Device for transporting a hollow body comprising improved grasping means

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9539755-B2
Application number	US-201414771935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2014
Priority date	Mar 7, 2013
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A device for transporting a hollow body having a neck including an inner vertical orientation wall and a top edge, the device including elements for grasping the hollow body by engaging with the neck's inner wall, which are mounted at the bottom end of a rod and movably connected to the rod, the rod being movably mounted vertically between a high position and a low position. The grasping elements are movably mounted radially between: a retracted position, in which the grasping elements are inserted vertically, from top to bottom, inside the neck, without contact with the inner wall; and a deployed position, in which the grasping elements engage with the inner wall of the neck, wherein changing the position of the grasping elements from the retracted to the deployed position is controlled by the vertical movement toward the bottom of the rod, from the high to the low position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Device ( 10 ) for transporting a hollow body ( 12 ) that is equipped with a neck ( 16 ) that comprises a vertically-oriented inner wall ( 24 ) and an upper edge ( 20 ) that circumferentially delimits an opening ( 22 ) for access to the interior of said hollow body ( 12 ), with said device ( 10 ) comprising at least means ( 50 ) for gripping the hollow body ( 12 ) by engagement with the inner wall ( 24 ) of the neck ( 16 ) that are mounted at the lower free end of a control rod ( 32 ) and movably connected to the control rod ( 32 ), with said control rod ( 32 ) being mounted to move vertically between:
a top position in which the gripping means ( 50 ) are retracted upward by the control rod ( 32 ) to make it possible to insert the neck ( 16 ) of the hollow body ( 12 ) radially into a specified reference position relative to the gripping means ( 50 ) of the device ( 10 ), and
a bottom position in which the gripping means ( 50 ) engage radially with the inner wall ( 24 ) of the neck ( 16 ) to ensure the gripping of the hollow body ( 12 ),
wherein the gripping means ( 50 ) are mounted to move radially between:
a retracted position in which the gripping means ( 50 ) are inserted vertically from top to bottom inside the neck ( 16 ), without contact with the inner wall ( 24 ), and
a deployed position in which the gripping means ( 50 ) engage with the inner wall ( 24 ) of the neck ( 16 ),
wherein the change in position of the gripping means ( 50 ) from the retracted position toward the deployed position is controlled by the downward vertical movement of the control rod ( 32 ), from the top position toward the bottom position, and
wherein the device ( 10 ) comprises an intermediate support part ( 60 ) of the gripping means ( 50 ) that is movably connected to the control rod ( 32 ) and that is mounted to move vertically relative to the control rod ( 32 ), and an intermediate return element ( 64 ) toward the bottom of said intermediate part ( 60 ).

2. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a body ( 30 ) relative to which the control rod is mounted to move vertically, at least one vertical return element ( 42 ) of the control rod ( 32 ) toward its bottom position and actuating means ( 40 ) of the control rod ( 32 ) toward its top position against said return element ( 42 ).

3. Device according to claim 2 , wherein the return element ( 42 ) of the control rod ( 32 ) and the intermediate return element ( 64 ) of the intermediate part ( 60 ) are mounted in series by means of a support element ( 66 ) and wherein a pre-set compression of the return element ( 42 ) of the control rod ( 32 ) is stronger than a pre-set compression of the intermediate return element ( 64 ) of the intermediate part ( 60 ).

4. Device according to claim 3 , wherein the device ( 10 ) comprises stop means ( 70 , 76 ) that determine a vertical travel between the intermediate part ( 60 ) and the control rod ( 32 ).

5. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the device ( 10 ) comprises stop means ( 70 , 76 ) that determine a vertical travel between the intermediate part ( 60 ) and the control rod ( 32 ).

6. Device according to claim 5 , wherein the device ( 10 ) comprises at least first stop means ( 70 ) that are involved in movably connecting the intermediate part ( 60 ) to the control rod ( 32 ) when the control rod ( 32 ) is moved vertically upward.

