CN111216945A

CN111216945A - Steam replacement device and steam replacement method

Info

Publication number: CN111216945A
Application number: CN201911111159.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 沟手清一
Original assignee: Toyo Jidoki Co Ltd
Current assignee: Toyo Jidoki Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-11-27
Filing date: 2019-11-14
Publication date: 2020-06-02
Also published as: KR20200063056A; JP2020083394A

Abstract

The invention provides a steam replacement device and a steam replacement method, which can inhibit the deformation of the mouth part of a bag when the volume of the bag is reduced due to the cooling of steam in the bag. The steam replacement method comprises the following steps: steam is jetted from the steam jetting nozzle (22) to the inner side of the bag (B); a support part (25) supporting the content (80) via the bottom at a position higher than the 1 st height position; retracting the steam ejection nozzle (22) from the inside of the bag (B) after the steam is ejected to the inside of the bag (B); after the steam ejection nozzle (22) is retracted, the bag (B) is tightened to close the mouth; and closing the mouth with a closing unit (23). The support portion (25) supports the content (80) via the bottom at a position higher than the 1 st height position in at least a part of a period from when the steam is ejected to the inside of the bag (B) to when the mouth portion is closed by the closing unit.

Description

Steam replacement device and steam replacement method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a steam replacement device and a steam replacement method for replacing gas in a bag with steam (vapor).

Background

Patent document 1 discloses a method of degassing a packaging bag. According to this degassing method, after steam is injected into the packaging bag from the steam nozzle, the steam nozzle is pulled out from the bag and sealed.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 9-95311

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

When the steam is cooled and returned to liquid (water), the volume becomes about 1700 times smaller. Thus, the volume of the bag filled with steam decreases sharply as the steam cools. As the volume of the bag decreases, if the bag has a mouth portion, a bottom portion, and two side portions and is held in a state in which the mouth portion is stretched, the portions mainly constituting 3 sides other than the mouth portion (i.e., the bottom portion and the two side portions) move toward the center of the bag in a large outline. In addition, the front-side wall portion and the back-side wall portion of the bag are also close to each other, and the thickness of the bag is reduced.

On the other hand, the content contained in the bag exerts a downward force on the bottom of the bag under the influence of gravity. When the weight of the contents is heavy, the bottom of the bag receives a large force downward from the contents, and therefore, the bottom is prevented from moving toward the center of the bag (i.e., moving upward) as the steam cools, and the degree of deformation of the mouth and both sides of the bag increases. In this case, even if the bag is tightened to close the mouth portion, the mouth portion may be unexpectedly deformed to generate an undesirable gap at the mouth portion. Such an undesired gap, which may be generated at the mouth portion of the bag as the steam in the bag cools, can allow external air to flow into the inside of the bag and allow the steam in the bag to flow out to the outside of the bag, resulting in a deteriorated rate of replacement of the steam in the bag.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a steam replacement device and a steam replacement method that can suppress deformation of a mouth portion of a bag when the volume of the bag is reduced by cooling steam in the bag.

Means for solving the problems

One aspect of the present invention relates to a steam replacement method including the steps of: inserting a steam spraying nozzle into the inside of the bag through a mouth of the bag containing the contents therein, and spraying steam from the steam spraying nozzle to the inside of the bag; bringing the bottom of the bag held in a suspended state into contact with a support section and raising the bag from a 1 st height position, the support section supporting the content through the bottom at a position higher than the 1 st height position; retracting the steam ejection nozzle from the inside of the bag after the steam is ejected to the inside of the bag; closing the mouth by tightening the bag after the steam ejection nozzle retreats from the inside of the bag; and closing the mouth portion with the closing unit in a state where at least a part of the steam is present inside the bag and the bag is tightened to close the mouth portion, wherein the support portion supports the content via the bottom portion at a position higher than the 1 st height position for at least a part of a period from when the steam is ejected inside the bag to when the mouth portion is closed with the closing unit.

The support portion may be configured to raise the bottom portion of the pouch from the 1 st height position once and support the content via the bottom portion at a position higher than the 1 st height position, and then continuously support the content via the bottom portion at a position higher than the 1 st height position until the mouth portion is closed by the closing unit.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a steam replacement device including: a bag holding unit for holding a bag containing contents therein in a suspended state and adjusting a tension applied to the bag; a steam ejection nozzle having an ejection port; a nozzle lifting unit for lifting the steam ejection nozzle; a support portion; and a closing unit for closing a mouth portion of the bag, the nozzle lifting portion lowering the steam ejection nozzle to insert the steam ejection nozzle into the bag through the mouth portion of the bag held by the bag holding portion and dispose the ejection port inside the bag, the steam ejection nozzle ejecting steam from the ejection port in a state in which the ejection port is disposed inside the bag, the nozzle lifting portion lifting the steam ejection nozzle in a state in which at least a part of the steam is present inside the bag to dispose the ejection port outside the bag held by the bag holding portion, the bag holding portion applying tension to the bag in a state in which at least a part of the steam is present inside the bag to close the mouth portion in a taut state, the closing unit being a sealing unit that seals the mouth portion, the bag being in a taut state in which at least a part of the steam is present inside the bag and the mouth portion is closed by the bag holding portion, the closing unit closes the mouth, and the support portion is arranged so that the support portion supports the content via the bottom of the bag at a position higher than the 1 st height position in at least a part of a period from when the steam is ejected from the ejection port to the inside of the bag to when the mouth is closed by the closing unit.

The steam replacement device may include a support lifting unit that lifts and lowers the support unit, and the support lifting unit may lift the support unit so that the support unit supports the content via the bottom of the bag at a position higher than the 1 st height position.

The sealing means may be a sealing means for sealing the opening.

The steam replacement device may include a transport unit that moves the bag holding portion, the steam ejection nozzle may be provided at a steam injection station, the sealing unit may be provided at a sealing station different from the steam injection station, and the transport unit may move the bag holding portion from the steam injection station to the sealing station in a state where the bag is held by the bag holding portion.

The steam replacement device may further include a reciprocating mechanism that reciprocates the support portion between the steam injection station and the sealing station, wherein the reciprocating mechanism moves the support portion from the steam injection station to the sealing station in a state where the support portion supports the content via the bottom portion of the bag at a position higher than the 1 st height position, and transports the bag together with the bag holding portion from the steam injection station to the sealing station.

The support portion may include: a 1 st support part provided at the steam injection station; and a 2 nd support part extending from the sealing treatment station toward the steam injection station, wherein the steam replacement device is provided with a support lifting part for lifting the 1 st support part, the support lifting part lifts the 1 st support part, and the 1 st support part and the 2 nd support part support the content via the bottom of the bag at a position higher than the 1 st height position in at least a part of a period during which the bag is conveyed from the steam injection station to the sealing treatment station together with the bag holding part. .

The steam replacement device may include a conveying unit that intermittently moves the bag holding portion along the circular orbit.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, deformation of the mouth portion of the bag when the volume of the bag is reduced by cooling the steam in the bag can be suppressed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a packaging system.

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the steam replacement device, and fig. 2 is a partial cross section.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a packaging system showing a schematic configuration of a steam replacement device.

Fig. 4A is a plan view of the bag held by the bag holding portion.

Fig. 4B is a side view for explaining a steam replacement method.

Fig. 5A is a plan view of the bag held by the bag holding portion.

Fig. 5B is a side view for explaining a steam replacement method.

Fig. 6A is a plan view of the bag held by the bag holding portion.

