Container sealing apparatus and sealing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016288939-A1
Application number	US-201415035497-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2014
Priority date	Dec 6, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A container sealing apparatus including: a rotating spindle ( 24 ); a rotating turret means ( 38 ) disposed around the rotating spindle and having pockets ( 40 ) along a circular transport path; container support means ( 42 ) arranged below the rotating turret means in correspondence with the pockets ( 40 ), and which can rotate about the rotating spindle and rotate on their axes; lid pressing means ( 44 ) arranged above the rotating turret means in correspondence with the container support means, which can rotate about the rotating spindle and rotate on their axes, and can ascend and descend relative to the container support means; and laser irradiation means ( 46 ) capable of rotating about the rotating spindle and adapted to direct laser light toward the container ( 2 ), against which the lid ( 14 ) has been pressed by the container support means and the lid pressing means, thereby heat welding the lid ( 14 ) to the container.

First claim

1 . A container sealing apparatus, comprising:
a rotating spindle; rotating turret means disposed around the rotating spindle and having a plurality of pockets along a circular transport path; a plurality of container support means which are arranged below the rotating turret means in correspondence with the plurality of pockets, and can rotate about the rotating spindle and rotate on axes of the container support means; a plurality of lid pressing means which are arranged above the rotating turret means in correspondence with the container support means, can rotate about the rotating spindle and rotate on axes of the lid pressing means, and can ascend and descend relative to the container support means; and a plurality of laser irradiation means capable of rotating about the rotating spindle and adapted to throw laser light toward a container, against which a lid has been pressed by the container support means and the lid pressing means, thereby heat welding the lid to the container.

2 . The container sealing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
upper table means located above the rotating turret means and lower table means located below the rotating turret means are disposed on the spindle, the lid pressing means are arranged in the upper table means, and the laser irradiation means are arranged on the lower table means.

3 . The container sealing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the container support means are arranged to be movable upward and downward, and ascent/descent means is annexed for raising and lowering each of the container support means.

4 . The container sealing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the laser light is thrown from below.

5 . The container sealing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the laser irradiation means is a direct diode laser.

6 . The container sealing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the container is in a shape having a flange section, and the lid is a molded lid to be placed on the flange section of the container.

7 . A container sealing system including the sealing apparatus according to claim 1 , and a container flange section cleaning device for cleaning a flange section of the container, which is to be sealed, prior to sealing,
wherein the flange section cleaning device comprises: support means for supporting the container; sealing means intimately contacting and separating from an inner peripheral end of the flange section, and reciprocating relative to the container; and cleaning/solution removal means, disposed above the sealing means, for bringing the sealing means into intimate contact with the inner peripheral end, jetting a cleaning solution at an upper surface of the flange section, and jetting a gas at the upper surface of the flange section after jetting the cleaning solution.

8 . The container sealing system according to claim 7 , wherein
the cleaning/solution removal means has a jet orifice and a flow path leading to the jet orifice, and is equipped with a cleaning solution supply source for supplying the cleaning solution to the jet orifice via the flow path, and a gas supply source for supplying the gas to the jet orifice via the flow path.

9 . The container sealing system according to claim 8 , wherein
the jet orifice is many small holes provided at suitable intervals in a circumferential direction.

10 . The container sealing system according to claim 7 , wherein
an outer peripheral surface of the sealing means is in an inverted truncated conical shape.

11 . The container sealing system according to claim 7 , wherein
a site of the sealing means making intimate contact with the inner peripheral end of the flange section of the container is a rubbery elastic body.

12 . The container sealing system according to claim 7 , wherein
the container flange section cleaning device is disposed along a circular transport path sequentially including a container carry-in region, a sealing region where the sealing means is brought into intimate contact with the flange section of the container, a cleaning region for the flange section, a solution removal region for the flange section, a separation region where the sealing means is separated from the flange section, and a container carry-out region, with the container flange section cleaning device being rotated about a center of the circular transport path.

Assignees

• Toyo Seikan Kaisha Ltd

Inventors

• Sawada Makoto
• Shinozaki Kiyotaka
• Shinagawa Yoshiaki
• Uehara Satoshi

Classifications

• B29C66/8161

  said pressing elements being supported or backed-up by springs or by resilient material · CPC title

• B29L2031/712

  Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages (closures therefor B29L2031/56; ink or toner cartridges B29L2031/7678; squeeze tubes B29L2023/20; suitcases B29L2031/7418) · CPC title

• B29C65/1654

  scanning at least one of the parts to be joined · CPC title

• B29C66/0222

  without removal of material, e.g. cleaning by air blowing or using brushes · CPC title

• B29C65/7841

  Holding or clamping means for handling purposes (clamping means for the purpose of applying pressure on the parts to be joined, in the area to be joined B29C66/81; work holders in general B25B; devices for holding or positioning work for welding metal B23K37/04) · CPC title