JPH04308122A - Container selecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a container selecting device capable of sufficiently following the inspection processing capability by image processing and improving the performance of the whole inspection device. CONSTITUTION:A container selecting device has a pair of disks 1, 2 formed with grooves 3, 4 holding containers 5 on the outer periphery sections, a driving means synchronously rotating the disks 1, 2, vacuum pipes 13, 14 opened at one end at groove bottoms of a pair of disks 1, 2 and connected to a vacuum source 25 at the other end, vacuum circuit control means 19, 20 controlling the vacuum pipes 13, 14 communicated to the grooves of the disks 1, 2, and passages 23, 24 sorting and recovering the selected containers.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container sorting device which is installed in an inspection device for containers such as ampoules, and which sorts the containers into non-defective products and defective products.

0002

[Prior Art] A conventional container sorting device that performs visual inspection and foreign matter inspection on glass containers such as ampoules using an inspection device, and sorts them into good and defective products based on the inspection results, is known from the Japanese Patent Publication No. 47-27670. The one described in the No. Publication is known. This device can handle containers such as ampoules,
The container is held in a groove formed on the outer periphery of a disc-shaped star wheel and sent. If the container is a good product, it is immediately removed from the groove and sent to the regular good product path, and if it is a defective product, it is sent to the groove. The product is kept under vacuum and further transferred as the star wheel rotates, and when it reaches the entrance of the defective product path, which is separate from the non-defective product path, the vacuum suction is released and the product is sent to the defective product path. In addition, as a conventional device of this type, there is a
The one described in Japanese Patent No. 47902 is also known. This device is constructed as follows. That is, two star wheels are provided so as to circumscribe and rotate in synchronization with each other. Grooves for holding the containers are formed in each starwheel at equal intervals, and holes for blowing out pressurized air are bored at the bottom of each groove. These holes are connected to a compressed air source via a valve plate, and compressed air is injected from only one of the star wheels in response to a signal indicating a good product or a defective product at the contact portion of both star wheels. Then, the container is transferred by pressing it against the groove of the star wheel on the opposite side. In this way, non-defective products are sent to the non-defective product path and defective products are sent to the non-defective product path.

0003

However, among the conventional techniques described in the above two publications, the former causes a time delay in the vacuum circuit when attempting to suction and transfer defective products using vacuum. For this reason, after receiving a defective signal, the solenoid valve installed in the pipe connecting the vacuum source and the groove is switched.
It takes time to hold the container in the groove. As a result,
There has been a problem in that the capacity for sorting containers is reduced and the efficiency of the inspection apparatus as a whole is also reduced. Also, in the latter case,
Since the container is blown onto the opposite star wheel using compressed air, if the container is a thin glass container such as an ampoule, there is a risk that the container will be damaged by the impact. In addition, there was a risk that the container would jump out of the groove due to the compressed air injection, so the pressure could not be maintained very high, and as with the method using a vacuum, a decrease in efficiency due to time delays in the compressed air circuit could not be avoided. As mentioned above, in any of the above methods, the throughput is low and the sorting operation is unstable in order to handle easily breakable glass containers, which has been a bottleneck in improving the throughput of the entire inspection apparatus. The ability of this sorting device is also related to the ability of the inspection device that performs image processing in the previous process, so if the speed of the sorting device cannot be increased no matter how fast the inspection device is made, it is necessary to improve the ability of the entire inspection device. I can't let you. Therefore, improving the throughput of the sorting device has been a major challenge for this type of inspection device. The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a container sorting device that can sufficiently follow the throughput of an inspection device through image processing, etc., and can improve the overall performance of the inspection device. shall be.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a container sorting device that sorts containers inspected by an inspection device into non-defective products and defective products based on a judgment signal thereof. a pair of discs each having a plurality of equally spaced grooves for holding the container; these discs are rotatably supported on a base; the grooves formed in each disc are rotatably supported; a driving means that circumscribes and rotates synchronously so as to face each other; a vacuum conduit having one end opened at the groove bottom of the pair of discs and the other end connected to a vacuum source; and a vacuum pipe line that circumscribes the pair of discs. In the part, based on the determination signal from the inspection device, the vacuum pipe line communicating with the groove of one of the discs is suctioned by the vacuum source, and the container is attracted to the one disc, and at the same time, the other disc is suctioned. vacuum circuit control means for controlling the vacuum pipe line communicating with the groove to release it to atmospheric pressure;
The container is configured to include a passage for sorting the sorted containers into good products and defective products and collecting them.