Fig. 6B is a side view for explaining a steam replacement method.

Fig. 7A is a plan view of the bag held by the bag holding portion.

Fig. 7B is a side view for explaining a steam replacement method.

Fig. 8A is a plan view of the bag held by the bag holding portion.

Fig. 8B is a side view for explaining a steam replacement method.

Fig. 9A is a plan view of the bag held by the bag holding portion.

Fig. 9B is a side view for explaining a steam replacement method.

Fig. 10A is a plan view of the bag held by the bag holding portion.

Fig. 10B is a side view for explaining the steam replacement method.

Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining the support portion of embodiment 2.

Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining the support portion of embodiment 2.

Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining the support portion of embodiment 2.

Fig. 14 is a view showing a modification of the support portion.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[ packaging System ]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a packaging system 5.

The packaging system 5 has: a rotary table 12 attached to a bracket (see reference numeral 30 in fig. 2); and a plurality of bag holding portions 13 attached to the outer periphery of the turntable 12 at equal intervals. Each bag holding portion 13 holds a bag B and makes a loop at a plurality of stations (in the packaging system 5 shown, the 1 st station S1 to the 10 th station S10) by intermittent rotation of the rotary table 12 about the rotation axis. The bags B held by the respective bag holding portions 13 are subjected to corresponding processes in the respective stations. The turntable 12 and the bag holding portion 13 of the present embodiment rotate intermittently, but the turntable 12 and the bag holding portion 13 may rotate continuously without stopping.

The number and specific structure of the bag holders 13 are not limited, and in the illustrated packaging system 5, a plurality of bag holders 13 are constituted by the same number of gripper units as the number of stations (i.e., 10 gripper units). Each gripper unit includes two grippers, and each bag holding portion 13 holds the corresponding bag B by gripping both side portions (refer to reference numeral "Bs" of fig. 2) of the corresponding bag B by the two grippers.

The bag holding portion 13 disposed at the 1 st station (bag supply station) S1 receives a bag B from a conveyor tray 14 storing a plurality of bags B (empty bags) via a bag feeder 15 and a take-out suction cup 16, and holds the bag B in a suspended state by gripping both side portions of the bag B. The opening and closing of each gripper included in each bag holding portion 13 and the distance between the grippers can be appropriately changed by a holding adjustment mechanism (not shown). The bag holding portion 13 (gripper unit) shown in the figure grips both side portions of a position close to the mouth portion of the bag B (see reference numeral "Bm" in fig. 2), or a part and both side portions of the mouth portion of the bag B. Each bag holding portion 13 adjusts the tension applied to the corresponding bag B by changing the distance between the grippers in a state in which the bag B is held, thereby setting the bag B in a relaxed state in which the mouth portion is relaxed or a tightened state in which the mouth portion is closed, for example. The mouth of the bag B is a range including the edge (i.e., the upper edge in fig. 1) of the bag B. However, the various treatments to be performed on the mouth portion described later need not necessarily be performed on the range including the edge portion of the bag B, and may be performed on the range in which the opening can be formed without including the edge portion of the bag B.

The 2 nd station (printing station) S2 is provided with a printer 17. The printer 17 prints various information (for example, the date of the packaging process) on the bag B.

At station 3 (opening station) S3, opening device 18 and opening guide 19 are provided. The opening device 18 is used to open the mouth of the bag B. The opening device 18 shown in the figure includes two suction cups which are capable of reciprocating in the horizontal direction, and the mouth portion of the bag B can be opened by sucking the suction cups to the front side surface and the back side surface of the bag B, respectively, and moving the suction cups in a direction away from each other in this state. At this time, the two grippers holding both side portions of the bag B move in the horizontal direction so as to approach each other as necessary, and the front side surface and the back side surface of the bag B flex. The opening guide 19 is inserted into the mouth of the bag B thus opened. The opening guide 19 inserted into the mouth of the bag B supports the bag B from the inside, thereby maintaining the open state of the bag B.

The 4 th station (solid material input station) S4 is provided with a solid material input device 20. The solid material loading device 20 loads the solid material 81 (the content 80) into the bag B through the open mouth of the bag B. The solid material loading device 20 shown in the figure has a hopper (hopper) from which the solid material 81 is loaded into the bag B.

The illustrated opening guide 19 is provided to reciprocate between the 3 rd station S3 and the 4 th station S4 by being driven by an opening guide driving mechanism (not illustrated). In particular, the opening guide 19 moves from the 3 rd station S3 to the 4 th station S4 so as to follow the bag B, and the open state of the mouth of the bag B is maintained while the bag B moves from the 3 rd station S3 to the 4 th station S4. Further, the timing of returning the opening guide 19 from the 4 th station S4 to the 3 rd station S3 is not limited. After or before the solid matter 81 is put into the bag B, the opening guide 19 may be returned from the 4 th station S4 to the 3 rd station S3. Further, when the solid material loading device 20 is moved up and down, the opening guide 19 may be returned from the 4 th station S4 to the 3 rd station S3 after at least a part of the solid material loading device 20 is disposed in the bag B.

The content injection device 21 is provided at the 5 th station (liquid injection station) S5. The content injecting device 21 injects the liquid (content 80) into the inside of the bag B through the open mouth of the bag B. The illustrated content injection device 21 has a nozzle, and the liquid content 80 is injected into the pouch B from the nozzle.

As described above, in the illustrated packaging system 5, the content 80 to be stored in the bag B includes the solid matter 81 and the liquid, but the state of the content 80 to be stored in the bag B is not limited. For example, the content 80 may be a solid, liquid, paste (fluid), or gel, or may be a mixture containing two or more of them. However, the content 80 composed only of gas is not an object to which the packaging system 5 and the vapor replacement device 10 of the present embodiment are applied.

The 6 th station (steam injection station) S6 is provided with the steam ejection nozzles 22 and the support portion 25. The gas disposed inside the bag B of the 6 th station S6 is replaced with the steam ejected from the steam ejection nozzle 22. In this vapor replacement, the support portion 25 supports the content 80 in the pouch B by being lifted from the bottom of the pouch B, and the content 80 is effectively prevented from interfering with the movement of the bottom Bb when the volume of the pouch B is reduced by the cooling of the vapor in the pouch B. The structure and operation of the steam ejection nozzle 22 and the support portion 25 will be described in detail later.

The 1 st sealing unit 23 is provided at the 7 th station (the 1 st sealing process station) S7, and the 2 nd sealing unit 24 is provided at the 8 th station (the 2 nd sealing process station) S8. The 1 st sealing unit 23 and the 2 nd sealing unit 24 each have two hot plates for heat-sealing the mouth of the bag B therebetween.

At station 9 (cooling discharge station) S9, a cooling unit 26 and a discharge chute 27 are provided. The cooling unit 26 has two cooling plates that sandwich and cool the mouth portions of the bags B (particularly, the portions heat-sealed by the 1 st sealing unit 23 and the 2 nd sealing unit 24) disposed at the 9 th station S9. After the mouth portion is cooled by the cooling unit 26, the bag B (product bag) is released from the bag holding portion 13 and falls in the 9 th station S9, and is guided by the discharge groove 27 to be conveyed to the subsequent stage.

