JPH07134076A - Torque measuring instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a torque measuring instrument which can accurately recognize the torque value in real time from the start to the end of the opening of a cap and can read multiple peak torque values when the cap is opened and, at the same time, the measured results of which do not fluctuate. CONSTITUTION:A torque measuring instrument is constituted of a main body head 4 composed of a motor 42, gear head 43, torque detector 45, and air chuck 47 and fitted to a column 11 through a sliding unit 40 in a vertically movable state, device main body section composed of container clamping jigs 12 and 13 and a rotation detecting section 5 which detects the rotating speed of the motor 42, operating section 2 which operates the motor 42, jigs 12 and 13, and chuck 48, measuring and analyzing means which measures the opening torque of a cap at every prescribed angle from the signal of the detecting section 5 and analyzes a torque curve, etc., by displaying the curve, etc., on a display, and arithmetic processor.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container containing various juices, drinking water for alcoholic beverages or medicinal drinks, and a torque value when opening a cap sealed in the container. The present invention relates to a torque measuring device that measures and inspects a torque value indicating how strong the closed state is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various kinds of drinking water, medicinal drinks, etc. are packed in a container having a predetermined capacity and plastically worked (screwed) or pressure-molded by a so-called PILFER PROOF cap (hereinafter referred to as a PP cap) capping machine. Many of them are closed with a cap, but this cap cannot be opened unless a torque more than a predetermined value is applied from the viewpoint of safety and hygiene.

When a container containing drinking water, a medicinal drink, etc. is broken during the manufacturing process, the bridge does not open and the cap does not open, and if the bridge is not properly opened when it is opened, it may cause scratches on the hand. However, there are cases in which there are complaints that the cap is hard to open when it is opened, and liquid leaks during transportation. Possible causes are defective molding of the cap, defective molding of the container, and misadjustment of the capper machine. In order to prevent these problems, the factory always checks the opening torque before shipping the product. In the conventional unplugging torque check, there are many cases in which an operator arbitrarily picks up from a belt conveyor in a production line and manually unplugs it.
As a method for checking the opening torque, a device for fixing the container on the torque meter is attached, and the container is fixed and the cap is manually turned in the opening direction to read the peak value of the torque meter and check it. Things are known.

Normally, when the cap C of a container that has been capped by a cap machine for PP caps is opened, a change in the torque at the time of opening has a plurality of characteristic peaks at the rotational position. That is, as shown in FIG.
The peak value of the stage is the initial peak when the cap is opened, and is the screw torque generated when the pushing pressure of the packing in the cap is released. This is the same as the peak of a normal screw type cap, but the purpose of checking this torque value is to confirm the closing strength of the cap, the packing (sealing property) of the packing, and the safety against liquid leakage. . The second-stage peak value is shown in FIG.
As shown in (B), the bridge of the cap (perforation) C
This is the torque generated when 1 is cut. The purpose of checking the torque value is to confirm the breaking of the cap, the degree of cutting of the bridge, the guarantee of virginity (no opening), and the like. The peak at the third stage is shown in FIG.
It is a torque value generated when the ring C2 of the cap is separated as shown in FIG. The purpose of checking the torque value is to confirm ease of loosening and cap accuracy.

[0005]

In recent years, many types of drinking water, medicinal drinks and the like have been produced in various types and in small quantities, and even in factories, the capping head of the capper machine is adjusted to manage and adjust the torque. However, there are differences in the contents, such as those containing carbonic acid gas (so-called carbonated drinks) and those not, the shape of the container, the size of the cap (especially the outer diameter), the material of the container and the cap, etc. The adjustment range is different, and the adjustment part of the torque value for each stage of the capping head of the capper machine is different. Therefore, in order to perform product quality control, when a problem occurs, it is necessary to accurately grasp the cause based on objective data. Moreover, if the operator checks the torque value by manually opening the cap, the variation due to individual differences becomes large, and it is difficult to detect the accurate torque value. It is also difficult to detect which part (what stage) of the cap has the problem. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to measure the torque value at the time of opening the cap that is sealed in the container in real time from the start to the end of the opening, and to perform a plurality of steps. It is an object of the present invention to provide a torque measuring device capable of reading the torque peak value generated in the above and having no variation in the measurement result. Also, in order to increase the production capacity, the torque value of each stage of each head of a work produced by a capper machine having a plurality of capping heads (currently 2 to a maximum of about 20 heads) is collected and the statistics are summarized for each head. It is to provide a torque measuring device that can also perform processing.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a torque measuring device comprising a motor, a speed reducing mechanism for reducing the rotational speed of the motor, a torque detector and a chuck. And a main body head movably mounted on a column erected on a pedestal via a slide unit, a clamp means for fixing the container, and a rotation speed detection means for detecting the rotation speed of the rotation shaft of the motor. The device main body, the main body operation unit that operates the motor, the clamp unit and the chuck, and the opening torque value for each predetermined angle of the cap that is connected to the torque detector and that seals the container according to the signal from the rotation speed detection unit. A measurement / analysis unit configured to measure a measurement result, display the measurement result on a display, and analyze the measurement value; And wherein the processor computes controlled measurement and analysis unit, that more made.