[0005]

[Operation] According to the above configuration, a pair of disks are circumscribed,
One disk is designated as the good product side, and the other is designated as the defective product side, and when the container is transferred to the circumscribed area, if the container is a defective product, it is connected to the disk on the defective product side by the vacuum pipe control means. Switch the vacuum line connected to the vacuum source to connect it to the vacuum source. At the same time, the vacuum pipe line connected to the disk on the non-defective side is switched to release to atmospheric pressure. Conversely, if the container is good, the vacuum line connected to the disk on the defective side is released to atmospheric pressure, and the vacuum line connected to the disk on the good side is connected to a vacuum source. As a result, good products are reliably attracted to the disk on the non-defective side, and defective products are reliably attracted to the disk on the defective side. At this time, when a container is attracted to either disk, the vacuum tube connected to the other disk is always released to atmospheric pressure, causing a flip-flop operation. No residual vacuum pressure remains in the circuit, the response speed is faster, and there is no possibility of malfunction. Moreover, since the containers once sorted by the above operation are immediately sucked by the vacuum source through the vacuum pipe line, they are reliably held by suction and will not cause malfunctions such as falling off.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Figure 1
As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of disc-shaped star wheels 1 and 2 that circumscribe each other and rotate synchronously in opposite directions have a plurality of grooves 3 on their outer peripheries for engaging and holding containers 5, respectively. , 4 are formed. Valve plates 7 and 8 for transmitting vacuum are provided on the lower surfaces of the star wheels 1 and 2, respectively.
Vacuum lines 15 and 17 are provided in the valve plates 7 and 8, respectively.
and 16, 18 are connected. In addition, the vacuum pipe line 15
, 16 are provided with electromagnetic valves 19 and 20, which are vacuum circuit control means for controlling vacuum, respectively. Furthermore, Figure 2
As shown in the figure, the rotating shafts 31 and 32 that support the centers of the star wheels 1 and 2 are rotatably supported by bearings 33 and 34 provided on a base 40, respectively.
Gears 37 and 38 are fixed to the lower ends of 32, respectively. The gears 37 and 38 are rotationally driven by a drive means (not shown). In addition, a pedestal 41 fixed to the base 40
and the valve plate 7, and between the bearing 34 and the valve plate 8, springs 35 and 36 are installed, respectively, to start the valve plates 7 and 8, respectively.
The wheels 1 and 2 are pressed and biased. star wheel 1
, 2 are formed with grooves 3 and 4 at equal pitches over the entire circumference for engaging and holding the container 5, respectively. Vacuum passages 13 and 14 are bored from the bottoms of the grooves 3 and 4 toward the centers of the star wheels 1 and 2, respectively, and the ends of the vacuum passages 13 and 14 on the center side are shown in FIG. It opens at the bottom of the star wheels 1 and 2. Valve plates 7 and 8, which are provided concentrically on the lower surfaces of star wheels 1 and 2, are locked in rotation with respect to rotating shafts 31 and 32, respectively, and are slidable in the axial direction. The valve plates 7 and 8 are slidably pressed against the lower surfaces of the star wheels 1 and 2 by springs 35 and 36, respectively. For this reason, the lower surfaces of the star wheels 1 and 2 are usually made of resin, and the valve plates 7 and 8 are made of metal, so that the contact surfaces between the two are smoothed to make them slip easily and maintain airtightness. ing. On the upper surface of the valve plate 7, a first
A signal suction port 9 is bored opposite to one opening of the vacuum passage 13 bored in the star wheel 1 of the machine, connected to the vacuum line 15, and connected to the vacuum source 25 through the solenoid valve 19. Connecting. Further, a permanent suction port 10 is bored on the upper surface of the valve plate 7, facing the opening of the vacuum passage 13 bored in the first star wheel 1, and a vacuum conduit 17 is connected to the vacuum passage 13. Connect it to the power source 25.