Further, only the bag B determined to be normal may be released from the bag holding portion 13 in the 9 th station S9. In this case, it is also possible that the pouch B identified as having a defect is not released from the pouch holding part 13 in the 9 th station S9, but is released from the pouch holding part 13 and discharged in the 10 th station S10. The bag B determined to have a defect may be conveyed to the 10 th station S10 without being subjected to processing in each station under the control of a control device (not shown), released from the bag holding portion 13 in the 10 th station S10, and discharged as a defective bag.

A defect detecting device (not shown) for detecting the presence or absence of a defect in the bag B may be provided at any position from the 1 st station S1 to the 9 th station S9. The type of the defect of the bag B detected by the defect detection means is not limited. The failure detection device can detect whether or not the bag holding portion 13 holds the bag B in an appropriate posture by performing image processing on, for example, a captured image of the bag B held by the bag holding portion 13. The failure detection device can detect whether or not printing by the printer 17 has been performed properly by performing image processing on the captured image of the bag B. Further, the failure detection device can detect a failure of the bag B based on the suction pressure of the suction pad of the opening device 18. When the front and back surfaces of the bag B are not properly sucked by the suction pads of the opening device 18, the suction pressure of the suction pads may have a value lower than the assumed value. Therefore, the suction pressure of the suction pad of the opening device 18 may be monitored by a control device (failure detection device), not shown, and the bag B having the suction pressure of the suction pad of a value lower than the assumed value may be determined to have a failure because it is highly likely that the bag B is not properly opened by the opening device 18.

Next, the steam replacement device 10 and the steam replacement method will be described in detail.

[ steam replacement device ]

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the steam replacement device 10, and fig. 2 is partially shown in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the packaging system 5 showing a schematic configuration of the steam replacement device 10. In fig. 3, the rotary table 12 is shown in phantom by a two-dot chain line, and the support frame 42, the support drive shaft 45, and the 1 st gear engagement portion 46 are shown disposed below the rotary table 12. Although some elements (for example, the 1 st sealing unit 23 and the like) constituting the packaging system 5 are shown in fig. 1, they are not shown in fig. 3.

[ conveying Unit ]

The steam replacement device 10 of the present embodiment is provided as a part of the packaging system 5, and the packaging system 5 is configured as an intermittent rotary table type bagging packaging system. The transport unit 11, which includes a turntable 12 and a driving device (not shown) for rotationally driving the turntable 12, intermittently moves each of the bags B along the circular orbit together with the corresponding bag holding portion 13. A conveyor frame 41 is fixed to the support 30. The conveyor frame 41 supports a table shaft (not shown) constituting a rotation shaft portion of the rotation table 12 so as to be rotatable, and the table shaft is rotated by a drive device.

The conveyance unit 11 moves the bag holder 13 from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7 with the bag B held by the bag holder 13. The pouch B held by the pouch holder 13 is subjected to the steam injection process at the 6 th station S6, and is subjected to the 1 st sealing process (including the sealing process) at the 7 th station S7.

[ bag holding part ]

The bag holding portion 13 holds the bag B containing the content 80 therein in a suspended state, and adjusts the tension applied to the bag B. In the bag holding portion 13 of the present embodiment, at the 6 th station S6, the bag B is loosened and the mouth portion Bm is opened before the steam ejection nozzle 22 is inserted into the bag B, and the bag B is tightened after the steam ejection nozzle 22 is inserted into the bag B, so that the mouth portion Bm is closed. This makes it possible to easily insert the distal end portion of the steam ejection nozzle 22 into the bag B, and to reduce the area of the opening formed around the steam ejection nozzle 22 at the mouth Bm after the distal end portion of the steam ejection nozzle 22 is inserted into the bag B. Further, the bag holding portion 13 of the present embodiment applies tension to the bag B in a state where at least a part of the steam is present inside the bag B, and closes the mouth portion Bm in a tense state. This prevents a gap from being formed in the mouth Bm, and thus prevents the inflow of outside air into the bag B and the outflow of steam from the bag B through the mouth Bm.

[ steam Ejection nozzle ]

The steam ejection nozzle 22 is connected to a steam supply source 31 via a steam supply line 32. The steam ejection nozzle 22 has an ejection port 28. The illustrated ejection port 28 is provided at the lower tip end of the steam ejection nozzle 22. The steam supplied from the steam supply source 31 through the steam supply line 32 is supplied to the discharge port 28, and the discharge port 28 discharges the steam outward. The steam ejection nozzle 22 can eject steam from the ejection port 28 in a state where the ejection port 28 is disposed inside the bag B, and blow the steam into the bag B.

[ nozzle lifting part ]

The steam ejection nozzle 22 is connected to the nozzle lifting unit 61. The nozzle lifting unit 61 lifts and lowers the steam discharge nozzle 22 between a position where the distal end portion (including the discharge port 28) of the steam discharge nozzle 22 enters the bag B and a position where the distal end portion of the steam discharge nozzle 22 is retracted outside the bag B. The nozzle lifting unit 61 shown in fig. 2 and 3 includes a nozzle holding arm 33, a nozzle lifting/lowering drive shaft 34, a nozzle lifting/lowering drive source 35, a nozzle lifting/lowering base 36, a 1 st bearing 39, a nozzle lifting/lowering frame 37, a nozzle lifting/lowering bearing 38, and a 2 nd bearing 40.

The steam ejection nozzle 22 is held by a nozzle lift drive shaft 34 via a nozzle holding arm 33. The nozzle elevation drive shaft 34 extends in the height direction (i.e., in a direction parallel to the vertical direction in which gravity acts), and is connected to a nozzle elevation drive source 35. The lower portion of the nozzle elevation drive shaft 34 is supported by the nozzle elevation base 36 via a 1 st bearing 39. The nozzle lifting base 36 functions as a base fixedly provided on the holder 30 and also functions as a bearing of the 1 st bearing 39. The upper portion of the nozzle lift drive shaft 34 is supported by a nozzle lift bearing 38 via a 2 nd bearing 40. The nozzle lifting bearing 38 is fixed to the nozzle lifting base 36 via a nozzle lifting frame 37 extending in the height direction. The nozzle elevation drive shaft 34 is supported to be movable up and down by a 1 st bearing 39 and a 2 nd bearing 40, and is elevated and lowered by power transmitted from a nozzle elevation drive source (for example, a cylinder, a servo motor, or the like) 35.

In the nozzle lifting and lowering section 61 having the above-described configuration, the nozzle lifting and lowering drive shaft 34 is lifted and lowered by the nozzle lifting and lowering drive source 35, and the steam discharge nozzle 22 is lifted and lowered together with the nozzle lifting and lowering drive shaft 34 and the nozzle holding arm 33. In particular, the nozzle lifting and lowering unit 61 of the present embodiment lowers the steam ejection nozzle 22, and inserts the steam ejection nozzle 22 into the bag B held by the bag holding unit 13 through the mouth Bm of the bag B to dispose the ejection port 28 inside the bag B. The nozzle elevating portion 61 elevates the steam ejection nozzle 22 in a state where at least a part of the steam is present inside the bag B, and disposes the ejection port 28 outside the bag B held by the bag holding portion 13.

[ support part ]

The illustrated support portion 25 has a plate shape and has a support surface having a size capable of contacting the entire bottom Bb of the bag B. The support portion 25 is coupled with a support lifting portion 62 and a reciprocating mechanism 63. The support portion 25 can be raised and lowered in the height direction by the support raising and lowering portion 62, and can be reciprocated in the horizontal direction by the reciprocating mechanism 63. In particular, the support portion 25 of the present embodiment is raised by supporting the raising and lowering portion 62, thereby raising the entire bottom Bb of the bag B and supporting the content 80 in the bag B from below via the bottom Bb.

