JP2000035484A - Detecting device for oxygen scavenger, detecting method for oxygen scavenger, and assorting device for packed body - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect, simply at a low cost, an oxygen scavenger inserted in a packed body, further, accurately find the position of the oxygen scavenger in the packed body. SOLUTION: A magnetism generating means made up of a permanent magnet 10 is mounted on an end part of a post of a load cell 20. The permanent magnet 10 is disposed in close proximity to the track of a bottom surface of a packed body 110 conveyed on a carrying conveyer 1. If there is an oxygen scavenger 112 inserted in the packed body 110 conveyed close to the permanent magnet 10, the permanent magnet 10 is attracted thereto and the load cell 20 detects displacement. If an oxygen scavenger 112 inserted in the packed body 110 is in a position spaced apart from the permanent magnet 10, the permanent magnet 10 can be made not to be attracted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device and a method for detecting a deoxidizer inserted in a package, and a packing device for a package incorporating the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In food packaging, an oxygen scavenger is often inserted into a package for the purpose of preventing discoloration and mold of the food to be packaged due to oxidation. Various components such as iron-based and organic-based oxygen absorbers have been developed. Among them, the iron-based oxygen absorber is mainly composed of iron powder and deprives oxygen in the air by oxidation of iron.

In an automated food packaging line that handles this type of oxygen absorber, it is necessary to inspect whether or not the oxygen absorber has been inserted into the package. If the packaging material is transparent, it is possible to easily check for the presence of an oxygen scavenger by visual inspection from the outside.However, if the packaging form uses an opaque packaging material, the presence or absence of the oxygen scavenger is determined by visual inspection. Cannot be determined. Therefore, conventionally, devices such as a metal detector, a proximity switch, and an X-ray inspection device have been used for the presence / absence inspection of an oxygen scavenger (particularly, an iron-based oxygen scavenger).

[0004]

When a magnetic metal such as iron enters a magnetic field generated when an electric current is applied to a coil, the metal detector attracts magnetic flux and changes the induced voltage of the coil. However, the purpose is not limited to the detection of oxygen scavengers, but it is intended to detect general metals present in the inspection object, so it has a large and precise structure. Cost is high.

Proximity switches also employ the same principle as metal detectors, and are less expensive than metal detectors. Could not be detected. Even if you try to extend the detection range by arranging multiple proximity switches,
Such installation is difficult because high-frequency magnetic fields generated from individual proximity switches may interfere with each other.

[0006] An X-ray inspection apparatus uses a large number of complicated and expensive components such as an X-ray source, an X-ray detector, a control circuit thereof, and an arithmetic processing circuit for a detection signal. There was a problem that handling was difficult.

As one form of food packaging, for example,
A vertical design is applied to the front surface of the package, and a horizontal design is applied to the back surface. As shown in FIG. 5, the vertical design of the front surface A is directed upward, and both sides of the outer box (outer container) 100 are packed. There is a packing form in which the horizontal design of the back surface B is directed upward and packed in the center of the outer box.

[0008] In the case where the packing form is formed by combining the package body which is turned upside down and the one which is not turned upside down, as shown in FIGS. Body 110a, 110
b.

Each of the package bodies 110a and 110b is formed by disposing an oxygen absorber 112 at the bottom of a product 111 to be packaged and sealingly wrapping the package with a packaging film 113 into a carton (packaging material) 114. Have been. Here, a package (hereinafter, also referred to as a "face-up package") 11 for packing with the surface A shown in FIG.
0a is the product 111 with the back side B of the carton 114 facing down.
And an oxygen absorber 112 are inserted. Therefore, the oxygen absorber 1 is placed between the back surface B of the carton 114 and the product 111.
12 are located. On the other hand, the back surface B shown in FIG.
(Hereinafter, also referred to as a “back-facing package”) 110b for assembling with the cartons 11 facing upwards.
Product 111 and oxygen absorber 112 with surface A of
Has been inserted. Therefore, the surface A of the carton 114
An oxygen absorber 112 is located between the product and the product 111.

Conventionally, in order to form this type of packing form, the face-up package 110a and the face-down package 110b are separately stocked, and the face-up package 110a is supplied to the transport line with the surface A facing upward. On the other hand, on the other hand, the back-facing package 110b was supplied to the transport line with the back surface B facing upward.

Therefore, conventionally, the face-up package 110a
An important management item is the distinction between the package 110a and the back-facing package 110b.
Complicated control for properly supplying 110b was required. In addition, the front package 110a and the back package 1
Since 10b and 10b need to be stocked separately, it was necessary to secure a wide space for those stocks.