[0007]

The operation (operation, measurement, analysis procedure) when the torque measuring device is used as the above means will be described. First, the run / test mode selector switch 22 is set to the test mode, and the chuck unit elevating / lowering slide unit 40 of the apparatus main body 1 and the container clamp jig 13 are operated, and it is confirmed and operated whether or not the container is in a specified position. Set.
Next, while operating the function keys 32, ten keys 35, cross keys 36, set keys 38, etc. on the liquid crystal display 31 of the measuring / analyzing unit 3, each specified numerical value is input to the memory card in the memory card slot 39. Remember. The above operations and are performed for each type of container (work). Next, when starting the measurement, the type of the work to be measured in the memory card (not shown) is called, the container is set in the jigs 12 and 13 of the apparatus main body 1, and the start button 27 is pressed. When one measurement is completed, the container is taken out and another container is repeatedly measured.
When all measurements have been completed, press the print button to arbitrarily select and print the plot of the torque curve, list of peak values, statistical processing results, etc. In particular, the above torque curve can be displayed in a plot and statistically processed, which is extremely effective in terms of quality control.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external front view of a device body 1 of a torque measuring device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view, and FIG.
[Fig. 3] is a front view of the measurement / analysis unit 3 of the torque measurement device.
As shown in these figures, this torque measuring device is composed of a device main body 1, a main body operating unit 2, and a measuring / analyzing unit 3. The device body 1 includes a pedestal 10 in which a column 11 is erected.
The main body head 4 is attached to the column 11 so as to be vertically movable, a container clamp jig 12 for fixing a container W such as drinking water, a moving jig 13 and the like. An air slide unit 40 that can move up and down is attached to the body head 4. A bracket 41 attached to the slide unit 40 via a pin shaft 41a has a motor 42, a gear head 43 as a speed reduction mechanism of the rotation speed of the motor 42, a coupling 44 for connecting a driving torque, a torque detector 45, and a rotary. A joint 46 and an air chuck 47 are attached. The pin shaft 41A connecting the slide unit 40 and the bracket 41 has a thrust force absorbing spring 48a, 48a.
b is fitted. A male screw rod 4a is screwed onto the body head 4 and can be moved up and down according to the height of the container W by a lifting handle 4b.

Next, an arithmetic processing unit (CPU) or the like is arranged inside the main body operating section 2 installed beside the main body 1 of the apparatus, a switch 21 for changing the rotation direction of the motor 42, a measurement run ( A switch 22 for switching the mode between measurement and test (test run), a switch 23 for operating the slide unit 40, the air chuck 47, and the container clamp moving jig 13 in the test mode, and the slide unit 4.
0, air chuck 47, air pressure adjusting regulator 24 for adjusting container clamp moving jig 13, motor 42
25 for setting the number of rotations of the motor, the volume 26 for setting the time until the rotation of the motor 42 is gradually accelerated to reach the set number of rotations, that is, the slow start time, the operation of starting or stopping the rotation of the motor 42 in the test mode. A switch 28, etc. are provided.

The measuring / analyzing unit 3 is connected to the main body operating unit 2 and has an arithmetic processing unit (CPU etc.) arranged therein (see FIG. 5). The measuring / analyzing unit 3 includes a display 31, a function key 32, a present torque value display 33, a pass / fail judgment lamp 34, and a ten-key pad 3.
5, cross key 36, key 37 for switching the screen of display 31, set key 38, memory card slot 3
9, a printer 60, etc. are provided.