[ reciprocating mechanism ]

The illustrated reciprocating mechanism 63 includes a support frame 42, a support base 43, a support driving unit 44, a support driving shaft 45, a 1 st gear engaging unit 46, a 2 nd gear engaging unit 47, a support rail 48, and a support roller 49.

The support frame 42 is fixedly provided to the bracket 30, and the support base 43 is fixed to the support frame 42. The support base 43 is fixed with a support driving portion 44 and a support rail 48.

A support drive shaft 45 extending in the height direction is attached to the support drive portion 44. The support drive shaft 45 is fixed to the center of the 1 st gear engagement portion 46. The support drive shaft 45 is axially rotated by the support drive unit 44, and the 1 st gear engagement unit 46 is axially rotated together with the support drive shaft 45.

The outer peripheral portion of the 1 st gear engaging portion 46 engages with the outer peripheral portion of the 2 nd gear engaging portion 47. Two support rollers 49 are fixed to the lower surface of the 2 nd gear engaging portion 47. The support rail 48 is held by being sandwiched between the support rollers 49, and is provided so as to slide in a space between the support rollers 49. The 2 nd gear engaging portion 47 is supported by the support base 43 via a support roller 49 and a support rail 48. The 2 nd gear engaging portion 47 moves so that the support roller 49 is guided by the support rail 48 in accordance with the axial rotation of the 1 st gear engaging portion 46.

The support rail 48 is formed in an arc shape in a partial range between the 5 th station S5 and the 8 th station S8 (particularly, a range including the entire 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7). The center defining the curvature of the support rail 48 is common to the center defining the curvature of the outer periphery of the turntable 12. In the 6 th to 7 th stations S6 to S7, the movement trajectory of the 2 nd gear engaging portion 47 guided along the support rail 48 together with the support roller 49 corresponds to the movement trajectory of the bag B conveyed together with the bag holding portion 13. More specifically, the 2 nd gear engaging portion 47 moves from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7 so as to follow the bag B.

The support 25 is reciprocated between the 6 th station S6 and the 7 th station S7 by the reciprocating mechanism 63 having the above-described structure. As will be described later, particularly, in the reciprocating mechanism 63 of the present embodiment, in a state where the content 80 is supported by the supporting portion 25 through the bottom Bb of the pouch B at a position higher than the 1 st height position H1, the supporting portion 25 is moved from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7, and the pouch B is conveyed from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7 together with the pouch holding portion 13.

In this way, the support portion 25 is moved in the horizontal direction by the reciprocating mechanism 63, and follows the bag B conveyed from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7.

[ supporting elevating part ]

The support lifting unit 62 lifts and lowers the support unit 25 between a support position (upper position) and a retracted position (lower position). The support position is a position where the support portion 25 contacts the bottom Bb of the bag B and supports the content 80 in the bag B by lifting it. The retracted position is a position where the support portion 25 does not contact the bottom Bb of the bag B and the content 80 in the bag B is not supported by the support portion 25. By moving the support portion 25 from the retracted position to the support position, the state of the bag B is changed from the 1 st state to the 2 nd state, the 1 st state being a state in which the mouth portion Bm and the bottom portion Bb of the bag B are relatively separated in the height direction, and the 2 nd state being a state in which the mouth portion Bm and the bottom portion Bb are close to each other in the height direction and the mouth portion Bm and the bottom portion Bb are relatively close to each other in the height direction.

The illustrated support elevating unit 62 includes a support elevating drive source 50, a support elevating shaft 51, and a support elevating fixing unit 52. A support elevating drive source 50 is fixed to an upper surface of the 2 nd gear engaging portion 47, and a support elevating shaft 51 extends upward from the support elevating drive source 50. The amount of protrusion of the supporting elevation shaft 51 from the supporting elevation drive source 50 in the height direction is variable. The support lift driving source 50 and the support lift shaft 51 can be formed of any actuator, and typically, are formed of a cylinder. A support elevation fixing portion 52 is fixed to an upper distal end portion of the support elevation shaft 51. A support portion 25 extending in the horizontal direction is fixed to the support elevation fixing portion 52. The support portion 25 moves up and down according to the amount of the lift shaft 51 protruding from the support lift driving source 50.

The amount of lifting of the support portion 25 by the support lifting portion 62 is not limited. However, it is preferable to determine the amount of lifting of the support portion 25 in such a manner that the content 80 in the bag B does not come into contact with the steam discharge nozzle 22 when the support portion 25 is lifted by the support lifting portion 62.

The support lifting unit 62 lifts the support unit 25 at the following timing. That is, the support portion 25 is arranged to support the content 80 in the bag B via the bottom Bb at a position higher than the 1 st height position H1 in at least a part of the period from when the steam is ejected from the ejection port 28 to the inside of the bag B to when the mouth Bm is closed by the 1 st sealing unit 23 (closing unit). This can suppress deformation of the mouth Bm of the bag B when the volume of the bag B is reduced by cooling the steam in the bag B. The 1 st height position H1 is a position in the height direction of the bottom Bb of the bag B in the state where the support portion 25 is not in contact with the bottom Bb of the bag B disposed at the 6 th station S6.

[ 1 st sealing Unit (closing Unit) ]

As shown in fig. 1, a 1 st sealing unit 23 that closes the mouth Bm of the bag B is provided at a downstream side station (i.e., 7 th station S7) different from the 6 th station S6 where the steam ejection nozzle 22 is provided. The 1 st sealing unit 23 functions not only as a sealing member for sealing the mouth portion Bm but also as a sealing unit for sealing the mouth portion Bm in a state where at least a part of the steam is present inside the bag B and the bag B is in a stretched state in which the bag holding portion 13 is closed.

[ vapor replacement method ]

Next, an example of a steam replacement method performed by the steam replacement device 10 described above will be described with reference to fig. 4A to 10B.

As described above, each pouch B is charged with the content 80 (solid matter 81 and liquid) inside at the 4 th station S4 and the 5 th station S5, and then subjected to the steam injection treatment at the 6 th station S6 and the 1 st sealing treatment at the 7 th station S7.

As shown in fig. 4A and 4B, immediately after the bag holding section 13 and the bag B are moved from the 5 th station S5 to the 6 th station S6, the two grippers included in the bag holding section 13 are arranged at positions slightly close to each other, and at least a part of the mouth Bm of the bag B is open. Thus, the mouth portion Bm has an opening area through which the distal end portion (particularly, the ejection port 28) of the steam ejection nozzle 22 can be inserted into the bag B through the mouth portion Bm.

Then, as shown in fig. 5A and 5B, the following steps are performed: the steam ejection nozzle 22 is inserted into the bag B containing the content 80 therein through the mouth Bm of the bag B, and the steam is ejected from the steam ejection nozzle 22 to the inside of the bag B. That is, the nozzle elevating portion 61 lowers the steam ejection nozzle 22 and inserts the steam into the bag B, and ejects the steam from the ejection port 28 into the bag B. Thereby, the gas such as air in the bag B is replaced with steam.

The timing of starting the steam ejection from the ejection port 28 is not limited. The spout 28 may spout the steam before the steam spout nozzle 22 is inserted into the bag B (i.e., in a state where the spout 28 is located outside the bag B), or may start the steam spout after the spout 28 is disposed inside the bag B.

