JP2001141663A - Container bottom inspecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To develop effect such that the restriction of a container to be dealed with by a shape or a diameter is eliminated and no dead angle is generated when the container is inspected from the bottom thereof and a shape change can be easily performed, in a container bottom inspecting apparatus. SOLUTION: A container bottom inspecting apparatus is equipped with a feed conveyor 1 of a container M, the feed chain 2 provided in parallel to the feed conveyor 1 at an appropriate interval, a pair of guide members for shifting the container feed passage on the feed conveyor to the position straddling the feed conveyor 1 and the feed chain 2 and again returning the same to the feed conveyor 1 after inspection, and a drive means 9 for allowing the feed chain 2 to run at a speed different from that of the feed conveyor 1 so as to feed the container M, while rotating the same and the guide member on the side of the feed chain 2 and the feed conveyor 1 are moved so as to be matched with the size of the container M.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container bottom inspection apparatus which rotates a container to perform a sufficient inspection.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A container filled with contents is processed by a warmer or a pasterizer and then introduced into an inspection process arranged in a line. In this inspection step, a container bottom inspection device for inspecting foreign substances in the liquid, deposits on the outer surface of the container, and scratches of the container from the bottom of the container is installed.

A conventional container bottom inspection apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 57-5
As described in No. 9960, the outer peripheral portion of the container is supported and transported by a screw conveyor over a space formed between a pair of conveyors, and transported by supporting the bottom of the container with a silent chain, It is proposed to transfer the container from one conveyor to the other conveyor while rotating the container by changing the speed of each support portion, and to inspect the bottom of the container when passing through the space. I have. This device eliminates the blind spot at the bottom of the container by the silent chain by rotating the container,
The entire bottom area can be inspected, and the container can be stably transported without falling over. In addition, when foreign matter is found in the liquid, the defective container can be easily pulled out upward.

[0004]

The above-described conventional container bottom inspection apparatus uses a screw conveyor as a supporting and transporting device for the outer peripheral portion of the container. Therefore, when the handling container is changed, the size of the container is increased each time. The screw conveyor has to be replaced accordingly, and there is a problem that the adjustment is troublesome when mounting the screw conveyor. Furthermore, a plurality of types of relatively expensive screw conveyors had to be prepared, and a place for storing unused ones was required.

[0005] In view of these circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a container bottom inspection apparatus that can be easily changed with a simple configuration without exchanging parts.

[0006]

The present invention employs the following technical means to solve the above-mentioned problems. In the invention according to claim 1, in a container bottom inspection apparatus for inspecting foreign matter and the like at the bottom of the container from the bottom, a transport conveyor for containers, a transport chain provided at appropriate intervals in parallel with the transport conveyor, and The container transport path on the transport conveyor is shifted to a position straddling the transport chain, and a pair of guide members formed to return to the transport conveyor again after the inspection, and the transport chain to transport the container while rotating the container. A driving means for traveling at a speed different from that of the transport conveyor is provided, and a technical means is adopted in which the transport chain side of the guide member and the transport chain can be moved according to the size of the container.

[0007] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the first aspect is provided.
In addition to the invention, a technical means is adopted in which a crossover plate is provided between the transport conveyor and the transport chain so as to be swingable along the guide member on the chain side. For this reason, in the container bottom inspection device according to the present invention, there is no limitation on the containers to be handled due to the shape and diameter of the container, and the inspection portion cannot have a blind spot.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A specific embodiment of the container bottom inspection apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a container bottom inspection apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG.
A section and FIG. 4 also show a BB section, and FIG. 5 shows a CC section in FIG. As shown in these drawings, a transport chain 2 is provided at an interval slightly smaller than the diameter of the container M transported to the transport conveyor 1 so that an upper surface thereof coincides with the upper surface of the transport conveyor 1.
The transport chain 2 is stretched over four sprockets 5, 6, 7, and 8 attached to the upper and lower sides of two support brackets 3 and 4 in the left and right directions (container transport direction). It is provided so as not to obstruct the line of sight to the camera. As shown in FIG. 3, a sprocket 6 on the lower left side has a drive motor 9 capable of adjusting the speed.
Is connected.

Each of the support brackets 3 and 4 is fixed on a slide plate 10, and the slide plate 10 is configured to be movable on a base plate 11 in a front-rear direction (a direction orthogonal to the container conveying direction). .

The structure will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 4, a knob 12 having a screw portion is rotatably mounted on the base plate 11 at the center of the base plate 11, and the screw portion is mounted on the slide plate 10. The slide plate 10 moves with respect to the base plate 11 by turning the knob 12. Rails 14 and 15 are provided at two places on the left and right sides of the knob 12 on the base plate 11, and rail supports 16 and 1 provided on the lower surfaces of the slide plate 10 on the rails 14 and 15.
7 is guided to slide. In addition, the slide plate 10 is a spacer 1 with respect to the base plate 11.
The fixed handles 20 and 21 are fixed by tightening the fixed handles 20 and 21 via 8, 19, and can be moved by loosening.

