JP2001278217A - Continuous opening apparatus of bag - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a continuous opening apparatus of bags which are carried at a predetermined speed. SOLUTION: A plurality of opening means 1 disposed at equal intervals are transferred at a predetermined speed in one direction along an annular track having a pair of parallel portions, and the bags W carried at the same speed along the parallel portion are continuously opened. The opening means 1 comprise elevating/lowering and opening/closing evacuation cups 25, 26 and an air ejection nozzle 37, and these components are connected to a vacuum control valve 45 and a compressed air control valve 44 disposed on the circumference of a rotary table 43 which is synchronously rotated with the opening means 1. The vacuum control valve 45 and the compressed air control valve 44 communicate the evacuation cups 25, 26 and the air ejection nozzle 37 to a vacuum source and a compressed air source, respectively, at an appropriate timing at the parallel portion, both sides of the bag are sucked by the evacuation cups 25, 26, and then, opened, and the air ejection nozzle 37 blows air in the bag.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a continuous opening device for continuously opening bags conveyed at a constant speed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art JP-A-59-221201 discloses that
Chuck claws are installed at equal intervals on an endless chain that rotates at a constant speed along an annular orbit having a linear portion, and the bags are gripped and conveyed by the chuck claws. A filling and sealing device for opening the mouth, filling the contents and sealing the bag mouth is described. In the continuous opening device arranged in the linear portion of the device, suction pads arranged at equal intervals travel at the same speed as the chuck claws along an annular orbit having a pair of parallel portions, and move up and down during traveling. And open and close. Then, in the parallel portion of the annular track of the suction pad, the suction pad is initially at the ascending position (retreat position), descends to both sides near the bag mouth as it travels, closes from both sides, and sucks both surfaces of the bag. Then, the bag is opened to open the mouth of the bag, and then the suction is stopped to separate from both sides of the bag, and the bag is raised and returned to the retracted position. Subsequently, air is blown from the mouth of the bag, and the opening of the mouth of the bag is completed.

[0003]

In the opening device disclosed in the above publication, the suction pads that move up and down along the annular track move up and down and open and close at a predetermined timing during traveling to open the bag opening. There is no disclosure of a specific mechanism for communicating with a vacuum source at a predetermined timing or a specific mechanism for raising and lowering and opening and closing at a predetermined timing to the extent that a person skilled in the art can implement the mechanism. Further, in the opening device of the above publication, air is blown after the opening of the bag mouth by the suction pad. This air blowing is considered to be performed to open the bag whose bag mouth is opened by the suction pad further to the bottom, but it is necessary to surely turn the bag that is continuously transported at high speed toward the inside. No specific means for blowing air is disclosed.

Accordingly, the present invention realizes a continuous opening device for continuously opening bags conveyed at a constant speed, and at the same time, reliably blows air into bags conveyed at a high speed. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a continuous opening device which can be used.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a plurality of opening means arranged at equal intervals travel at a constant speed in one direction along an annular orbit having a straight portion, and extend along the straight portion of the annular orbit. In the continuous opening device for continuously opening bags conveyed at the same speed, the opening means includes a vacuum sucker that moves up and down and opens and closes respectively, and an air ejection nozzle, and the vacuum sucker moves while traveling along the linear portion. Are suctioned on both sides of the bag, subsequently opened, and the air ejection nozzle blows air into the bag. In this continuous opening device, the air ejection nozzle can be moved up and down as necessary, or vacuum suction cups can be installed up and down to suck and open the upper and lower portions of the bag, respectively.