While the steam is being blown out into the bag B from the spout 28, the gas (which may contain steam) in the bag B is discharged to the outside of the bag B through the opening portion of the mouth Bm. Further, a through hole (not shown) may be formed in the steam ejection nozzle 22, and one end portion of the through hole may be disposed inside the bag B and the other end portion may be disposed outside the bag B while the steam is ejected from the ejection port 28 into the bag B. In this case, at least a part of the gas in the bag B can be discharged to the outside of the bag B through the through hole formed in the steam ejection nozzle 22.

After the steam ejection nozzle 22 is inserted into the bag B, the two grippers constituting the bag holding portion 13 are separated from each other in the horizontal direction, and the distance between the grippers becomes large (see fig. 6A and 6B). As a result, the bag B is tightened, and the mouth Bm is closed and opened along the outer peripheral surface of the steam ejection nozzle 22. The tightening process of the bag B by the bag holding portion 13 may be performed after at least a part of the steam ejection nozzle 22 is disposed in the bag B through the mouth portion Bm. Therefore, as shown in fig. 6A and 6B, the bag holding portion 13 may be moved to increase the distance between the grippers before the steam ejection nozzle 22 reaches the position shown in fig. 5B, after the steam ejection nozzle reaches the position shown in fig. 5B, before the steam is ejected from the ejection port 28 into the bag B, or after the steam is ejected from the ejection port 28 into the bag B.

In a state where the mouth Bm of the bag B is tightened in this manner, a sufficient amount of steam is blown into the bag B, whereby the gas in the bag B is replaced with steam.

Then, the following steps are performed: after the steam is ejected into the bag B, the steam ejection nozzle 22 is retracted from the inside of the bag B (see fig. 7A and 7B). That is, after a sufficient amount of steam is blown into the bag B from the steam discharge nozzle 22 to sufficiently replace the gas in the bag B with steam, the steam discharge nozzle 22 is raised by the nozzle raising and lowering unit 61 to retract the steam discharge nozzle 22 to the outside of the bag B. Further, while the steam ejection nozzle 22 is retracted from the inside of the bag B, the steam may be continuously ejected from the ejection port 28, or the ejection of the steam from the ejection port 28 may be stopped.

In the 6 th station S6, a bag supporting step (see fig. 7A and 7B) is performed in which the content 80 in the bag B is supported by the support portion 25. That is, bottom Bb of bag B held in a suspended state by bag holding portion 13 is brought into contact with support portion 25 and raised from 1 st height position H1, and at a position higher than 1 st height position H1 (2 nd height position H2), support portion 25 supports content 80 via bottom Bb. Thus, the support portion 25 supports the content 80 via the bottom Bb at a position higher than the 1 st height position H1 at least in part of the period from when the steam is ejected into the bag B to when the mouth Bm is closed by the 1 st sealing unit 23.

In the present embodiment, the support portion 25 contacts the bottom Bb at the same time as the timing when the steam ejection nozzle 22 starts to retreat from the inside of the bag B, and lifts and supports the bottom Bb and the content 80. In this case, the content 80 lifted by the support portion 25 can be prevented from contacting the steam discharge nozzle 22. However, the timing at which the support portion 25 that supports the ascending of the ascending portion 62 starts supporting the content 80 in the bag B may be either during the period in which the steam ejection nozzle 22 retreats from the inside of the bag B before the steam ejection nozzle 22 retreats from the inside of the bag B or after the steam ejection nozzle 22 finishes retreating from the inside of the bag B.

After the steam ejection nozzle 22 finishes retracting from the inside of the bag B and the bag B is tightened by the bag holding portion 13 to close the mouth Bm (see fig. 8A and 8B described later), the support portion 25 may start supporting the content 80 via the bottom Bb. From the viewpoint of preventing the mouth Bm from being undesirably deformed due to the reduction in volume of the bag B caused by the cooling of the steam in the bag B, it is preferable that the support portion 25 starts to support the content 80 via the bottom Bb at the latest immediately after the steam ejection nozzle 22 finishes retracting from the steam replacement device 10.

The support portion 25 may start supporting the content 80 via the bottom Bb before the steam ejection nozzle 22 enters the bag B or in a state where the distal end portion (for example, the ejection port 28) of the steam ejection nozzle 22 is positioned inside the bag B. From the viewpoint of properly inserting the distal end portion of the steam ejection nozzle 22 into the bag B, it is preferable that the support raising and lowering portion 62 raises the support portion 25 so that the support portion 25 starts to support the content 80 via the bottom Bb after at least a part of the steam ejection nozzle 22 is disposed inside the bag B. When the support portion 25 lifts the bottom Bb of the bag B and the content 80 before the distal end of the steam ejection nozzle 22 enters the bag B, there are cases where: the mouth Bm is undesirably deformed or the bag B is inclined in the thickness direction, so that the steam ejection nozzle 22 cannot be properly inserted into the bag B.

Therefore, the support portion 25 may come into contact with the bottom Bb of the bag B at an arbitrary timing "from when the distal end (particularly, the spout 28) of the steam ejection nozzle 22 enters the bag B to when the distal end (particularly, the spout 28) of the steam ejection nozzle 22 retreats to the outside of the bag B" to start supporting the content 80. However, in the case where it is predicted that the deformation of the mouth Bm that may occur when the support portion 25 supports the content 80 via the bottom Bb is not so large as to prevent the insertion of the distal end portion of the steam ejection nozzle 22 into the bag B, the support portion 25 may start supporting the content 80 via the bottom Bb before the steam ejection nozzle 22 is inserted into the bag B.

The support portion 25 of the present embodiment raises the bottom Bb of the bag B from the 1 st height position H1 once, supports the content 80 through the bottom Bb at a position higher than the 1 st height position H1, and then continuously supports the content 80 through the bottom Bb at a position higher than the 1 st height position H1 until the mouth Bm is closed by the 1 st sealing unit 23. This effectively prevents the mouth Bm from being undesirably deformed due to a reduction in volume in the bag B that occurs as the steam in the bag B cools. That is, from the viewpoint of preventing the undesired deformation of the mouth Bm of the bag B, it is preferable that the support portion 25 continuously supports the bottom Bb of the bag B and the content 80 until the mouth Bm of the bag B is pressed by being sandwiched by the 1 st sealing unit 23 (closing unit) after the bottom Bb of the bag B and the content 80 are once supported by the support portion 25.

The mouth Bm of the bag B is closed by being pressed by the 1 st sealing unit 23. Therefore, if the mouth part Bm is closed by the 1 st sealing unit 23, the support part 25 can be moved from the support position to the retracted position at an arbitrary timing while preventing an undesired gap from being formed in the mouth part Bm. Therefore, for example, after the mouth portion Bm is sealed by the 1 st sealing unit 23, after the cooling process of the mouth portion Bm is completed, or immediately before the bag B is released from the bag holding portion 13, the support portion 25 can be moved from the support position to the retreat position.

As shown in fig. 8A and 8B, after the steam ejection nozzle 22 is retracted from the inside of the bag B, the bag B is tightened to close the mouth Bm. That is, after the entire steam ejection nozzle 22 is disposed outside the bag B, the two grippers constituting the bag holding portion 13 are separated from each other in the horizontal direction, and the distance between the grippers becomes large. Thereby, the bag B is tightened to close the mouth Bm. This prevents the inflow of outside air into the bag B through the mouth Bm. At this time, the mouth Bm is preferably completely closed, but may not necessarily be completely closed.