FIG. 4A is a side view showing a part of the internal structure of the main body 1 of the first embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a view on arrow P of FIG. 4A. A generator lead wire 54 for controlling the rotation speed is connected to the motor 42, and a rotation speed detecting section 5 for detecting the rotation speed is attached to an upper portion of the motor 42. The rotation speed detection unit 5 includes a rotation shaft 42a of the motor 42.
A disc 52 fixed to the upper part and having a notch hole 52a in one place, and the disc 52 attached to the sensor case 51.
And a photo sensor 53 arranged so as to block the light flux. The hole 52a of the disk 52 is a hole for the photo sensor 53 to detect the rotation speed of the motor 42. That is, the photo sensor 53 detects one rotation of the motor 42 as one pulse through the hole 52a, and the detected output rotation speed of the motor 42 is the gear head 43.
Via the coupling 44, the torque detector 45, and the air chuck 47. Therefore, the rotation angle of the air chuck 47 is 1/3 of the reduction ratio of the gear head 43.
If it is 60, one pulse can be processed once by the arithmetic processing unit of the measurement / analysis unit 3.

The air chuck 47 is configured such that the grip portion 47a can grip and open the cap C of the container W. That is, when compressed air is introduced into the rotary joint 46 from an air cylinder (not shown), the compressed air enters into the air chuck 47 through a passage provided in the rotary joint 46, and the grasping portion 47a is rotated by a certain angle range to move the cap C of the container W. Hold it. The air-chuck 47
Is rotated while the cap C is gripped by the grip 47a, and the torque detector 45 measures the cap opening torque of the cap C at this time. The chuck may be a chuck other than the air-type chuck. The measured value of the opening torque is input to the measurement / analysis unit 3 as an output signal of the torque sensor by the lead wire 45a connected to the torque detector 45, and the measured value is, for example, once every 1 degree as described above. Is displayed on the display 31 in real time as the unsealing torque value.

FIG. 5 shows the directions of signal transmission / reception among the device main body 1, the main body operation control unit 2 and the measuring / analyzing unit 3 of the torque measuring device. That is, a measurement start signal, a main body abnormal stop signal, a measurement emergency stop signal, etc. are output from the main body operation unit 2 to the measurement / analysis unit 3, and a measurement end signal, measurement A busy signal, an overload abnormality signal, a print busy signal, etc. are output during processing. The main body operation unit 2 receiving the above signals operates the motor 42, the slide unit 40, the air chuck 47, and the container clamp moving jig 13 of the apparatus main body unit 1. Device body 1
The torque value measured by the torque detector 45 is transmitted to the measurement / analysis unit 3 via the lead line 45a as an output signal of the analog voltage signal. Motor 42 of device body 1
The rotation speed of is transmitted from the photosensor 53 to the measurement / analysis unit 3 as a pulse signal. Motor 42 of device body 1
The voltage signal generated in proportion to the value of the rotation speed of the is input to the main body operation unit 2 via the generator lead wire 54, and the speed is controlled by the driver of the main body operation unit 2. In addition, start rotation of the motor 42 of the apparatus main body 1 from the main body operation unit 2
Command a stop. If further analysis of the data measured by the measurement / analysis unit 3 is required or if an inspection report based on individual regulations is required, this data is output to an external personal computer or the like.

