GB2345277A

GB2345277A - Packaging machine with sealing cutter adjustable in height

Info

Publication number: GB2345277A
Application number: GB9828735A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shao-Yi Chiu
Original assignee: TAYI YEH MACHINERY CO Ltd
Current assignee: TAYI YEH MACHINERY CO Ltd
Priority date: 1998-12-30
Filing date: 1998-12-30
Publication date: 2000-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 2018-12-30
Also published as: GB2345277B; GB9828735D0; DE29900412U1

Abstract

In a packaging machine, a structure 42 which carries a sealing cutter 43 is adjustable in height by four worm-and-wheel gearings 3, 5 drivable in synchronism with one another by means of a motor 8 acting on one gearing connected to the others by shafts 51 and chain 52. When driven, the gearings turn upright screw rods 50 threadedly engaged in seats 7 attached to the structure 42. Sealing cutter 43 includes portions 432, 431 extending respectively transverse to and longitudinally of the direction of movement of an article being packaged, those portions being interconnected by a curved corner portion (433, Figures 3 and 5) and all the portions optionally having a groove (434) to receive a knife blade (435) in their lower surface. A tubular roller (130, Figures 9 and 10) for guiding shrink film by which the articles are wrapped has dovetail-shaped channels (133) extending along its surface to receive dovetail-shaped members (131) from which a series of pins (132) project so as to puncture the film, in use.

Description

TITLE: A PACKING MACHINE This invention is related to an improvement in the structure of a packing machine.

Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional packing machine 1 generally includes a body portion 11, a film rack 12, a film guide rod 13, a front conveying seat 14, an upper and lower triangular plates 15 and 16, an upper triangular adjust seat 17, a sealing cutter 18, a rear conveying seat 19 and a control system 2.

A plastic cylinder 10 is arranged on the film rack 12. The film guide rod 13 is used for smoothing the film passing therethrough. As the film passed through the upper and lower triangular plates 15 and 16, the film will be guided to form a packing space. The film is held by the gripping chain belt 191 of the rear conveying seat 19.

The article to be packed is transmitted by the front conveyor belt 141 of the front conveying seat 14 to the rear conveying seat 19. The sealing cutter 18 is controlled by a sensor 21 and the control system 2 to cut the film. Then, the packed article is transmitted out of the packing machine by the rear conveying seat 19. When required to pack a higher article, it is necessary to adjust the position of the upper triangular plate 15 to receive the artice.

However, such a packing machine suffers from the following drawbacks: 1. The sealing cutter is an L-shaped member composed of two elongated cutters joined together at a right angle thereby forming a sharp corner at the lower portion of the connection, so that when an article is transmitted into the rear conveying seat for sealing, the film is often pierced through by the sharp corner thereby tearing off the film and therefore making it impossible seal an article completely and damaging the appearance of the package.

2. When required to pack higher articles, the triangular plate on the front conveying seat must be raised to enable the passage of the articles. However, the sealing cutter is fixedly mounted on the rear conveying seat, the article might contact the sealing cutter thus making it difficult or even impossible to cut the film.

3. The needles 131 are directly fitted in the tubular members 130 arranged on the film guide rod 13 thus causing inconvenience in assembly and maintenance.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved packing machine which can obviate and mitigate the above-mentioned drawbacks.

This invention is related to an improvement in the structure of a packing machine, and in particular to one characterized in a rear conveying seat including a platform, a sealing cutter seat, a sealing cutter, a film gripping device and a rear conveyor belt, the platform being provided at two sides with two worm rods and worm gears, the worm gear being provided with an upwardly extending screw rod engaged with a movable seat fixedly mounted on the sealing cutter seat, one of the worm rods being driven by a driving axle and drivingly connected to another one of the worm rods by a chain so that when a set of worm rod and worm gear is driven by a motor, the other three sets of worm rod and worm gear will be driven synchronously.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improvement in the structure of a packing machine which can provide a perfect sealing for an article.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improvement in the structure of a packing machine which has a sealing cutter composed a longitudinal portion, a transverse portion and a curved corner portion arranged between the longutidinal and transverse portions thereby preventing the film from being damaged.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improvement in the structure of a packing machine having a sealing cutter which can be raised or lowered by worm rods and worm gears to receive articles with different heights.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improvement in the structure of a packing machine wherein one worm rod is driven by a driving axle and drivingly connected to another worm rod by a chain, so that when a set of the worm rod and worm gear is driven by a motor, the other three sets of worm rod and worm gear will be driven synchronously.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improvement in the structure of a packing machine wherein the seats are fitted in the dovetail grooves of the tubular member thereby facilitating the assembly and maintainence thereof.

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art packing machine; FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art sealing cutter; FIG. 3 illustrates a sealing cutter according to the present invention; FIG. 4 illustrates the rear conveying seat; FIG. 5 illustrates another sealing cutter according to the present invention; FIG. 6 is a front view of the present ; FIG. 7 illustrates the structure of the rear conveying seat; FIG. 8 illustrates the engagement between the worm rod and worm gear; FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the present invention; FIG. 9B is an enlarged perspective view of the tubular member; and FIGS. 10,10A and lOB illustrate the structure of the tubular member.