The process of stretching the pouch B after retracting the steam ejection nozzle 22 in this manner may be performed at the 6 th station S6, while the pouch B is moving from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7, or at the 7 th station S7. However, from the viewpoint of preventing the steam from flowing out of the pouch B and preventing the external air from flowing into the pouch B, it is preferable that the pouch B is tightened by the pouch holding portion 13 as early as possible to close the mouth portion Bm after the steam ejection nozzle 22 is retracted from the pouch B.

Then, the bag B is moved from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7 together with the bag holding portion 13. When the bag B moves from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7, the support 25 moves by the reciprocating mechanism 63 so as to follow the bag B. Thus, in the process of moving the pouch B from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7, the bottom Bb of the pouch B and the content 80 are also lifted and supported by the support portion 25. Therefore, even if the volume of the pouch B is reduced by the cooling of the steam inside the pouch B during the movement of the pouch B from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7, the mouth Bm can be effectively prevented from being undesirably deformed by the weight of the content 80 acting on the bottom Bb of the pouch B.

Immediately after the bag B moves to the 7 th station S7, a space is formed between the two heating plates of the 1 st sealing unit 23, and the mouth Bm of the bag B is disposed between these heating plates (see fig. 9A and 9B).

Then, as shown in fig. 10A and 10B, the step of closing the mouth portion Bm by the 1 st sealing unit 23 is performed in a state where at least a part of the steam is present inside the bag B and the bag B is stretched to close the mouth portion Bm. That is, in the 7 th station S7, the mouth Bm of the bag B is pressed by the two hot plates of the 1 st sealing unit 23, and the 1 st sealing process is performed. Thereby, the front-side wall portion and the back-side wall portion constituting the mouth portion Bm of the bag B are welded to each other, and the mouth portion Bm is sealed.

In addition, a specific sealing manner of the 1 st sealing unit 23 is not limited. For example, the 1 st sealing unit 23 may be heated to a high temperature in advance, and the mouth Bm may be sealed while the 1 st sealing unit 23 is in contact with the bag B. Further, after the 1 st sealing unit 23 comes into contact with the bag B, the temperature of the 1 st sealing unit 23 may be raised to seal the mouth Bm. The 1 st sealing unit 23 may seal the mouth Bm of the bag B by means other than heat welding.

After the mouth Bm of the bag B is closed by the 1 st sealing unit 23, the support portion 25 is separated from the bottom Bb of the bag B, and the content 80 in the bag B is released from the support by the support portion 25 (see fig. 10B). In the present embodiment, the amount of protrusion of the support elevating shaft 51 is reduced by the support elevating drive source 50 supporting the elevating portion 62 shown in fig. 2, the support portion 25 is lowered, the support portion 25 is separated from the bottom Bb of the bag B, and the content 80 in the bag B is released from the support of the support portion 25. However, the method of separating the support portion 25 from the bottom Bb of the bag B is not limited to this. For example, the reciprocating mechanism 63 may move the support portion 25 in the horizontal direction to separate the support portion 25 from the bottom Bb of the bag B, and the content 80 in the bag B may be released from the support by the support portion 25.

The timing at which the content 80 in the pouch B is released from being supported by the support portion 25 may be after the 1 st sealing process by the 1 st sealing unit 23 is completed, or may be before the 1 st sealing process is completed. For example, immediately after the two hot plates of the 1 st sealing unit 23 come into contact with the bag B to close the mouth Bm, the support portion 25 may be separated from the bottom Bb of the bag B, and the content 80 in the bag B may be released from the support by the support portion 25.

After the support 25 is separated from the bottom Bb of the bag B in this manner, the reciprocating mechanism 63 returns the support 25 from the 7 th station S7 to the 6 th station S6, and the support is disposed at a preparation position for processing the next bag B (see fig. 4B).

[ 2 nd embodiment ]

Fig. 11 to 13 are views for explaining the support portion 25 according to embodiment 2. In the present embodiment, the same or similar elements as those in embodiment 1 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

The support portion 25 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of members (the 1 st support portion 71 and the 2 nd support portion 72). The plurality of members included in the support portion 25 are provided in such a manner as to exist in the range from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7. These members (the 1 st support part 71 and the 2 nd support part 72) of the support part 25 support the content 80 via the bottom Bb of the bag B at a position higher than the 1 st height position H1 during at least a part of the period in which the bag B is conveyed from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7 together with the bag holding part 13.

The illustrated support portion 25 includes: a 1 st support portion 71 which is provided so as to be movable up and down; and a 2 nd support part 72 which is fixedly provided without being lifted. The 1 st support 71 is provided at the 6 th station S6 (steam injection station), extending at least in the 6 th station S6.

In the present embodiment, since the support portion 25 does not move from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7, the reciprocating mechanism 63 (see fig. 2) required in the steam replacement device 10 according to embodiment 1 described above is not necessary. Therefore, for example, the support driving portion 44, the support driving shaft 45, the 1 st gear engaging portion 46, the 2 nd gear engaging portion 47, the support rail 48, and the support roller 49 are not required to be provided. In the present embodiment, the support elevation drive source 50 is fixedly attached to, for example, the support base 43, and the 1 st support portion 71 is attached to the support elevation shaft 51 via the support elevation fixing portion 52. The 2 nd support 72 extends from the 7 th station S7 (the 1 st sealing process station) toward the 6 th station S6. The 2 nd support portion 72 is fixedly attached to, for example, the support base 43.

The 1 st and 2

nd support portions

71 and 72 extend adjacent to each other along a conveying trajectory from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7 of the bag B. The interval between the 1 st support 71 and the 2 nd support 72 is not defined. However, from the viewpoint of appropriately transferring the bag B from the 1 st support portion 71 to the 2 nd support portion 72 as described later, the distance between the 1 st support portion 71 and the 2 nd support portion 72 in the conveying direction of the bag B is preferably as small as possible, and is preferably smaller than the width of the bottom Bb of the bag B.

The specific ranges of the 1 st support portion 71 and the 2 nd support portion 72 are not limited. The 1 st support portion 71 has a function of supporting the content 80 in the pouch B via the bottom Bb of the pouch B. Therefore, the 1 st support portion 71 may have a size enough to lift the bottom Bb of the bag B disposed at the 6 th station S6 from below, and thus the bag B disposed at the 6 th station S6 can be properly lifted. The 2 nd support part 72 receives the pouch B from the 1 st support part 71, contacts the bottom Bb of the pouch B at a position higher than the 1 st height position H1 (in the illustrated example, the 2 nd height position H2), and supports the content 80 in the pouch B. From the viewpoint of ensuring the preparation time of the 1 st support 71 for the next bag B placed at the 6 th station S6, it is preferable that the bag B conveyed from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7 be moved from the 1 st support 71 to the 2 nd support 72 as early as possible, and the 2 nd support 72 preferably extends to a position close to the 6 th station S6.

The support lifting unit 62 (see fig. 2) is coupled to only the 1 st support 71 of the 1 st support 71 and the 2 nd support 72, and lifts and lowers only the 1 st support 71. Specifically, the support lifting and lowering unit 62 lifts and lowers the 1 st support unit 71 between a position lower than the 1 st height position H1 and a position higher than the 1 st height position H1 (the 2 nd height position H2).

The illustrated 2 nd support portion 72 extends in the horizontal direction at the 2 nd height position H2, and the 1 st support portion 71 and the 2 nd support portion 72 disposed at the 2 nd height position H2 form the same plane (horizontal plane). Thus, the bottom Bb of the bag B moving from the 6 th station S6 toward the 7 th station S7 moves horizontally at a constant height (i.e., the 2 nd height position H2).

