Container supply device and container supply method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11459192-B2
Application number	US-202017090984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2020
Priority date	Nov 13, 2019
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A container supply device includes a guide plate that guides stacking of a plurality of lids in a vertical direction, a lower claw capable of advancing/retreating and mounting a first container located at the lowermost position in a plurality of stacked containers, an upper claw capable of advancing/retreating and including a recess into which a flange portion of a second container sequentially stacked on the first container in the plurality of stacked containers is inserted, and a suction pad that adsorbs and separates the first container from the second container in a state where the second container is supported by the upper claw.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container supply device comprising:
a guide that guides stacking of a plurality of containers in a vertical direction;
a first support capable of advancing and retreating with respect to the plurality of containers to mount a first container located at a lowermost position of the plurality of stacked containers thereon;
a second support capable of advancing and retreating with respect to the plurality of containers, and including a recess into which an edge of a second container sequentially stacked on the first container in the plurality of stacked containers is inserted; and
a separator that separates the first container from the second container in a state where the second container is supported by inserting the edge of the second container into the recess of the second support,
wherein the second support includes a lower wall and an upper wall formed on an upper side of the lower wall to form the recess therebetween, and
an amount of protrusion of the upper wall of the second support in an advancing/retreating direction is larger than an amount of protrusion of the lower wall of the second support.

2. The container supply device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the edge of the second container is mounted on the lower wall, and
the upper wall supports a third container sequentially stacked on the second container in the plurality of stacked containers.

3. The container supply device according to claim 2 , wherein one of the upper wall and the lower wall of the second support is attached to a remaining one of the upper wall and the lower wall such that the amount of protrusion is adjustable.

4. The container supply device according to claim 2 , wherein the lower wall includes a tapered portion that tapers toward a tip.

5. The container supply device according to claim 4 , wherein the upper wall includes a tapered portion that tapers toward the tip.

6. The container supply device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the container includes a container main body portion located on a radial center side and a flange portion as the edge protruding on a radial outer side of the container main body portion, and
the lower wall of the second support abuts from below the flange portion of the second container to mount the flange portion of the second container thereon.

7. The container supply device according to claim 6 , wherein the upper wall of the second support is configured to press a side of the container main body portion of the third container to support the third container.

8. The container supply device according to claim 7 , wherein when the upper wall presses and supports the container main body portion of the third container, the second support is configured such that the lower wall is separated from the container main body portion of the second container.

9. The container supply device according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first support and the second support is provided at four locations of one side and a remaining side in a first direction which is substantially orthogonal to the vertical direction with respect to the plurality of containers stacked in the vertical direction, and one side and a remaining side in a second direction which is substantially orthogonal to the vertical direction and substantially orthogonal to the first direction.

10. The container supply device according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one support provided at the four locations is driven to advance and retreat with respect to the plurality of containers stacked in the vertical direction by a first actuator unique to the support.

11. The container supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a holder that is provided above the second support and is switchable between a holding state in which the plurality of containers are held at predetermined positions in a height direction and a release state in which the plurality of containers held at the predetermined positions are released and displaced downward from the predetermined positions,
wherein the first support moves in an advancing direction in advance before the holder is switched from the holding state to the release state, and when the holder is switched to the release state, the first support mounts the first container included in the plurality of containers displaced downward.

12. The container supply device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the holder is further configured to support remaining containers except for at least three containers on the lower end side of the plurality of containers displaced downward in the release state, and be switchable to a lifting state in which the containers are lifted upward by a predetermined distance, and
when the remaining containers are lifted in the lifting state of the holder, the second support moves in the advancing direction and the edge of the second container is inserted into the recess.

13. The container supply device according to claim 11 , wherein the holder is configured to be rotatable around a predetermined fulcrum and includes a bent portion that is inserted into the lower ends of the plurality of containers in the holding state to mount the plurality of containers and deviates from the lower ends of the plurality of containers in the release state.

14. The container supply device according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a second actuator that generates a driving force to rotate the holder and the bent portion.

15. A system comprising:
the container supply device according to claim 1 ;
a container transfer device that transfers the first container separated by the container supply device to a container receiving position; and
a robot that grips and holds the first container transferred to the container receiving position by the container transfer device.

16. A container supply method comprising:
moving a first support in a direction substantially orthogonal to a vertical direction toward a plurality of containers guided by a guide and stacked in the vertical direction to mount a first container located at a lowermost position in the plurality of containers on the first support;
in a state where the first container is supported by the first support, moving a second support in the direction substantially orthogonal to the vertical direction toward the plurality of containers and inserting an edge of a second container sequentially stacked on the first container in the plurality of containers into a recess provided in the second support to mount the second container on the second support; and
in a state where the second container is supported by the second support, moving the first support away from the plurality of containers to separate the first container from the second container,
wherein the second support includes a lower wall and an upper wall formed on an upper side of the lower wall to form the recess therebetween, and
an amount of protrusion of the upper wall of the second support in an advancing/retreating direction is larger than an amount of protrusion of the lower wall of the second support.

17. A container supply device comprising:
a guide that guides stacking of a plurality of containers in a vertical direction;
a first support capable of advancing and retreating in a direction substantially orthogonal to the vertical direction with respect to the plurality of containers;
a second support capable of advancing and retreating in the direction substantially orthogonal to the vertical direction with respect to the plurality of containers and includes a recess to which an edge of a container is inserte

Assignees

• Yaskawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Kirihara Koichi
• Koike Haruhiko
• Hara Koji
• Hyodo Tomoya

Classifications

• B65B7/28

  by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers · CPC title

• B65G47/912

  provided with drive systems with rectilinear movements only · CPC title

• B65B7/2807

  Feeding closures · CPC title

• B65B7/2842

  Securing closures on containers (in general B65B51/00) · CPC title

• B65B43/44

  from supply magazines · CPC title