If the position of the oxygen absorber 112 inserted in each of the packages 110a and 110b, that is, whether the position is the back side or the front side of the carton (packaging material) 114, can be detected from the outside, The one with the oxygen absorber 112 inserted on the side is the face-up package 110a, while the one with the oxygen absorber 112 inserted on the front side is the face-up package 110a.
b can be identified.

[0013] If it can be identified in this way, there is no need to separately stock each of the packages 110a and 110b, and without distinguishing the supply to the transport line. For example, all the packages 110a and 110b are directed upward. It is also possible to supply them. That is, if the front package 110a and the back package 110b can be identified by detecting the position of the oxygen absorber 112 on the transport line, the posture is changed to a posture suitable for each of the packages 110a and 110b. The storage in the box (outer container) 100 can be easily realized.

However, in the metal detector described above,
It is not possible to identify the position of the oxygen absorber in the package,
Also, since the detection range is narrow even with the proximity switch, it has been difficult to properly identify the position of the oxygen scavenger that may move in the package. With an X-ray inspection device, it is possible to identify the position of the oxygen absorber within the package,
As described above, this device has a problem that the product cost is high and handling is difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it is possible to easily detect the oxygen scavenger inserted into the package at low cost and to accurately identify the position of the oxygen scavenger in the package. It is intended to be. Further, the present invention accurately and inexpensively identifies the position of the oxygen scavenger inserted into the package, thereby enabling a simple and space-saving assembling mode to be formed with a combination of a package to be reversed and a package not to be reversed. It is intended to be realized.

[0016]

That is, the present invention provides:
An object to be packaged is wrapped with a packaging material made of a non-ferromagnetic material, and a deoxidizing agent containing a ferromagnetic material such as iron powder is inserted between the packaging material and the material to be packaged. A device for detecting an oxygen agent, comprising: a magnet generating means movably disposed near a conveying path of a package; a supporting means for elastically supporting the magnetic generating means; And a displacement detecting means for detecting a displacement of the magnetic generating means caused by the action.

Further, according to the oxygen-absorbing agent detection method of the present invention, a magnetic field is formed in a predetermined area of a transporting path of the package by a magnetic generating means, and the magnetic field is generated by a suction effect between the oxygen-absorbing agent inserted into the package. It is characterized in that the presence or absence of the oxygen scavenger is detected by detecting the displacement of the generating means.

A magnetic field is formed on the transport path of the packaging bag by magnetic generating means. When an oxygen scavenger containing a ferromagnetic material such as iron powder enters the magnetic field, a magnetic attraction action occurs between the magnetism generating means and the oxygen scavenger.

Therefore, when an oxygen scavenger containing a ferromagnetic material such as iron powder is inserted into the package on the transport route, the magnetism generating means is displaced toward the oxygen scavenger by the suction action. . On the other hand, when the oxygen scavenger is not inserted into the package, no magnetic attraction occurs between the magnetism generating means and the oxygen scavenger, so that the magnetism generating means is not displaced. By detecting the presence or absence of such displacement of the magnetism generating means by the displacement detecting means, it is possible to reliably identify the presence of the oxygen scavenger inserted into the package. Here, if a permanent magnet or an electromagnet is used as the magnetism generating means, the present apparatus can be manufactured with a simple configuration at low cost.

The magnetic force generated between the ferromagnetic material and the magnetism generating means is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Therefore, when the distance between the magnetism generating means and the oxygen scavenger increases, the suction effect generated between them decreases significantly.
Since the change in the suction action is reflected in the displacement of the magnetism generating means, it is possible to detect the position of the oxygen scavenger inserted into the package based on the displacement of the magnetism generating means. For example, by adjusting the magnetic flux density of the magnetic generating means, or by adjusting the distance between the magnetic generating means and the package, the magnetic force generating means is used only when it is in a certain proximity area of the oxygen absorber in the package. It can be displaced.

When an object to be packaged is interposed between the magnetic force generating means and the oxygen scavenger in the package, the suction effect by the magnetic force is further remarkably reduced. Therefore, more clear detection is possible when the oxygen scavenger is at a position separated from the packaged object and at a position close to the packaged product without the packaged item.

Next, the packing body assembling apparatus of the present invention encloses an object to be packaged with a packaging material made of a non-ferromagnetic material, and uses a deoxidizing agent containing a ferromagnetic material such as iron powder as the packaging material. Conveying means of the package inserted between the packaged object,
The magnetism generating means movably disposed near the transporting means of the package, the support means for elastically supporting the magnetism generation means, and the displacement of the magnetism generation means caused by the suction action between the oxygen absorber and the oxygen absorber. Displacement detecting means for detecting, and storage means for sorting the packages based on the amount of displacement of the magnetic generating means detected by the displacement detecting means, and storing each package in an outer container in a predetermined posture. And

As described above, since the amount of displacement of the magnetic generating means changes in accordance with the distance between the magnetic generating means and the oxygen scavenger, the insertion position of the oxygen scavenger in the package is determined based on the amount of displacement. , And sort the package according to the position where the oxygen absorber is inserted.