Similarly to the valve plate 7, a signal suction port 11 and a constant suction port 12 are bored in the valve plate 8 which is in contact with the second star wheel 2.
The side is connected to a vacuum source 25 through a solenoid valve 20, and the side of the suction port 12 is connected to the vacuum source 25 through a vacuum conduit 18. The operation will be explained below with reference to FIG. The container 5 that has been visually inspected or inspected for foreign matter is sent through the conveyance path 50, engaged with the groove 3 provided on the outer periphery of the first star wheel 1, and then moved outward by the guide 6. It is conveyed in the direction of arrow A while being restrained so as not to protrude. The container 5 transported to the contact point between the first starwheel 1 and the second starwheel 2 is inspected in the previous process, and if the judgment signal from the inspection device is good, the solenoid valve 1
No signal is applied to the solenoid valves 19 and 20, and the solenoid valves 19 and 20 are in the state shown in the figure. That is, the solenoid valve 19 is “
The vacuum source 25 is in communication with the vacuum line 15, and the signal suction port 9 bored in the valve plate 7 is opened.
becomes a negative pressure, and the container 5 is moved to the first star wheel 1 through the vacuum passage 13 bored in the first star wheel 1.
It is transported in a state where it is sucked to the side. On the other hand, the solenoid valve 20 is in the "closed" state as shown, and the vacuum line 16 is cut off, but the vacuum line 16 passes through a path to the other side of the solenoid valve 20.
The pressure is released to atmospheric pressure through the filter 22, and the signal suction port 11 bored in the valve plate 8 is also immediately brought to atmospheric pressure, removing the residual negative pressure remaining in the vacuum circuit on the star wheel 2 side. Immediate release prevents a delay in the operation of sucking good products to the first star wheel 1 side. When the good products sorted as described above and adsorbed on the first star wheel 1 side are further conveyed as the star wheel rotates, a vacuum passage 13 is formed on the valve plate 7. It is connected to the constant suction port 10. Constant suction port 1
0 is connected to a vacuum source 25 through a vacuum line 17, so it always maintains a negative pressure, thereby attracting good products to the first star wheel 1 side and moving them in the direction of arrow A. After being conveyed to and further conveyed, the vacuum is cut off and the articles are separated from the first star wheel 1 and collected on the good article passage 23. If the inspection device determines that the product is defective at the inspection position in the previous process, the product is transferred from the conveyance path 50 to the first starwheel 1 and then to the second starwheel. le 2
When the fault signal is conveyed to the contact point with the solenoid valve 19,
and 20 simultaneously, and the solenoid valves 19 and 20 simultaneously and instantaneously switch the vacuum circuit.

