AUSTRALIA Patents Act COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL) Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: Name of Applicant: Ishida Co., Ltd. Actual Inventor(s): Makoto Ichikawa Address for Service and Correspondence: PHILLIPS ORMONDE & FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 AUSTRALIA Invention Title: TRANSVERSE SEAL CUTTER OF A BAG MANUFACTURING AND PACKAGING APPARATUS Our Ref : 765981 POF Code: 457242/287981 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): 6006q 2 TRANSVERSE SEAL CUTTER OF A BAG MANUFACTURING AND PACKAGING APPARATUS. 5 This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No.2005 053866 filed on 28 February 2005, the contents of which are to be taken as incorporated herein by this reference. 10 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a transverse seal cutter of a bag manufacturing and packaging apparatus. 15 RELATED ART As examples of apparatuses for manufacturing a continuously packaged product LM, wherein a prescribed number of small bags B are linked as depicted in FIG. 5(a), existing bag manufacturing and packaging apparatuses 20 (Patent Documents 1, 2) are provided with a cutter apparatus wherein a full cutoff blade and a perforating blade are integrated in a double overlapped arrangement. PATENT DOCUMENT 1: Japanese Examined Utility Model Application 25 No. S61-43687 (FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) PATENT DOCUMENT 2: Japanese Examined Utility Model Application No. H6-30653 (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4) 30 A reference herein to a patent document or other matter which is given as prior art is not to be taken as an admission that that document or matter was, in Australia, known or that the information it contains was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of any of the claims. C:\Documnis and Settingsnrogers\LocaJ Settings\Tenponv intemeFil ResOLK IDDMC IRN 765981 speci 24feb06.doc 3 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems Solved By The Invention The following briefly explains the process of manufacturing a 5 continuously packaged product LM, wherein such a conventional apparatus is used. FIG. 5(b) depicts a conventional bag manufacturing and packaging apparatus. 10 As depicted in FIG. 5(b), strip shaped packaging material (film) F, which is fed off of a film roll FL by a film feed apparatus 105, is tubularly rolled by a guide 103. Subsequently, a longitudinal sealing apparatus (not shown) welds both end parts of the packaging material F along the longitudinal direction (flow 15 direction of the packaging material) Z and forms a bag shape, and a prescribed quantity of an article to be packaged P is then loaded into the bag. After the above loading, the upper part of the bag, into which the article to be packaged P was loaded, is welded (transversely sealed) by a transverse 20 sealing apparatus 106, thereby forming a transverse seal part n in FIG. 5(a), which forms a sealed small bag. Furthermore, the upper part of the welded transverse seal part n forms the bottom part of the next small bag B. After the above transverse sealing, a perforation m is formed in the corresponding transverse seal part n by a perforating blade 109a of a cutter apparatus 109 in 25 FIG. 5(b). When a prescribed number of small bags B are made by the repetition of such a process, a full cutoff blade 109b protrudes on the small bag B side more than the perforating blade 109a, and cuts the transverse seal part n depicted in 30 FIG. 5(a), thus cutting off a prescribed number of linked small bags B. The continuously packaged product LM is manufactured by this cutting off. W:shan\Daie\pec\MC IRN 765981 spcmi 24feb06.doe 4 Furthermore, as depicted in FIG. 5(a), a head part H, which does not contain the article to be packaged P, may be formed at the upper part of the small bag B at the upper end of the continuously packaged product LM. 5 The perforating blade 109a and the full cutoff blade 109b are provided in the abovementioned double overlapped state, and a rotary blade 109c is provided at a position opposing the perforating blade 109a and the full cutoff blade 109b. 10 When forming the perforations, the perforating blade 109a is moved forward toward the rotary blade 109c more than the full cutoff blade 109b. The rotary blade 109c contacts the perforating blade 109a by the intermittent rotation of the rotary blade 109c at a prescribed timing, which makes the perforations in the small bag B. 15 However, when cutting off, the full cutoff blade 109b is moved forward more than the perforating blade 109a. The rotary blade 109c contacts the full , cutoff blade 109b by the rotation of the rotary blade 109c, which cuts off and thereby manufactures the continuously packaged product LM. 20 Furthermore, at the time when such contact is made, either the perforating blade 109a or the full cutoff blade 109b is fixed to the present apparatus so that it contacts the rotary blade 109c, and the above fabrication is accomplished by the rotation thereof. 