By realizing such sorting on the transport means, for example, the above-described face-up package 110a
It is not necessary to separately stock the back-faced packages 110b, and it is possible to supply all the packages facing upward without distinguishing the supply to the transport line. Then, by storing the sorted packages in the outer container in a predetermined posture,
For example, it is possible to automatically form a packing form by a combination of a package that is turned upside down and a package that is not turned upside down.

[0025]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view showing an embodiment of the present invention relating to a deoxidizer detection apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the same.

The oxygen absorber detecting apparatus according to this embodiment is incorporated in a product packaging line, and detects the presence or absence of the oxygen absorber 112 in the package 110 conveyed by the conveyor 1. The package 110 has a configuration in which a product (packaged object) is wrapped by a packaging material, and an oxygen absorber 112 is inserted between the packaging material and the product. Here, it is assumed that the oxygen scavenger 112 contains a ferromagnetic material such as iron powder, and that the packaging material is formed of a non-ferromagnetic material such as paper, plastic, or aluminum foil. As is well known, ferromagnetic materials are attracted to magnets, while non-ferromagnetic materials are not attracted to magnets. There is no limitation on the packaging form, and various forms of packaging such as cartons, bags, containers (plastic molded articles), etc. can be detected.

The oxygen scavenger detecting device includes a permanent magnet 10 as a magnet generating means and a load cell 20 as a displacement detecting means. Generally, since the permanent magnet 10 can be purchased or produced at low cost, the permanent magnet 10
The production cost of the oxygen scavenger detection device can be reduced at a low cost.

The load cell 20 has a structure in which the pressure received by the column 21 is converted into an electric signal by a built-in strain gauge (not shown) and output to a discriminating device (not shown). The magnet 10 is mounted. The support 21 is elastically and movably supported by a support spring 22 provided inside the load cell 20. The support spring 22 functions as a support unit for the permanent magnet (magnetic generation unit) 10. The permanent magnet 10 as a magnet generating means is arranged close to the bottom track of the package 110 conveyed by the conveyor 1.

When the package 110 is conveyed to the vicinity of the permanent magnet 10 by the conveyor 1, a magnetic attraction acts between the oxygen absorber 112 inserted in the package 110 and the permanent magnet 10. By this attraction action, the permanent magnet 10 is attracted by the oxygen absorber 112 and displaced. Based on this displacement, a strain gauge (not shown) of the load cell 20 detects the pressure and outputs an electric signal corresponding to the pressure to a discriminating device (not shown). When the package 110 passes in the vicinity of the permanent magnet 10, the attracting action by the magnetic force disappears, and the permanent magnet 10 returns to the original position by the elastic force of the support spring 22.

On the other hand, if the oxygen absorber 112 has not been inserted into the package 110 conveyed to the vicinity of the permanent magnet 10, there is no target for generating a magnetic force with the permanent magnet 10. , The permanent magnet 10 is not displaced. Therefore, in this case, no electric signal is output from the load cell 20.

[0031] Based on the presence or absence of the input of the electric signal from the load cell 20, the discriminating device stores the oxygen absorber 1 in the package 110.
12 can be determined.
The discriminating device is, for example, by turning on / off a display lamp based on the presence or absence of an electric signal input from the load cell 20,
What is necessary is just to make it the structure which notifies a worker of the detection result of a deoxidizer.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration is such that the oxygen absorber 112 is detected whether or not the oxygen absorber 112 is inserted into the package 110.
It is also possible to detect the insertion position of the oxygen absorber 112 in the inside. That is, as described above, the magnetic force generated between the ferromagnetic material such as iron powder contained in the oxygen scavenger 112 and the permanent magnet (magnetic generation means) 10 is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Therefore, as the distance between the permanent magnet 10 and the oxygen absorber 112 increases, the attraction effect between them decreases significantly. Further, when a product is interposed between the oxygen absorber 112 and the permanent magnet 10, the suction effect is further remarkably reduced.