The torque measuring device according to the present invention has the above-mentioned structure. Next, a concrete measuring process procedure will be described with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Note that, here, the measurement / analysis unit 3 and the main body 1 are not set to any initial settings, and the sample is collected from a caper machine having four capping heads six times, that is, six in total. 24 pieces are measured and the cap C at the time of measurement
The rotation angle of the plug opening direction is 270 °. The power switch (not shown) of the device is turned on, and the setting of the measurement / analysis unit 3 is switched to the display of the program mode by the screen switching key 37 (step 1). In accordance with the message on the screen of the display 31, the function key 32, the ten key 35, the set key 37, the cursor cross key 36, the screen switching key 37, etc. are used.
The operation is performed according to the flowchart shown in. Next, the test mode is selected by the switch 22 of the main body operation unit 2 to prepare the setting of the apparatus main body 1 (step 2). Main unit operation unit 2
The motor 42 is adjusted using the slow start setting volume 26, the rotation speed setting volume 25, the motor rotation start / stop button 28, etc., and the air cylinder operation switch 23, the air pressure adjustment regulator 24, etc. are used. By adjusting the air pressure of the slide unit 40, the container clamp moving jig 13, and the air chuck 47, and then replacing the air chuck 47 or the gripping portion 47a to set the cap C having the outer diameter shape. To do. Further, by using the fixing knob 4C of the main body head portion 4, the main body head portion elevating handle 4b, etc., the air chuck 47 of the main body head portion 4 is at the lowered position (the position of the air chuck 47 when the air cylinder 40 is in the lowered state). The cap C of the container W is adjusted to a height at which it can be chucked and fixed. The container clamp jig 12, the container clamp moving jig 13 and the like are chucked so that the cap C of the container W is straight at the center of the air chuck 47, that is, the cap C, by using a moving knob, a fixing bolt or the like not shown. Adjust and fix it so that it can be positioned (see the flowchart in FIG. 8). The run / test mode selector switch 22 of the main body operation unit 2 is switched to the run mode, and the screen selector switch 37 of the measurement / analysis unit 3 is switched to the measurement mode screen (step 3). The container W is set between the container clamp jig 12 and the container clamp moving jig 13 on the pedestal 10 (step 4). When the start button 27 is pressed (step 5), the rubber portion of the tip of the container clamp moving jig 13 (not shown) moves in the container W and is grasped by the container clamp jig 12 (step 6). After the timer that has been set by the ultra-small programmable controller (arithmetic processing unit, CPU) inside the operation unit 2 has been set, the air cylinder 40 operates and the air chuck 47 descends to the position of the cap C ( Step 7). The grip portion 47a of the air chuck 47 is operated to grip the cap C at the timing of the signal from the descending end limit switch (not shown) attached to the lower portion of the air cylinder 40 (step 8), and the motor 42 starts rotating. At the same time, the signals from the torque detector 45 and the rotation speed detector 5 are output to the measurement / analysis unit 3 (step 9). The data taken into the measurement / analysis unit 3 is processed according to the flowchart of FIG. The motor 42 is the measurement / analysis unit 3 described above.
When it reaches the set angle (a in FIG. 7) set by the above setting, it stops and the gripping part 47a of the air chuck 47 part is opened (step 10). The air cylinder 40 is lifted by the reverse operation of steps 6 and 7 (step 11),
The container clamp moving jig opens the container W (step 1
2). The measurement of another container W is repeated by the number of times of measurement set in b of FIG. 7 according to the flow of steps 4 to 12, and the measurement is completed (step 13).

The measurement data taken into the measurement / analysis unit 3 is statistically processed as shown in FIG.

[Table 1] Or

As shown in Table 2, the data is output to the printer for each sampling number or each capping head number (for example, when the number of heads is 4 and the number of sampling times is 6).

[Table 1]

[Table 2]

Next, FIG. 11 shows the display screen 31 of the measuring / analyzing unit 3 when the cap, which is actually screwed by plastic working with the PP capper machine, is measured by the torque measuring device of the present invention. It is a display example. The rotation (opening) angle is shown on the horizontal axis, and the torque change curve actually obtained at the time of measurement is displayed on the graph of the opening torque value on the vertical axis. From the torque change curve, roughly three peaks are observed. The torque value and its angle are displayed below the graph with the maximum torque value in the range sandwiched between the arbitrarily set peak setting angle range indicating lines as the peak of each step. That is, the peak of the first stage is 11.5 kg when the rotation angle is 1 °.
fcm, the second peak is 12.3kgfcm when the rotation angle is 43 °, and the third peak is the rotation angle 1
It is 10.1 kgfcm at 76 °. In addition, the torque value of the third step is below (lower torque value) the arbitrarily set pass / fail judgment lower limit value indication line, so that the Lo judgment is displayed.