25 However, these existing examples are not suited to high speed packaging because the transverse sealing apparatus 106 and the cutter apparatus 109 are separate apparatuses. 30 Accordingly, it would be desirable for the present invention to provide a transverse seal cutter of a bag manufacturing and packaging apparatus that can manufacture continuously packaged products at high speed. Wsbon\DanieliSpci\DMC IRN 765981 spei 24feb06.doc 5 Means For Solving The Problems To achieve the abovementioned desirable outcome, a transverse seal cutter of a bag manufacturing and packaging apparatus of the present invention 5 is a transverse seal cutter of a bag manufacturing and packaging apparatus for manufacturing a continuously packaged product, wherein a prescribed number of small bags each containing an article to be packaged are mutually linked, that welds and perforates a packaging material between the small bags, and that cuts off the continuously packaged product by welding the packaging material 10 and cutting the packaging material at an end part of the continuously packaged product, comprising: first and second jaws, wherein at least one rotates about a prescribed center of rotation so that they mutually approach at a prescribed timing; wherein, first and second heaters along with first and second welding surfaces, which are heated by the first and second heaters and clamp and weld 15 the packaging material together, are provided to the first and second jaws, respectively; a perforating blade, which is heated by the first heater, for forming the perforations, and a full cutoff blade, which is heated by the first heater, for cutting off the packaging material are built into the first jaw; and an actuator is provided for selectively setting a first state, wherein the perforating blade can 20 form the perforations, and a second state, wherein the full cutoff blade can cut off the packaging material. Effects Of The Invention 25 According to the present invention, continuously packaged products can be produced at high speed because it is possible to perforate the bag or fully cut off the continuously packaged product simultaneously with the transverse sealing. 30 Preferred Embodiments In the present invention, the perforating blade is preferably fixed to the first jaw, and the full cutoff blade is preferably advancably and retractably provided to the first jaw. W\hrn \Danic\Spc\DMC IRN 765981 spei 24feb6.doc 6 According to this embodiment, the structure of the present apparatus is simplified because only the full cutoff blade is made advancable and retractable. 5 In the present invention, it is preferable that a second slit, which divides the second welding surface into two parts in the flow direction of the packaging material, is provided to the second jaw extending in the width direction of the packaging material, and that an anvil, which forms and cuts off the perforations between the two blades, is mounted to the second slit. 10 According to this embodiment, the provision of the anvil raises the reliability of the forming and cutting off of the perforations. In the present invention, when forming perforations between the small 15 bags, it is preferable to retract the full cutoff blade before forming the perforations and after cutting off; however, when cutting off the packaging material, it is preferable to advance the full cutoff blade before the cutoff and after forming the perforations. 20 According to this embodiment, continuously packaged products can be reliably manufactured. In the present invention, it is preferable that the first and second jaws respectively rotate about the first and second centers of rotation, and that they 25 mutually approach with each revolution. Here, with the abovementioned conventional apparatus, either the perforating blade 109a or the full cutoff blade 109b does not rotate, and therefore the perforating or cutting off is performed by the rotation of just the 30 rotary blade 109c. Consequently, the time during which both blades are mutually in contact is short. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, both the first and second jaws rotate and therefore the time during which the two jaws are W:\shaon\DanicI\Spci\DMC IRN 765981 speci 24feb06.doc 7 mutually proximate is substantially longer, unlike the case wherein only one blade rotates as described in the conventional example discussed above. Consequently, the transmission time of the thermal energy is increased, which increases the reliability of the forming of the seal and perforations, and of the 5 cutting off, and also further increases speed. It is preferable that the circumferential speed of the first and second jaws and the transport speed of the small bags are substantially the same speed. Thereby, the first and second jaws rotate while they remain in contact with a 10 prescribed sealing region of the packaging material, and the time during which both jaws contact the packaging material further lengthens, which increases reliability and speed. First Embodiment 15 The following explains one embodiment of the present invention, referencing the drawings. The transverse seal cutter of the present bag manufacturing and 20 packaging apparatus simultaneously performs transverse sealing and either perforating or full cutoff. Furthermore, other portions of the present bag manufacturing and packaging apparatus are the same as those in the previously discussed 25 conventional example, and the explanation thereof is therefore omitted. First And Second Jaws 10, 20 The present transverse seal cutter comprises a pair of jaws, and FIG. 1 30 depicts the jaw portion of this apparatus. As depicted in FIG. 1(a) - (c), the first and second jaws 10, 20 are intermittently rotated respectively about first and second centers of rotation 01, 02 with a prescribed timing by a rotary apparatus (not shown). The first jaw 10 W:\sha \Danie pci\DMC IRN 765981 spei 24feb06.doc 8 is rotated in a first direction R1, and the second jaw 20 is rotated in a second direction R2 that is the reverse of the first direction R1. The first and second jaws 10, 20 are synchronously rotated so that they 5 mutually approach as depicted in FIG. 1(a), are mutually most proximate as depicted in FIG. 1(b), and then separate from one another as depicted in FIG. 1(c). FIG. 2 is a schematic cross sectional view that depicts the tip portions of 10 the first and second jaws 10, 20 at the point in time when they are mutually most proximate (FIG. 1(b)). As depicted in FIG. 2(a), first and second heaters 11, 21 are respectively provided inside the tip parts of both jaws 10, 20. First and second welding 15 surfaces 12, 22 are respectively formed at the tip surfaces of the mutually opposing jaws 10, 20. Both welding surfaces 12, 22 are heated by the heaters 11, 21 and, in a mutually proximate state, perform transverse sealing by clamping the packaging material F together in order to weld it. The transverse seal parts n depicted in FIG. 5(a) are formed by this transverse sealing. 20 First Jaw 10 A first slit 13, which divides the first welding surface 12 into two parts in the flow direction Z of the packaging material, is provided in the first jaw 10 25 depicted in FIG. 2(a) extending in the width direction X of the packaging material F (FIG. 3). Consequently, the first welding surface 12 is divided into two parts in the flow direction Z of the packaging material F by the first slit 13. A perforating blade 14 and a full cutoff blade 15 are contained in the first slit 13 in a mutually double overlapped state, and are heated by the first heater 11. 30 Second Jaw 20 W;aron\Danie\Spei\DMC IRN 765981 spci 24feb06.doc 9 Meanwhile, a second slit 23, which divides the second welding surface 22 into two parts in the flow direction Z of the packaging material F, is provided in the second jaw 20 extending along the width direction X (FIG. 3). An anvil 24 is loaded inside the second slit 23. The anvil 24 has the function of a saw 5 bench, and the perforating and cutting off of the transverse seal parts n are performed between the two blades 14, 15. Perforating Blade 14 And Full Cutoff Blade 15 10 FIG. 3 is an oblique view that depicts the perforating blade 14 and the full cutoff blade 15. As depicted in FIG. 3, the perforating blade 14 and the full cutoff blade 15 are provided along the width direction X of the packaging material (not shown). 