By utilizing this phenomenon, when the oxygen absorber 112 is inserted in a region close to the permanent magnet 10, the permanent magnet 10 is displaced by the attraction between the oxygen absorber 112 and the oxygen absorber 112. When the agent 112 is inserted in a region away from the permanent magnet 10 (preferably, a region where a product is interposed between the permanent magnet 10 and the agent 112), the package is adjusted by adjusting the permanent magnet 10 so as not to be displaced. The insertion position of the oxygen scavenger 112 in the region 110 can be detected.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a modification of the present invention relating to the oxygen scavenger detecting apparatus. The oxygen absorber detection device shown in FIG. 1 uses a limit switch 30 as displacement detection means and a spring member 40 such as a coil spring as support means for a permanent magnet (magnetic generation means) 10.

The limit switch 30 is positioned so as to be turned ON / OFF according to the displacement of the permanent magnet 10. That is, the limit switch 30 is always in contact with the permanent magnet 10 and is in the ON state. When the package 110 is conveyed to the vicinity of the permanent magnet 10, the permanent magnet 1 is inserted into the oxygen absorber 112 inserted in the package 110.
0 is sucked and displaced. This displacement turns off the limit switch 30.

When the package 110 passes through the vicinity of the permanent magnet 10, the attracting action by the magnetic force disappears, so that the permanent magnet 10 returns to the original position by the elastic force of the spring member 40, comes into contact with the limit switch 30, and 30 is turned on.

On the other hand, if the oxygen absorber 112 has not been inserted into the package 110 conveyed to the vicinity of the permanent magnet 10, there is no target for generating a magnetic force between the package 110 and the permanent magnet 10. , The permanent magnet 10 is not displaced. Therefore, in this case, the limit switch 30 remains ON.

ON / OFF of this limit switch 30
Accordingly, it can be determined whether or not the oxygen absorber 112 is inserted into the package 110. Further, similarly to the above-described embodiment, the oxygen absorber 1
12 can also be detected. As shown in FIG. 3, when the conveyor 1 is interposed between the package 110 and the permanent magnet 10, the conveyor 1 is made of a non-ferromagnetic material.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention relating to an apparatus for packing packages will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the packing device shown in FIG. 5 packs a front package (FIG. 6 (a)) 110a on both sides of an outer box (outer container) 100 with the surface A facing upward, and packs the package upside down. This is an apparatus for forming a packing form in which a body (see FIG. 6B) 110b is packed in the center of the outer box 100 with the back surface B facing upward.

As described above, the face-up package 110a shown in FIG.
11, an oxygen absorber 112 is inserted between the carton 1 and the back-facing package 110 b shown in FIG.
An oxygen scavenger 112 is inserted between the surface A of 14 and the product 111.

The assembling apparatus of the present embodiment includes a conveyor 1 as a package conveying means, an oxygen absorber detecting unit 2 installed below the conveyor 1, and a package conveyed by the conveyor. A storage unit 3 is provided which sorts the package into a package and a face-down package and stores each package in an outer box in a predetermined posture.

The oxygen absorber detection unit 2 uses the oxygen absorber detection device described above (see FIGS. 1 to 3), and a package in which a permanent magnet 10 as a magnetic generation means is carried by the conveyor 1. It is located close to the bottom trajectory of body 110. This oxygen absorber detection unit detects the insertion position of the oxygen absorber in the package 110 based on the principle described above.

The storage unit 3 is a side-loading work transfer line 3a for changing the vertical and horizontal directions of the package 110 and storing the package 110 on both sides of the outer box 100, and the outer box 1 by turning the package 110 upside down.
And a centering work line 3b to be stored in the center of the center unit 00. Based on the detection result of the oxygen absorber insertion position by the oxygen absorber detection unit 2, the package 110 is connected to one of the work lines 3a and 3b. It has the function of sorting and transferring.

In this embodiment, all the packages are supplied side by side on a conveyor with their surfaces facing upward. Accordingly, the front package 110a has the oxygen absorber 112 located on the bottom surface, and the back package 110b has the oxygen absorber 112 located at the top.

The permanent magnet 10 of the oxygen absorber detecting unit 2
Is displaced by being pulled by a magnetic force when the face-up package 110a is brought to a close position. On the other hand, when the package transported to the close position is the face-down package 110b, the suction action by the magnetic force is weak and does not displace. Thereby, the front package 110a and the back package 110b can be distinguished.

The package identified as the face-up package 110a by the oxygen scavenger detection unit 2 is transferred to the side-packing work line 3a of the storage unit 3, and is changed in length and width so that both sides of the outer box 100 are vertically turned. Is stored in. On the other hand, the package identified as the back-facing package 110b is transferred to the center-filling work line 3b of the storage unit 3, is turned upside down, and is stored in the center of the outer box 100 in a horizontal position.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, even if an electromagnet is used as the magnetism generating means of the oxygen scavenger detection device, it can be configured at low cost. In addition, a metal detector may be installed on the transporting means of the packing body assembling device on the upstream side of the position where the magnetic force generating means is provided, and the presence or absence of an oxygen scavenger may be confirmed in advance.