In the above embodiment, the PP cap having a three-step peak has been described, but the opening torque can be similarly measured for the two-step PP cap and the normal screw cap. Of course. Also,
In the above-described embodiment, the measurement of the opening torque value is described, but by changing the rotation direction of the motor 42 with the switch 21, it is effective even for the change in the torque at the time of closing the plug, that is, the plug breaking test. 12). Further, in the above-described embodiment, the torque value is processed every 1 ° to collect the data, but the number of the holes 52a of the disc 52 is increased,
By changing the reduction ratio of the gear head 43, data for each other angle can be obtained. For example, if the number of 52a is changed to 5 and the reduction ratio of the gear head is changed to 1/180, 0.
Torque values every 1 ° can be processed. In the above embodiment, the unit of torque value is kgfcm, but by switching a switch (not shown),
It is also possible to switch to the unit of cm.

[0018]

Since the torque measuring device of the present invention has the above-described structure, the opening torque generated when the cap C is opened can be measured in real time and corresponding to the opening angle. Since the horizontal axis of the torque curve is the cap opening angle, the data for each angle can be accurately obtained regardless of the measurement speed (motor rotation speed). In addition, this torque measuring device can accurately grasp which position of the container cap (packing tightening position, bridge position, ring position) has a problem, so the quality control of the container cap is extremely important. It will be easy. Since a plurality of capping heads of the capping device in the capping process can be statistically processed for each, adjustment of each capping head can be easily performed. Furthermore, it is possible to set multiple different types of containers in the memory card (the maximum number of container types that can be set is the RA of the memory card).
Depending on the M capacity, if there is a type that does not fit in one memory card, you can replace another memory card with the memory card slot), other lines without suspending this device. It is also possible to perform interrupt measurements on seed containers.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external front view of a device body and an operating unit of a torque measuring device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external side view of a device body of the torque measuring device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the outer appearance of the measurement / analysis unit of the torque measuring device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 (A) is a side view of a specific embodiment of the device body of the torque measuring device of the present invention, and FIG. 4 (B) is FIG.
It is a P arrow line view of (A).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing directions of signal transmission / reception among a device main body portion, a main body operation portion, and a measurement / analysis portion of the torque measuring device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a measurement processing procedure of the torque measuring device of the present invention.

7 is a flowchart showing a procedure for setting the measurement / analysis unit shown in FIG.

8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for setting the main body shown in FIG.

9 is a flowchart showing a procedure of processing data taken in by the measurement / analysis unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart for a statistical processing procedure of the torque measuring device of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a measurement result diagram including a torque curve displayed on a display screen when a cap screwed by plastic working is actually measured by the torque measuring device of the present invention with a capping head of a capping machine for PP caps. is there.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a change in torque at the time of closing the cap, that is, a torque curve when a cap breaking test is performed using the torque measuring device of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a view showing a breaking state of the cap when the cap of the container capped by the PP capping machine is opened, and FIG. 6 (A) is a state when the pushing pressure of the packing in the cap is released. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing FIG.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state when the bridge (perforation) of the cap is cut, and FIG. 6C is a diagram showing a state when the ring of the cap is cut off.

[Explanation of symbols]

 W ... Container C ... Cap 1 ... Device main body 2 ... Main body operation part 3 ... Measuring / analyzing part 4 ... Main body head 4a ... Male screw rod 4b ... Lifting handle 4c ... Head part fixing knob 5 ... Rotation speed detecting part 10 ... Pedestal 11 ... Strut 12 ... Container clamp jig 13 ... Container clamp moving jig 41a ... Pin shaft 42 ... Motor 42a ... Motor rotation shaft 43 ... Gear head 44 ... Coupling 45 ... Torque detector 46 ... Rotary joint 47 ... Air chuck 47a ... Gripping part (air chuck claw part) 51 ... Sensor case 52 ... Disc 52a ... Hole 53 ... Photo sensor

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A main body head, which comprises a motor, a reduction mechanism for reducing the number of rotations of the motor, a torque detector, and a chuck, and is attached to a column erected on a pedestal so as to be vertically movable via a slide unit, Clamping means for fixing the container, rotation speed detecting means for detecting the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of the motor, main body operation part for operating the motor, the clamp means and the chuck, and a torque detector Connected to the measuring means for measuring the opening torque value for each predetermined angle of the cap for sealing the container by the signal from the rotation speed detecting means, displaying the measurement result on the display and analyzing the measured value. A torque measuring device comprising: a measuring / analyzing unit configured by; and an arithmetic processing unit for arithmetically controlling the device main body, the main body operating unit, and the measuring / analyzing unit.