7. Device according to claim 5 , wherein the device ( 10 ) comprises means ( 90 ) for locking the gripping means ( 50 ) in the deployed position, and at least second stop means ( 76 ), that, when the control rod ( 32 ) is moved vertically downward, are located between the intermediate part ( 60 ) and the control rod ( 32 ) for positioning said locking means ( 90 ) vertically.

8. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate part ( 60 ) comprises a control stop ( 92 ) that is able to engage with the edge ( 20 ) of the neck ( 16 ) for bringing about an upward relative movement of the intermediate part ( 60 ) relative to the control rod ( 32 ), against the intermediate return element ( 64 ).

9. Device according to claim 8 , wherein the intermediate return element ( 64 ) of the intermediate part ( 60 ) is able to exert an assist force on the edge ( 20 ) of the neck ( 16 ) vertically downward.

10. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the device ( 10 ) comprises means ( 90 ) for locking the gripping means ( 50 ) in the deployed position.

11. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate part ( 60 ) comprises a stop ( 304 ) that can engage with a face ( 302 ) of a support ( 300 ) for bringing about an upward relative movement of the intermediate part ( 60 ) relative to the control rod ( 32 ), against the intermediate return element ( 64 ).

12. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the device ( 10 ) comprises an ejector ( 46 ) that carries a support face ( 48 ) that is designed to engage with the edge ( 20 ) of the neck ( 16 ) to immobilize the neck ( 16 ) vertically upward when the control rod ( 32 ) is moved vertically upward.

13. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the device ( 10 ) comprises a stop ( 206 ) that, being able to move against a return spring ( 212 ) downward, is able to engage with the intermediate part ( 60 ) to immobilize said intermediate part ( 60 ) vertically when the control rod ( 32 ) is moved vertically upward.

14. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the control rod ( 32 ) comprises a control surface ( 88 , 310 ) that, during the vertical movement of the control rod ( 32 ) downward, engages with the gripping means ( 50 ) for bringing about a radial movement of the gripping means ( 50 ) from the retracted position toward the deployed position.

15. Device according to claim 14 , wherein the gripping means ( 50 ) are formed by pads ( 312 ) radially comprising on the inside an inclined face ( 314 ) that is designed to engage with the control surface ( 310 ) of the control rod ( 32 ) and wherein said pads ( 312 ) and the control rod ( 32 ) are magnetized to return the pads ( 312 ) automatically to the retracted position.

16. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the gripping means ( 50 ) comprise at least transmission means ( 78 , 98 ), at least a radially deformable elastic element ( 80 ), and gripping elements ( 82 ) of the hollow body ( 12 ) comprising an outer surface ( 100 ) that is designed to engage in the deployed position with the inner wall ( 24 ) of the neck ( 16 ).

17. Device according to claim 16 , further comprising means ( 90 ) for locking the gripping means ( 50 ) in the deployed position, and wherein the transmission means ( 78 , 98 ) comprise at least balls ( 78 ) that, during the change in position of the gripping means ( 50 ) toward the deployed position, engage with the control surface ( 88 ) of the control rod ( 32 ), and wherein said balls ( 78 ) are accommodated in a groove ( 90 ) of the control rod ( 32 ) forming said locking means of the gripping means ( 50 ) in the deployed position.

18. Device according to claim 17 , wherein said at least one radially deformable elastic element is a wavy spring ( 80 ) that is designed to stress the gripping elements ( 82 ) radially, and wherein the transmission means ( 78 ) comprise a ring ( 98 ) that is inserted radially between the balls ( 78 ) and said spring ( 80 ).

Assignees

• Sidel Participations

Inventors

• Morin Stephane
• Blanchard Jose

Classifications

• B29L2031/7158

  Bottles · CPC title

• B29C49/42085

  holding inside the neck · CPC title

• B29C49/06

  Injection blow-moulding · CPC title

• B65G47/90

  Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials · CPC title

• B29L2022/00

  Hollow articles (tubular articles B29L2023/00; pneumatic tyres B29L2030/00) · CPC title