of the cantilever 69 should preferably be oriented vertically, also to accommodate the strap 131 configuration. Operation of the embodiment of the device shown in Figure 7 is the same as described above.

The present invention provides a parts feeder and parts array having various advantages and desirable characteristics. For example, downsizing and cost reduction of the parts feeding device can be achieved relatively easily. Additionally, the design of the device is well suited to assure minimal contact with the component assembly, so that it is possible to maintain the sterility of the components. Furthermore, the parts feeder of the present invention helps to ensure accurate orientation of parts that come out of the part array.

It will be appreciated that certain changes may be made to the above described suitable embodiments. For example, the present invention is also applicable to resin molded parts other than pour spouts or pour attachments used in conjunction with containers. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the guide hole 81 is provided on the guide member 80, and the guide surface 83 is provided on one surface of the guide hole. Within the scope of the invention, the guide hole 81 is not necessary as long as the guide surface 83 is present. The only structural requirements are that at least one surface of the array of parts be in contact with a guide surface that guides the movement of the array of parts and that a traction is provided at a fixed location on the guide surface to disengage the pouring attachment or other molding The direction of the part pulls the wires of the part array. In addition, it is conceivable that the carrier shown in FIG. 4 is not limited to two wires, but may be in the form of three or more wires.

The principles, preferred embodiment and mode of operation of the invention have been described in the foregoing specification. However, the claimed invention is not to be construed as limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. Also, the embodiments described herein are illustrative only and are not intended to be limiting. Variations and modifications may be made by others and equivalent arrangements may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all such changes, modifications and equivalent arrangements come within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims to be embraced therein.

Claims (9)

1. A pouring spout array comprising a plurality of resin molded pouring spouts for connecting containers and a carrier, each of the plurality of resin molded pouring spouts is attached to the carrier such that the pouring spouts are on the carrier Arranged in a row, each pouring spout includes a base portion adapted to be attached to a container, and an opening portion that moves relative to the base portion to create an opening in the container, the plurality of pouring spouts being associated with the The carrier is attached in such a way that the pouring spout separates from the carrier when the carrier is pulled away from the pouring spout. 2. The pour spout array of claim 1, wherein the carrier is a tape and the resin molded pour spout is attached to the tape by injection molding the pour spout on the carrier. 3. An array of pour spouts as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pour spouts are arranged in a single row on the belt, the pour spouts being all oriented in the same manner on the belt. 4. The pour spout array of claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises a pair of spaced apart wires. 5. The pour spout array of claim 4, wherein the wire is integrally molded with each resin molded pour spout. 6. The array of pour spouts of claim 1, each pour spout including a lift member for movement of the opening portion to create an opening in the container. 7. A process for forming an array of pouring spouts comprising providing a carrier to which are attached a plurality of resin molded pouring spouts, each pouring spout comprising a base portion adapted for attachment to a container, and an opening portion that moves relative to the base portion to create an opening in the container, the pouring spouts are attached to the carrier such that the pouring spouts are arranged in a row on the carrier, the pouring spouts are attached to the carrier in such a manner that The carrier separates from the pour spout when the carrier is pulled away from the pour spout. 8. The process according to claim 7, wherein the step of attaching the pouring spout to the carrier comprises intermittently injecting thermoplastic resin on the carrier to form the pouring spout on the carrier. 9. The process of claim 7, wherein said step of attaching the pouring spout to the carrier includes placing a pair of wires in a mold and molding the wires integrally with the pouring spout.

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