[0048]

EXAMPLE A commercially available permanent magnet (dimensions: 10 × 20 × 5 m)
m) were prepared, and the magnetism generating means was formed by closely contacting the upper surface of the metal plate in three rows and columns. The total magnetic flux density of the permanent magnet was about 1100 gauss. This magnet generating means
An oxygen scavenger detection device was configured by being fixed to the end of a load cell column.

As the transport conveyor, one having a configuration in which the package is transported by two narrow belts is used, and both ends of the lower surface of the package are placed on the transport belt. The magnetism generating means was arranged below the conveyor, and the gap between the lower surface of the package and the permanent magnet carried by the conveyor was set to 2 mm. The load cell is pre-adjusted to indicate 0 g when the package is not above the oxygen absorber detection device.

A confectionery (non-ferromagnetic product) weighing 70 g and an iron-based oxygen scavenger (oxygen absorption amount: 50 cc) are inserted into a polypropylene thin-walled bag.
It was stored in a 100 mm paper carton (packaging material) to form a package. The iron-based oxygen absorber is inserted between the bottom of the confectionery and the paper carton. When this package was placed on a transport conveyor and transported above the oxygen absorber detection device, the detected value of the load cell showed -60 g to -130 g.

Next, the package was turned upside down, placed on a transport conveyor, and transported above the oxygen absorber detection device. In this position, a confectionery (a non-ferromagnetic product) is interposed between the magnetic generating means and the iron-based oxygen scavenger. At this time,
The load cell indicated 0 g. From the above results, the position of the oxygen scavenger in the package could be determined by the instruction of the load cell.

[0052]

As described above, according to the present invention, the oxygen scavenger inserted into the package can be easily detected at low cost, and the position of the oxygen scavenger in the package can be accurately identified. It can be. Further, according to the package packing apparatus of the present invention, by accurately identifying the position of the oxygen absorber inserted into the package at a low cost, a packing form formed by a combination of a package that is turned upside down and a package that is not reversed. Can be realized simply and in a space-saving manner.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away side view showing an embodiment of the present invention relating to a deoxidizer detection device.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a modification of the present invention according to the oxygen absorber detection device.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention relating to a package packing device.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of a packed packaging form.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a package used in the assorted packaging form shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Conveyor 2: Deoxygenator detection unit 3: Storage unit 10: Permanent magnet 20: Load cell 22: Support spring 30: Limit switch 40: Spring member 100: Outer box 110a: Front package 110b: Back package 111 : Product 112: Oxygen absorber 114: Carton A: Front B: Back

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An object to be packaged is wrapped with a packaging material made of a non-ferromagnetic material, and an oxygen scavenger containing a ferromagnetic material such as iron powder is inserted between the packaging material and the material to be packaged. A device for detecting an oxygen scavenger for a package, comprising: a magnet generating means movably disposed near a conveying path of the package; a supporting means for elastically supporting the magnet generating means; A displacement detecting means for detecting a displacement of the magnetism generating means caused by a suction action with the oxygen scavenger. 2. The oxygen absorber detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a permanent magnet or an electromagnet is used as said magnetism generating means. 3. An object to be packaged is wrapped with a packaging material made of a non-ferromagnetic material, and an oxygen absorber containing a ferromagnetic material such as iron powder is inserted between the packaging material and the material to be packaged. A method for detecting an oxygen scavenger for a package, comprising: forming a magnetic field in a predetermined region of a transport path of the package by a magnetic generating means; and performing a suction action between the oxygen scavenger and the oxygen absorber inserted into the package. Detecting the presence or absence of an oxygen scavenger by detecting the displacement of the magnetism generating means. 4. The method for detecting an oxygen scavenger according to claim 3, wherein a position of the oxygen scavenger in the package is detected based on a displacement amount of the magnetism generating means. Method. 5. An object to be wrapped is wrapped by a wrapping material made of a non-ferromagnetic material, and an oxygen absorber containing a ferromagnetic material such as iron powder is inserted between the wrapping material and the wrapped material. Between the package transporting means, a magnetic generating means movably disposed near the package transporting means, a supporting means for elastically supporting the magnetic generating means, and the oxygen absorber. A displacement detecting means for detecting a displacement of the magnetic generating means caused by an attraction action of the magnet; and distributing the packages based on a displacement amount of the magnetic generating means detected by the displacement detecting means, and packaging each package in a predetermined posture. An assembling device for a package, comprising: a storage means for storing in a container.