As shown in FIG. 4, an inspection mirror 22 for visually observing the bottom of the container M from the horizontal direction is provided below the gap between the transport conveyor 1 and the transport chain 2. The angle of inclination of the inspection mirror 22 can be adjusted so as to correspond to the size of the container M or the like.

On the conveyor 1, a guide member for forming a conveying path of the container M is provided. As shown in FIG. 5, the chain brackets 30 and 31 for guiding the outer periphery of the container M to be conveyed at two upper and lower portions are provided on the guide bracket 3.
4 and opposite guides 32 and 33 are attached to a guide bracket 35. The upper guides 30, 32 on both sides can adjust the height of the guide brackets 34, 35 in accordance with the size of the container M by loosening the handles 36, 37.

Further, a rod 38 extending in the horizontal direction is provided outside the guide bracket 34, and the rod 38 tightens a handle 42 so that the bracket 4 attached to the frame portion of the transport conveyor 1 is provided.
Attached to 0. By loosening the handle 42, the width of the guide member can be adjusted according to the size of the container M.

On the other hand, a rod 39 having a screw portion is provided outside the guide bracket 35, and the rod 39 is fixed to a bracket 41 attached to a frame portion of the conveyor 1. Similarly, guides 30, 31, 32, and 33 are supported at three locations on the downstream side. As shown in FIG. 2, the guides 30, 31,
Numerals 32 and 33 are bent so as to shift the container M from above the transport conveyor 1 to a position straddling the transport conveyor 1 and the transport chain 2 above the inspection mirror 22, and to return the container M to the transport conveyor 1 again.

On the upstream side of the gap between the transport conveyor 1 and the transport chain 2, the upper surface of the transport conveyor 1 is aligned with the upper surface of the transport chain 2 so that the transported container M can be smoothly transferred onto the transport chain 2 without tilting. Is provided with the crossover plate 45 as described above. The transfer plate 45 is located on the upstream side of the conveyor 1.
And the downstream side is supported by a support member (not shown) attached to the support bracket 4 so that the downstream side swings with the movement of the transport chain 2. Have been. An inspection lighting device 50 is provided on the side of the conveyor 1 opposite to the conveyor chain 2.

In the container bottom inspection apparatus having the above-described configuration, the speed of the transport chain 2 is controlled so that the transport chain 2 rotates by 90 degrees with respect to the transport conveyor 1 while the container M passes on the inspection mirror 22. I have. The containers M transported at appropriate intervals from the direction of arrow X in FIG.
Along the transfer path formed by 1, 32, and 33, the sheet is gradually guided from the conveyor 1 to the crossover plate 45 and is guided to a position straddling the conveyor 1 and the transfer chain 2.

Then, the transport conveyor 1 and the transport chain 2
Since the speed is different from that of the container M, the container M is conveyed downstream while rotating. By rotating, the blind spots caused by the conveyor 1 and the conveyor 2 are eliminated. Then, a visual inspection is performed above the inspection mirror 22 for foreign matter settled on the bottom of the container M, attached matter on the outer surface of the container M, and scratches of the container M. If there is any abnormality, the container M can be easily pulled out upward. Then, the container M that has passed above the inspection mirror 22 is returned to the transport conveyor 1 again by the guides 30, 31, 32, and 33.

When the type of the container M to be processed is changed and the inspection apparatus is to be changed, the fixed handles 20 and 21 are loosened, and the knob 12 is turned according to the diameter of the container bottom to rotate the transport conveyor 1 and the transport chain 2. The positions of the guides 30, 31, 32, 33 are adjusted by the handles 36, 42, 37 as needed. Further, the speed of the transport chain 2 is adjusted so that the container rotates at least 90 degrees within a predetermined range. As described above, it is possible to easily change the mold without changing parts.

[0020]

According to the present invention, as described above, in a container bottom inspection apparatus, there is no restriction on containers to be handled due to the shape and diameter of the container, and when inspecting from the bottom, blind spots cannot be formed and the type can be easily changed. This has the effect of being able to do so.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a container bottom inspection apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a view as viewed in the direction of arrows AA in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of arrows BB in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Conveyor 2 Conveyor Chain 3 Support Bracket 4 Support Bracket 9 Drive Motor 10 Slide Plate 11 Base Plate 22 Inspection Mirror 30 Chain Guide 31 Chain Side guide 32 ‥‥ guide 33 ‥‥ guide 45 ‥‥ transition plate 50 ‥‥ lighting device M ‥‥ container

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A container bottom inspection device for inspecting foreign matter and the like at the bottom of a container from the bottom, comprising: a conveyor for conveying containers; a transport chain provided at appropriate intervals in parallel with the conveyor; A container conveyance path is shifted to a position straddling the conveyance chain, and a pair of guide members formed so as to return to the conveyance conveyor again after the inspection, and the conveyance chain so that the container is conveyed while rotating the container. A container bottom inspection apparatus comprising: driving means for traveling at different speeds; and configured to be able to move the side of the guide chain on the transport chain and the transport chain according to the size of the container. 2. The container bottom inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a transfer plate is provided between the transfer conveyor and the transfer chain so as to be swingable along the guide member on the chain side.