Container processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11926480-B2
Application number	US-202217935288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2022
Priority date	Sep 30, 2021
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A container supplying apparatus includes a supply conveyer conveying containers and a screw engaging with the containers on the supply conveyer and conveying the containers to a downstream side. The screw is divided into an upstream screw and a downstream screw rotationally driven by different servomotors. In a case where no container is supplied to a specific bottle table of a weighing and filling apparatus, the upstream screw is decelerated and is then accelerated relative to the downstream screw. As a result, an interval of the successive containers is expanded, and a large interval is maintained therebetween. This supplies no container to the specific bottle table of the weighing and filling apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container processing system, comprising:
a rotor having an outer peripheral portion;
a plurality of container supporting devices disposed on the rotor at predetermined pitches along the outer peripheral portion of the rotor, the container supporting devices being configured to support containers;
a plurality of processing mechanisms provided on the rotor corresponding to the respective container supporting devices, the processing mechanisms being configured to perform predetermined processing operations on the containers supported by the container supporting devices;
a container supply apparatus configured to supply the containers to the container supporting devices on the rotor; and
a control apparatus configured to control operation of the processing mechanisms and the container supply apparatus,
wherein:
the container supply apparatus includes a supply conveyer and a screw, the supply conveyer being configured to convey the containers, the screw being configured to convey the containers on the supply conveyer in a conveyance direction from an upstream side of the conveyor to a downstream side of the conveyor by causing a spiral groove provided on an outer peripheral surface of the screw to engage with the containers;
the screw includes a downstream screw and an upstream screw, the downstream screw being disposed adjacent the downstream side of the conveyor and being rotated by a first driving mechanism, the upstream screw being disposed adjacent the upstream side of the conveyor and being rotated by a second driving mechanism, operation of the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism being controlled by the control apparatus;
in a case where the containers are supplied to all of the container supporting devices of the container processing apparatus, while the rotor is rotated, the downstream screw and the upstream screw are rotated at the same speed, and the containers are conveyed to the downstream side of the conveyor by being caused to engage with a spiral groove provided on outer peripheral surfaces of both the downstream screw and the upstream screw, the spiral grooves of the upstream screw and the downstream screw together forming the spiral groove of the screw;
in a case where no container is supplied to a specific container supporting device of the container processing apparatus, while the rotor is rotated once, an interval between first and second successive containers engaging with the spiral groove is expanded by decreasing and then increasing the speed of the upstream screw at least once relative to the downstream screw, to supply no container to the specific container supporting device; and
in the case where no container is supplied to the specific container supporting device of the container processing apparatus, the interval between the first and second successive containers is expanded by starting deceleration of the upstream screw in a state where the first container is positioned at a boundary between the upstream screw and the downstream screw, and then ending acceleration of the upstream screw before the second container reaches the boundary, the second container being located upstream of the first container with respect to the conveyance direction.

Assignees

• Shibuya Corp

Inventors

• Okuhata Shun
• Kawahara Masaharu
• Kaya Koji

Classifications

• B65G33/04 Primary

  conveyed between a single screw and guiding means · CPC title

• B65G47/846

  Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements · CPC title

• B65G2201/0244

  Bottles · CPC title