In the above continuous opening device, the supply of vacuum and compressed air to the vacuum suction cup and the air ejection nozzle and the timing control thereof are performed, for example, as follows. That is,
A rotary table, which rotates in synchronization with the opening means, is provided inside the annular orbit, and a plurality of vacuum control valves and compressed air control valves are respectively provided on the circumference of the rotary table corresponding to the vacuum suction cup and the air ejection nozzle. The vacuum control valve and the compressed air control valve are connected to an external vacuum source and a compressed air source via a rotary joint, respectively, and are connected to the vacuum suction cup and the air ejection nozzle, respectively. And the air suction nozzle communicates with the compressed air source by operating the vacuum suction cup with the vacuum source. At this time, the vacuum control valve and the compressed air control valve may be, for example, cam operation valves that are operated by cams installed around the rotary shaft of the rotary table.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a continuous opening device according to the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to FIGS. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 3, the continuous opening device includes a chain loop device 2 in which a plurality of opening means 1 arranged at equal intervals travel at a constant speed in one direction along an annular track having a pair of parallel portions. , A rotary table device 3 for controlling the supply of vacuum and compressed air.

The chain loop device 2 includes rotatable support shafts 8 and 9 mounted on a bracket 6 around a support stand 5 of the rotary table device 3 via a bearing 7.
Sprockets 11 to 14 fixed to the spindles 8 and 9, an upper conveyor chain 15 bridged between upper sprockets 11 and 13, and a lower conveyor bridged between lower sprockets 12 and 14. A lifting guide shaft 17 which is a part of the opening means 1 is vertically attached at equal intervals to the upper and lower conveyor chains 15 and 16, and the suction guide holding member 18 and the nozzle The holding member 19 is mounted to be able to move up and down via guide members (slide balls) 21 and 22, respectively. The upper and lower conveyor chains 15, 16 (and the opening means 1) rotate along an annular orbit having a pair of parallel portions, and travel inside the parallel portions (both straight portions) while being guided inside by the upper and lower chain guides 23, 24. .

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, slide members 27 and 28 having vacuum suckers 25 and 26 at their ends are horizontally slidably attached to the suction cup holding member 18, and a pinion 29 is interposed therebetween. is set up. The pinion 29 is vertically slidably and rotatably fitted around the elevating guide shaft 17, and racks 27a, 28a are formed inside the slide members 27, 28 over a predetermined length.
When the slide member 27 slides, the slide member 28 slides in the opposite direction. The tip of one of the slide members 27 changes its direction by 180 °, and the vacuum suction cup 25 is attached to the vacuum suction cup 26 attached to the other slide member 28.
And the bag W are sandwiched therebetween. Therefore, when the slide member 27 slides, the vacuum suction cups 25, 26
Opens and closes. At the rear end of the one slide member 27, a cam roller 32 that rolls along a sucker opening / closing cam 31 having a vertical cam surface is rotatably attached to a vertical support shaft. Sucker open / close cam 3
1 is urged toward the cam surface. Further, a cam roller 35 that rolls along a sucker elevating cam 34 having a horizontal cam surface is rotatably attached to a horizontal support shaft on the suction holding member 18, and a compression fit around the elevating guide shaft 17. A spring 36 constantly urges the cam surface of the suction cup lifting cam 34 toward the cam surface.

On the nozzle holding member 19, a shaft portion 38 of an air ejection nozzle 37 is fixed in a vertical direction, and a cam roller 41 rolling along a nozzle elevating cam 39 having a horizontal cam surface is supported by a horizontal support. It is rotatably mounted on a shaft. The air ejection nozzle 37 has a cone-shaped head, has an ejection port at the tip thereof, and has a pair of vacuum suction cups 2.
It is installed at the middle position between 5 and 26. The suction lift cam 34 and the nozzle lift cam 39 are loop-shaped cams installed along the annular orbit of the opening means 1, and the horizontal cam surface fluctuates up and down. By moving, the suction cups 25 and 26 and the nozzle 37 move up and down. The sucker opening / closing cam 31 is a loop-shaped cam installed substantially along the annular orbit of the opening means 1. In some sections (parallel portions), the vertical cam surface approaches or separates from the annular orbit. When the cam roller 32 rolls, the slide member 27 slides, and the suction cups 25 and 26 open and close.