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings. Specific language will be used to describe same. It will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 4,6,7 and 8 thereof, the packaging machine according to the present invention generally comprises a film rack 12, a film guide rod 13, a front conveying seat 14, an upper triangular plate 15, a lower triangular plate 16, an upper triangular plate adjusting seat 17 and a rear conveying seat 4. The film rack 12, the film guide rod 13, the front conveying seat 14, the upper triangular plate 15, the lower triangular plate 16 and the upper triangular plate adjusting seat 17 are well known the art.

The rear conveying seat 4 is composed of a platform 41, a sealing cutter seat 42, a sealing cutter 43, a film gripping device 44 and a rear conveyor belt 45. The platform 41 is provided at two sides with two worm rods 3 and worm gears 5. The worm gear 5 is provided with an upwardly extending screw rod 50 engaged with a movable seat 7 which is fixedly mounted on the sealing cutter seat 42. One worm rod 3 is driven by a driving axle 51 and drivingly connected to another worm rod 3 by a chain 52.

Hence, when a set of the worm rod 3 and worm gear 5 is driven by a motor 8, the other three sets of worm rod 3 and worm gear 5 will be driven synchronously. The sealing cutter 4 includes a longitudinal portion 41 and a transverse portion 42. The transverse portion 42 is formed with a curved end 43 for engaging with the longitudinal portion 41. FIG. 5 illustrates another preferred structure of the sealing cutter 43, which includes a longitudinal portion 431, a transverse portion 432 and a corner portion 433 arranged between the longitudinal portion 431 and the transverse portion 432.

The longitudinal portion 431, the transverse portion 432 and a corner portion 433 are formed at the bottom with a groove 434 configured to receive a knife blade 435.

Referring to FIGS. 10, the film guide rod 13 includes a tubular member 130, a plurality of seats 131 and a plurality of needles 132. The tubular member 130 is formed with a plurality of longitudinal dovetail grooves 133 adapted to receive the seats 131. The seat 131 has two vertical holes 134 close to two ends thereof and a vertical threaded hole 1310 at the intermediate portion thereof. Both ends of the seat 131 are formed with a longitudinal threaded hole 135. In assembly, a needle 132 is fitted in each of the vertical holes 134 of the seats 131. Then, a screw 136 is turned into each of the longitudinal threaded holes 135 to keep the needle 132 in place. The seats 131 are fitted in the dovetail grooves 133 of the tubular member 130. A screw 137 is turned through the vertical threaded hole 1310 of the seat 131 to bear against the bottom of the dovetail groove 133 so as to affix the seat 131 in the dovetail groove 133 (see FIGS. 10,10A and 10B).

When in use, the tubular member 130 is fixedly mounted on the film guide rod 13 so that the tubular member 130 can be rotated with the film guide rod 13.

When the tubular member 130 rotates, the needles 132 will pierce through the film 138 to form a plurality of holes 139 so that the film 138 shrinks for sealing, air will be rapidly forced out of the holes 139 thereby enabling an article to be smoothly packed by the film 138.

When required to pack a higher article, it is only necessary to use a control system 80 to control the motor 8 to rotate the four sets of worm rods 3 and the worm gear 5 thereby enabling the movable seat 7 to move up or down along the screw rod 50 and therefore adjusting the position of the sealing cutter 43. Furthermore, since the sealing cutter 43 has a curved corner portion, the film 138 will not be damaged.

Conclusively, the presetn invention has the following advantages: 1. As there is a curved corner portion between the longidutinal portion and the transverse portion of the sealing cutter and the knife blade is formed integrally, the film for sealing an article will not be damaged thereby providing a perfect sealing for the article.

2. The sealing cutter can be raised or lowered by worm rods and worm gears to receive articles with different heights.

3. One worm rod is driven by a driving axle and drivingly connected to another worm rod by a chain, so that when a set of the worm rod and worm gear is driven by a motor, the other three sets of worm rod and worm gear will be driven synchronously.

4. The seats are fitted in the dovetail grooves of the tubular member thereby facilitating the assembly and maintainence thereof.

The invention is naturally not limited in any sense to the particular features specified in the foregoing or to the details of the particular embodiment which has been chosen in order to illustrate the invention.

Consideration can be given to all kinds of variants of the particular embodiment which has been described by way of example and of its constituent elements without thereby departing from the scope of the invention. This invention accordingly includes all the means constituting technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A packing machine characterized in a rear conveying seat including a platform, a sealing cutter seat, a sealing cutter, a film gripping device and a rear conveyor belt, said platform being provided at two sides with two worm rods and worm gears, said worm gear being provided with an upwardly extending screw rod engaged with a movable seat fixedly mounted on said sealing cutter seat, one of said worm rods being driven by a driving axle and drivingly connected to another one of said worm rods by a chain so that when a set of worm rod and worm gear is driven by a motor, the other three sets of worm rod and worm gear will be driven synchronously.

2. The packing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sealing cutter comprises a longitudinal portion, a transverse portion and a corner portion arranged between said longitudinal portion and said transverse portion, said longitudinal portion, said transverse portion and d said corner portion being formed at a bottom with a groove configured to receive a knife blade.

3. The packing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said film guide rod comprises a tubular member, a plurality of seats and a plurality of needles, said tubular member being formed with a plurality of longitudinal dovetail grooves adapted to receive said seats, each of said seats having two vertical holes close to two ends thereof and a vertical threaded hole at an intermediate portion thereof, both ends of said seats being formed with a longitudinal threaded hole.