15 Toothed cutting parts 14C, which are each provided with a tooth shaped blade along the width direction X, are formed in the perforating blade 14; meanwhile, a cutting part 15C, wherein a blade is integrally provided along the width direction X, is formed in the full cutoff blade 15. 20 The perforating blade 14 depicted in FIG. 2(a) is fixed to the first jaw 10. The perforating blade 14 is fixed so that each toothed cutting part 14C thereof protrudes on the packaging material F side slightly more than the first welding surface 12. 25 On the other hand, the full cutoff blade 15 is advancably and retractably provided to the first jaw 10 in the longitudinal direction Y of the first jaw 10. The full cutoff blade 15 is advancably and retractably set by an advancing and retracting mechanism 31 (FIG. 4), which is discussed later, from a first state, wherein the full cutoff blade 15 is retracted more than the perforating blade 14 30 as depicted in FIG. 2(a), to a second state, wherein the full cutoff blade 15 protrudes on the packaging material F side more than the perforating blade 14 as depicted in FIG. 2(b). W:\shon\Dniel\Spe\DMC IRN 765981 spei 24feb06.doc 10 Accordingly, in the first state (perforating state) depicted in FIG. 2(a), the perforating blade 14 protrudes toward the tip surface of the second jaw 20 more than the full cutoff blade 15, and perforations are thereby formed in the packaging material F between the perforating blade 14 and the anvil 24. At this 5 point, the perforating blade 14 is heated by the first heater 11, and the perforations m are therefore formed in the packaging material F (FIG. 5(a)) by the toothed cutting parts 14C of the perforating blade 14 welding the packaging material F in the shape of a broken line. 10 On the other hand, in the second state (cutting off state) depicted in FIG. 2(b), the full cutoff blade 15 protrudes toward the tip surface of the second jaw 20 more than the perforating blade 14 , and the packaging material F is cut off between the full cutoff blade 15 and the anvil 24. Namely, the cutting part 15C of the full cutoff blade 15, which is heated by the first heater 11, welds the 15 packaging material F. Advancing And Retractinq Mechanism 31 FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view that depicts the advancing and retracting 20 mechanism of the full cutoff blade 15. As depicted in FIG. 4, the full cutoff blade 15 is advancably and retractably set in the direction Y with respect to the first jaw 10. 25 The advancing and retracting mechanism 31 for moving the full cutoff blade 15 is provided to the first jaw 10. The advancing and retracting mechanism 31 comprises an air cylinder (one example of an actuator) 30 and a linking mechanism 33. A piston rod 32 of the air cylinder 30 is connected to the linking mechanism 33. The advancing and retracting of the piston rod 32 moves 30 the linking mechanism 33, and the full cutoff blade 15 can thereby be set to a retracted state (first state), which is depicted by the solid line, and to an advanced state (second state), which is depicted by the chain double-dashed line. Furthermore, in the second state, the full cutoff blade 15 is fixed (locked) in W:\Shan\DaielSpeci\DMC IRN 765981 spci 24febO6.do 11 the advanced state by the air cylinder 30 and the linking mechanism 33 (toggle joint). The following explains the operation of the present apparatus. 5 Transverse Sealing And Perforating Process The formation of perforations will be explained first. 10 When the article to be packaged P is loaded into the packaging material F, which has been formed into a bag shape, and the packaging material F begins to drop, the rotation of the first and second jaws 10, 20, which are depicted in FIG. 1(a), begins at a prescribed timing. Furthermore, the transport speed of the packaging material F in the flow direction Z, and the 15 circumferential speed of the first jaw 10 and the second jaw 20are set to substantially the same speed. In addition, the timings, at which the transport of the packaging material F begins and at which the rotation of both jaws 10, 20 begins, are preset based on the length of the small bag B. 20 When both jaws 10, 20 rotate so that they mutually approach as depicted in FIG. 1(a) and then become mutually proximate as depicted in FIG. 1(b), both welding surfaces 12, 22 of both jaws 10, 20 draw close together, as depicted in FIG. 2(a), and clamp the packaging material F. This clamping welds the packaging material F together because both welding surfaces 12, 22 are heated 25 by the first heater 11, and thereby the packaging material F is transversely sealed and the transverse seal