The 1 st support portion 71 may not necessarily be raised to the same height position as the 2 nd support portion 72 (i.e., the 2 nd height position H2). That is, if bag B from station 6S 6 to station 7S 7 can be appropriately moved from 1 st support 71 to 2 nd support 72, 1 st support 71 may be raised to a position higher than 2 nd support 72 (i.e., to a position higher than 2 nd height position H2) or to a position lower than 2 nd support 72 (i.e., to a position lower than 2 nd height position H2).

Although the 2 nd support portion 72 is shown as being fixed, the 2 nd support portion 72 may be vertically movable. In this case, the 2 nd support portion 72 preferably moves up and down independently of the 1 st support portion 71. For example, after the 1 st sealing process of the mouth Bm of the bag B is completed at the 7 th station S7, particularly before the bag B is conveyed from the 7 th station S7 to the 8 th station S8, the 2 nd support part 72 may be lowered and disposed at a position away from the bottom Bb of the bag B. In this case, the bag B is conveyed from the 7 th station S7 to the 8 th station S8 without being damaged by the 2 nd support portion 72. The mechanism for moving up and down the 2 nd support portion 72 may be configured similarly to the support lifting and lowering portion 62 for moving up and down the 1 st support portion 71.

As an example, the steam replacement device 10 having the above-described configuration performs the steam replacement process as follows.

When the bag B conveyed from the 5 th station S5 is disposed at the 6 th station S6, the 1 st supporting part 71 is disposed at a position (retracted position) lower than the 1 st height position H1 (see fig. 11). Thus, the bag B immediately after the 6 th station S6 is placed in a state suspended and held by the bag holding portion 13 without contacting the 1 st supporting portion 71. At this time, the 2 nd support part 72 fixed at the 2 nd height position H2 supports the content 80 by lifting the bottom Bb of the pouch B disposed at the 7 th station S7.

Thereafter, as in the above-described embodiment 1, the steam ejection nozzle 22 is inserted into the bag B, and the steam is ejected from the ejection port 28 toward the inside of the bag B, so that the mouth Bm of the bag B is tightened by the bag holding portion 13 (gripper). Thereby, the gas in the bag B is replaced with steam.

The 1 st supporting part 71 is raised from a position lower than the 1 st height position H1 by the supporting and raising part 62, and is disposed at the 2 nd height position H2 (see fig. 12). Thus, the 1 st support portion 71 supports the content 80 in the bag B by lifting it through the bottom Bb, which is close to the mouth Bm in the height direction. The upper surface of the 1 st support portion 71 is disposed at the same height as the upper surface of the 2 nd support portion 72.

In the illustrated example, the steam ejection nozzle 22 ascends together with the ascending of the 1 st support portion 71. Fig. 12 shows the steam ejection nozzle 22 in a state of moving from the inside to the outside of the bag B. This can prevent the content 80 in the pouch B lifted and raised by the 1 st support portion 71 from coming into contact with the steam ejection nozzle 22. From the viewpoint of reliably avoiding contact between the content 80 and the steam ejection nozzle 22, the rising speed of the steam ejection nozzle 22 when retreating from the inside to the outside of the bag B is preferably equal to or higher than the rising speed of the 1 st support portion 71.

After the entire steam ejection nozzle 22 is disposed outside the pouch B, the pouch B disposed at the 6 th station S6 is conveyed toward the 7 th station S7 (see fig. 13). At this time, the bottom Bb of the bag B smoothly moves from the 1 st support part 71 to the 2 nd support part 72, and the content 80 in the bag B is supported by the 2 nd support part 72. Therefore, even if the volume of the pouch B is reduced by the cooling of the steam inside the pouch B during the movement of the pouch B from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7, the mouth Bm can be effectively prevented from being undesirably deformed by the weight of the content 80 acting on the bottom Bb of the pouch B.

As described above, according to the steam replacement device 10 and the steam replacement method described above, the content 80 in the pouch B is supported by the support portion 25 in a state where steam is present in the pouch B. Accordingly, when the steam in the bag B cools to reduce the volume of the bag B, the weight of the content 80 can be prevented from affecting the shape of the mouth Bm, and an undesired gap can be effectively prevented from being formed in the mouth Bm. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the inflow of the external air into the bag B through an undesired gap and the outflow of the steam in the bag B to the outside, and it is possible to stably and reliably replace the gas in the bag B with the steam. As an example, the rate of replacement of the gas in the bag B with steam (steam replacement rate) can be evaluated by measuring the residual oxygen concentration (residual oxygen amount) in the bag B. Typically, the concentration of oxygen remaining in the bag B can be measured by inserting an injection needle into the bag B to extract the gas in the bag B and measuring the concentration of oxygen contained in the extracted gas using an oxygen concentration meter.

The content 80 in the pouch B is supported by the bottom Bb of the pouch B being lifted from below by the support portion 25. Therefore, the support portion 25 can be constituted by a simple plate-shaped member without a complicated configuration. Therefore, the mechanism for driving and controlling the support portion 25 can be simply configured, and a device for supporting the content 80 in the pouch B can be realized at low cost.

In addition, the station for injecting steam into the pouch B (6 th station S6) and the station for closing and sealing the mouth Bm of the pouch B (7 th station S7) in which the steam injection is completed are different stations. This can shorten the time required for the processing to be performed while the bag B is staying at 1 station, and can speed up the processing of the bag B in the entire packaging system 5.

In contrast, when the steam injection into the bag B and the closing and sealing of the opening Bm are performed in the same station, the time required for the processing in the station may be extended to become a bottleneck in the processing time of the entire packaging system 5, which may hinder the improvement of the throughput of the packaging system 5. In addition, when the steam injection into the bag B and the closing and sealing of the opening Bm are performed in the same station, the possibility of the steam adhering to the sealing tool (the 1 st sealing unit 23) of the opening Bm is increased, and corrosion of the sealing tool such as rust is likely to occur. On the other hand, by injecting steam into the bag B and closing and sealing the opening Bm at different stations, the possibility of such corrosion can be greatly reduced.

Further, as in embodiment 1 described above, by moving support 25 so as to follow bag B moving from station 6S 6 to station 7S 7, it is possible to prevent bottom Bb of bag B from rubbing against support 25, and reduce damage to bag B from support 25.

As in embodiment 2 described above, the plurality of members (the 1 st supporting part 71 and the 2 nd supporting part 72) constituting the supporting part 25 are provided continuously in the range from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7, and the driving mechanism of the supporting part 25 can be easily configured. That is, by providing a mechanism for raising and lowering support unit 25 (i.e., 1 st support unit 71) at 6 th station S6 without requiring a mechanism for reciprocating support unit 25 in the horizontal direction, bag B can be transported from 6 th station S6 to 7 th station S7 with content 80 in bag B properly supported by support unit 25.

[ modified examples ]

The packaging system 5, the steam replacement device 10, and the steam replacement method are not limited to the above-described embodiments.

The conveying path of the bag B by the conveying unit 11 is not limited, and may be a curved path other than the above-described circular path, a linear path, or a path including both the curved path and the linear path (for example, an annular path having both ends constituted by semicircular paths).