That is, the solenoid valve 19 switches from "open" to "closed," and the signal suction port 9 of the valve plate 7 is released to atmospheric pressure via the vacuum line 15 and filter 21. . On the other hand, the solenoid valve 20 is simultaneously switched from "closed" to "open" and the signal suction port 11 of the valve plate 8 is switched from "closed" to "open".
Since the vacuum line 16 and the vacuum source 25 are connected, the pressure immediately becomes negative, and this negative pressure is passed through the vacuum passage 14 bored in the second star wheel 2 to the star wheel 2. Defective products in the container 5 can be attracted and held in the groove 4 provided on the outer periphery of the container 5. Once the defective product has been adsorbed and held on the side of the second star wheel 2, it is transported in the direction of arrow B as the star wheel 2 rotates, and then connected to the vacuum source 25 through the vacuum pipe line 18. , constant suction port 12 and vacuum line 14
becomes electrically conductive, and once sorted defective products are sucked and held on the star wheel 2 side and transported in the direction of arrow B. When further transported, defective products are placed on star wheel 2.
The products are separated from the product and collected in the defective product path 24. The above embodiment shows an example in which two solenoid valves, one normally open and one normally closed, are used to switch the vacuum circuit, and the vacuum circuits are switched at the same time. In this embodiment, a three-port valve is used as the electromagnetic valve, and a method is adopted in which the residual negative pressure on the side to be sucked is immediately released to atmospheric pressure.Another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In order to make the sorting operation with the above structure respond at high speed, it is necessary to increase the response speed of vacuum circuit switching, and as a countermeasure, it is necessary to make the diameters of the vacuum pipes 15 to 18 as large as possible and to use a vacuum source with a large flow rate. It is advantageous to use a direct-acting two-port solenoid valve, which has a large orifice diameter as much as possible, a simple structure, and a fast response speed, while reducing pipe line loss. 3 shows a part of the same vacuum circuit as in FIGS. 1 and 2, but instead of the solenoid valve 19 in FIGS. 1 and 2, a normally open two-port solenoid valve 19a and a solenoid valve 20 are shown. Instead, a normally closed two-port solenoid valve 20a is connected. In addition, orifices 21a and 22a narrowed to an appropriate diameter are connected between the vacuum pipes 15 and 16, and are opened to atmospheric pressure. FIG. 3 shows an example of the control circuit in the case of a non-defective product, but if a defective product is detected, a defective signal is applied to the solenoid valves 19a and 20a at the same time to close the solenoid valve 19a. Instantly switch 20a to “open” and vacuum line 1
6 and the vacuum source 25 to draw suction to the defective product side.On the other hand, the vacuum line 15 is closed at the same time, but the orifice 21a
Since the vacuum line 15 is released to atmospheric pressure through the vacuum line 15, the residual negative pressure inside the vacuum line 15 is immediately released, and a high-speed response is possible without preventing the container from being sucked into the defective product side. According to each of the above embodiments, the conventional compressed air container sorting device using a star wheel has a processing capacity of, for example, 400 containers per hour.
00 or less, and a vacuum suction type container sorting device using a star wheel has a processing capacity of 12,000 containers per hour.
According to this example, 30 pieces per hour were used.
It becomes possible to perform sorting processing for more than 000 items. Therefore, it is possible to match the processing speed of the image processing device and other electronic equipment provided in the previous process, enabling high-speed response and improving the throughput of the entire inspection machine. Furthermore, the frequency of occurrence of defective products in an actual container inspection line is approximately one in several thousand to several hundred thousand products, and according to this embodiment, a signal is generated only when the container 5 is defective, and the solenoid valve is activated. Since a voltage is applied to the electromagnetic valves 19 and 20, damage to the electromagnetic valves 19 and 20 is suppressed, and stable operation for a long period of time is possible.

[0009]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention,
Good products are reliably suctioned by the vacuum pipe connected to the disc on the non-defective side, and defective products are reliably suctioned by the vacuum circuit connected to the disc on the defective side, and the residual vacuum pressure on the side opposite to the suction is Since it is immediately opened to the atmosphere, the sorting operation can be performed reliably and at high speed. As a result, the throughput of the entire inspection device can be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vacuum circuit diagram according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Star wheel (disc) 2 Star wheel (disc) 3 groove 4 groove 5 Container 15 Vacuum pipe line 16 Vacuum pipe line 17 Vacuum pipe line 18 Vacuum pipe line 19 Solenoid valve (control means) 20 Solenoid valve (control means) 24 Passage 25 Vacuum source 40 Base

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A container sorting device that sorts containers inspected by an inspection device into good products and defective products based on a judgment signal thereof, wherein a plurality of grooves for holding the containers are formed at equal intervals on the outer periphery of each container. a pair of discs, a drive means for rotatably supporting these discs on a base, circumscribing the discs so that the grooves formed in each disc face each other, and rotating the discs synchronously; A vacuum pipe line having one end opened at the bottom of the groove of the pair of discs and the other end connected to a vacuum source, and a vacuum pipe line having one end opened at the bottom of the groove of the pair of discs and the other end connected to a vacuum source; The vacuum pipe line communicating with the groove of the plate is suctioned by the vacuum source to adsorb the container to the one disc, and at the same time, the vacuum pipe line communicating with the groove of the other disc is released to atmospheric pressure. 1. A container sorting device, comprising: a vacuum circuit control means for controlling the containers; and a path for separating and collecting the sorted containers into good and defective containers.