parts n are formed (FIG. 5(a)). At this point, the circumferential speed of both jaws 10, 20 and the transport speed (drop speed) of the packaging material F are set to substantially 30 the same speed, and therefore the first and second jaws 10, 20 move in the downstream direction along with the packaging material F, with the first and second jaws 10, 20 clamping the packaging material F as is. Accordingly, the time during which both jaws 10, 20 clamp the packaging material F lengthens, which improves the reliability of the sealing. W:\sh.ro\D ieSpec\DMC IRN 765981 spei 24feb6.doc 12 On the other hand, when forming perforations, the full cutoff blade 15 is set to the first state (retracted state) as depicted in FIG. 2(a). Consequently, simultaneously with the transverse sealing, the toothed cutting parts 14C of the 5 perforating blade 14, which is heated by the first heater 11, weld the packaging material F in the shape of a broken line, thereby forming the perforations m (FIG. 5(a)). Thus, the upper part of the bag shaped packaging material F, into which 10 the article to be packaged P was loaded, is transversely sealed while the perforations m are also formed at the transverse seal portion, thereby forming the small bag B. Transverse Sealinq And Cutting Off Process 15 If the perforation forming process is repeated and a prescribed number of linked small bags B are manufactured, then a cutoff is performed. In this cutoff process, the full cutoff blade 15 is fixed in the second state (advanced state) by the advancing and retracting mechanism 31, as depicted in FIG. 2(b). 20 Both jaws 10, 20 rotate at a prescribed timing, and, as depicted in FIG. 2(b), both welding surfaces 12, 22 thereof become proximate and clamp the packaging material F, thereby performing transverse sealing and forming the transverse seal parts n. Simultaneously, the cutting part 15C of the full cutoff 25 blade 15, which was heated by the first heater 11, welds the transverse seal part n, which forms the upper part of the continuously packaged product LM, and such is manufactured, wherein a prescribed number of small bags B are linked, as depicted in FIG. 5(a). 30 Furthermore, an electric motor, a hydraulic cylinder, or the like, may be used as the actuator, in addition to an air cylinder. In addition, the advancing and retracting mechanism 31 may be a mechanism that is capable of advancing and retracting the full cutoff blade 15 W:\ha \Danicl\Speci\DMC IRN 765981 spcmi 24fb06.doc 13 and of locking such when cutting off, and various types of mechanisms can be used, e.g., a cam mechanism or a gear mechanism that uses a rack, can be used instead of the linking mechanism. 5 Furthermore, in the embodiments discussed above, the perforating blade 14 is fixed to the first jaw 10 and the full cutoff blade 15 is advanced and retracted, but both the perforating blade 14 and the full cutoff blade 15 may be advanced and retracted. 10 In addition, it is also acceptable to rotate just one of the two jaws. INDUSTRIAL FIELD OF APPLICATION The transverse seal cutter of the present bag manufacturing and 15 packaging apparatus can be used to manufacture continuously packaged products. BRIEF EXPLANATION OF DRAWINGS 20 FIG. I includes schematic side views that depict the operation of the jaws of the transverse seal cutter of the bag manufacturing and packaging apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 includes schematic cross sectional views that depict the tip 25 portions of the jaws in the perforating state and the cutting off state. FIG. 3 is a schematic oblique view that depicts the perforating blade and the full cutoff blade. 30 FIG. 4 is a plan cross sectional view that depicts the advancing and retracting mechanism of the full cutoff blade. W:sho\D. icSpci\DMC IRN 765981 speci 24feb06.doc 14 FIG. 5(a) is a front view that depicts the continuously packaged product, and FIG. 5(b) is a side cross sectional view that depicts a conventional filling and packaging apparatus. 5 EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS 10 First jaw 11 First heater 12 First welding surface 10 13 First slit 14 Perforating blade 15 Full cutoff blade 20 Second jaw 21 Second heater 15 22 Second welding surface 23 Second slit 24 Anvil 30 Air cylinder (one example of an actuator) 01 First center of rotation 20 02 Second center of rotation B Small bag LM Continuously packaged product m Perforation P Article to be packaged 25 X Width direction Z Flow direction W:sha \Danie\SpeciDMC IRN 765981 spei 24feb06.doc