The conveying unit 11 may continuously convey the bags B without intermittently stopping the bags B. When the transport unit 11 continuously transports the bag B without stopping the bag B at each station, the steam ejection nozzle 22 and the support portion 25 are moved so as to follow the bag B by using an arbitrary mechanism, so that the content 80 in the bag B can be appropriately supported by the support portion 25 while the steam in the bag B is cooled and the volume of the bag B is reduced.

Further, the steam ejection nozzle 22 and the closing means (the 1 st sealing means 23) may be provided at the same station, and the steam injection process into the bag B and the closing and sealing process (the 1 st sealing process) of the opening Bm of the bag B may be performed at the same station.

In addition, support portion 25 may extend to a station where bag B is discharged from packaging system 5 (in the illustrated

packaging system

5, 9 th station S9 or 10 th station S10) without reciprocating support portion 25 between the stations. In this case, the content 80 of the bag B can be supported by the support portion 25 until the bag B is discharged to the outside of the packaging system 5.

In the case where the support portion 25 is provided in the range from the 6 th station S6 to the 7 th station S7, the support portion 25 may support the content 80 in the pouch B by a plurality of members as in the above-described embodiment 2, or may support the content 80 in the pouch B by a single member.

Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a modification of the support portion 25. The support portion 25 shown in fig. 14 is formed of a single member, and includes: an inclined portion 25a that changes from the 1 st height position H1 (or a position lower than the 1 st height position H1) to the 2 nd height position H2; and a flat portion 25b connected to the inclined portion 25a, extending in the horizontal direction at the 2 nd height position H2. The inclined portion 25a is provided upstream of the 6 th station S6 (i.e., on the 5 th station S5 side). The bottom Bb of the bag B conveyed from the 5 th station S5 is placed on the inclined portion 25a before reaching the 6 th station S6, and is gradually lifted up along the inclined portion 25 a. In station 6S 6, the content 80 in the pouch B is supported by being lifted by the flat portion 25B through the bottom Bb.

In this manner, the support portion 25 can be formed of a single member. In this case, the bottom Bb of the bag B is lifted up before the steam ejection nozzle 22 is inserted into the bag B. Therefore, when the mouth Bm of the bag B is easily deformed by the support portion 25 (the inclined portion 25a and the flat portion 25B) lifting up the bottom portion Bb, there is a possibility that: in the 6 th station S6, the opening Bm is deformed into an undesired shape, and the steam ejection nozzle 22 cannot be properly inserted into the pouch B. Therefore, in the case of using the support portion 25 made of a single member, it is preferable to set the bag B, which is hardly deformed or substantially not deformed even when the bottom Bb and the mouth portion Bm are lifted by the support portion 25, as the processing target.

In addition, the same number of support portions 25 as the number of stations may be provided. In this case, the support portion 25 may be assigned to each bag holding portion 13, and the bag holding portion 13 and the support portion 25 may be moved together. In this case, the support portion 25 can be moved so as to follow the bag B held by the bag holding portion 13 without reciprocating the support portion 25. The plurality of support portions 25 can be moved by any moving mechanism.

In the above embodiment, the 1 st sealing unit 23 closes the mouth Bm of the bag B, but the mouth Bm may be closed by a member other than the 1 st sealing unit 23 (for example, a member not subjected to sealing treatment).

Claims

1. A steam replacement method comprising the steps of:

inserting a steam spraying nozzle into an inner side of a bag containing contents therein through a mouth of the bag, and spraying steam from the steam spraying nozzle to the inner side of the bag;

bringing a bottom portion of the bag held in a suspended state into contact with a support portion and raising the bag from a 1 st height position, the support portion supporting the content via the bottom portion at a position higher than the 1 st height position;

retracting the steam ejection nozzle from the inside of the bag after the steam is ejected to the inside of the bag;

closing the mouth by tightening the bag after the steam ejection nozzle retreats from the inside of the bag; and

closing the mouth with a closing unit in a state where at least a part of the steam is present inside the bag and the bag is tightened to close the mouth,

the support portion supports the content via the bottom portion at a position higher than the 1 st height position in at least a part of a period from when the steam is ejected to the inside of the bag to when the mouth portion is closed by the closing unit.

2. The steam replacement method of claim 1,

the support portion, after raising the bottom portion of the bag from the 1 st height position once and supporting the content via the bottom portion at a position higher than the 1 st height position, continuously supports the content via the bottom portion at a position higher than the 1 st height position until the mouth portion is closed by the closing unit.

3. A steam replacement device is provided with:

a bag holding unit for holding a bag containing contents therein in a suspended state and adjusting a tension applied to the bag;

a steam ejection nozzle having an ejection port;

a nozzle lifting unit for lifting and lowering the steam ejection nozzle;

a support portion; and

a closing unit for closing a mouth of the bag,

the nozzle raising and lowering portion lowers the steam ejection nozzle so that the steam ejection nozzle is inserted into the bag through the mouth portion of the bag held by the bag holding portion and the ejection port is disposed inside the bag,

the steam ejection nozzle ejects steam from the ejection port in a state where the ejection port is arranged inside the bag,

the nozzle lifting part lifts the steam ejection nozzle in a state where at least a part of the steam is present inside the bag, thereby disposing the ejection port outside the bag held by the bag holding part,

the bag holding portion applies tension to the bag in a state where at least a part of the steam is present inside the bag, thereby closing the mouth portion in a taut state,

the closing unit is a sealing unit that seals the mouth, and closes the mouth in a state in which at least a part of the steam is present inside the bag and the bag is set in a tightened state in which the mouth is closed by the bag holding portion,

the support portion is configured to support the content via a bottom portion of the bag at a position higher than a 1 st height position in at least a part of a period from when the steam is ejected from the ejection port to an inside of the bag to when the mouth portion is closed by the closing unit.

4. The steam replacement device of claim 3,

the steam replacement device is provided with a supporting and lifting part for lifting and lowering the supporting part,

the support lifting unit raises the support unit so that the support unit supports the content via the bottom of the bag at a position higher than the 1 st height position.

5. The steam replacement device of claim 3,

the steam replacement device is provided with a conveying unit which moves the bag holding part,

the steam spraying nozzle is arranged at the steam injection station,

the closing unit is provided at a sealing treatment station different from the steam injection station,

the transport unit moves the bag holding portion from the steam injection station to the sealing treatment station in a state where the bag is held by the bag holding portion.

6. The steam replacement device of claim 4,

the steam spraying nozzle is arranged at the steam injection station,

7. The steam replacement device of claim 5,

the steam replacement device is provided with a reciprocating mechanism for reciprocating the support part between the steam injection station and the sealing treatment station,

the reciprocating mechanism moves the support portion from the steam injection station to the sealing station in a state where the support portion supports the content via the bottom portion of the bag at a position higher than the 1 st height position, and conveys the bag together with the bag holding portion from the steam injection station to the sealing station.

8. The steam replacement device of claim 6,

9. The steam replacement device of claim 5,

the support portion includes: a 1 st support part provided at the steam injection station; and a 2 nd support extending from the sealing process station toward the steam injection station,

the steam replacement device is provided with a supporting and lifting part for lifting and lowering the 1 st supporting part,

the 1 st support portion and the 2 nd support portion support the content via the bottom of the bag at a position higher than the 1 st height position in at least a part of a period during which the bag is conveyed together with the bag holding portion from the steam injection station to the sealing process station.

10. The steam replacement device of claim 6,

11. A steam displacement device according to any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein,

the steam replacement device is provided with a conveying unit which intermittently moves the bag holding part along a circular track.