The rotary table device 3 is installed inside the annular track of the opening means 1 (inside of the conveyor chain of the chain loop device 2), and has a support stand 5 erected on a base 4 and a rotating inside thereof. A rotating shaft 42 that is freely supported, a rotating table 43 that is attached to an upper portion of the rotating shaft 42, and a compressed air and a pressure air that are arranged around the rotating table 43 so as to correspond to the air ejection nozzles 37 and the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26. Vacuum cam operation valves 44, 45, rotary joints 46, 47 for introducing compressed air and vacuum from external compressed air sources and vacuum sources, and apply the introduced compressed air and vacuum to each compressed air and vacuum cam operation valves 44, 45. It is composed of distributors 48 and 49 for distributing. Each cam operation valve 44, 4
5 is provided with cam rollers 51 and 52 rotatable in a horizontal plane, which rolls on compressed air and vacuum cams 53 and 54 having a vertical cam surface. The cam surface is a rotating shaft 4
2, but some sections (opening means 1
On the side facing the parallel part of the annular orbit) has irregularities,
When the cam rollers 51 and 52 roll there, the compressed air and vacuum cam operation valves 44 and 45 are opened and closed (closed where there is no unevenness).

The rotary shaft 42 has a rotary joint 4
Conducting holes 55 and 5 that allow communication between distributors 48 and 49 and 6, 47
6, flexible conduits 57, 58 are provided between the distributors 48, 49 and the respective pneumatic and vacuum cam operated valves 44, 45.
Are connected by Further, a flexible conduit 59 is connected between each cam control valve 44 for compressed air and each air ejection nozzle 37 (upper end of the shaft portion 38), and between each cam control valve 45 for vacuum and each vacuum sucker 25, 26. Are also connected by a flexible conduit 61. A gear 62 is fixed near the lower end of the rotating shaft 42, and is driven to rotate by a motor 63. The lower portion of the support shaft 8 is attached to the base 4 via a bearing 64, and the lower end of the
5 is fixed, and is rotationally driven by the same motor 63 as the rotating shaft 42 in synchronization with the rotating shaft 42 (so that the rotating shaft 42 makes one rotation while the opening means 1 makes one rotation).

As shown in FIG. 1, at one parallel portion (linear portion) of the annular track of the opening means 1, a bag W whose upper edges are gripped by a gripper G is conveyed at a constant speed.
The gripping of the bag W by the gripper G may be performed by a gripper attached to an endless chain at equal intervals, for example, as in JP-A-59-221201. The transport speed and the mounting pitch of the bag are the same as those of the opening means 1, and the bag is transported with the position of the bag W and the air ejection nozzle 37 aligned vertically.

An example of the opening operation in the parallel portion will be described in order as follows. At the beginning of the parallel portion (right side in FIG. 1), the positions of the cam surfaces of the suction lift cam 34 and the nozzle lift cam 39 are high,
When the cam rollers 35 and 41 roll thereon, the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26 and the air ejection nozzle 37 are each raised (the position higher than the bag W gripped by the gripper G).
On the other hand, the cam surface of the suction cup opening / closing cam 31 projects outwardly, and the cam rollers 32 roll on the cam surface, so that the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26 are at the open position. Therefore, the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26 and the air ejection nozzle 37 that have reached the parallel portion by rotation and the bag W or gripper G that has moved linearly do not interfere with each other, and the bag W is between the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26 and The vacuum suction cups 25 and 26 and the position below the air ejection nozzle 37 (the position directly below the air ejection nozzle) are conveyed.

With the travel of the opening means 1, the cam surface of the suction cup lifting cam 34 is lowered, and the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26 are lowered and located on both sides of the bag surface. The cam surface of the suction cup opening / closing cam 31 retreats to the inner peripheral side, whereby the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26 move forward (toward the closed position), and at the same time, the corresponding vacuum cam operation valve 45 is acted on by the action of the vacuum cam 54. When opened, the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26 communicate with an external vacuum source to suck both sides of the bag surface. On the other hand, the cam surface of the nozzle elevating cam 39 is lowered, and the air ejection nozzle 37 starts to lower. At this time, the pneumatic cam operation valve 44 is set to open by the action of the pneumatic cam 53, and the air ejection nozzle 37 is communicated with an external pneumatic source. May be ejected. By blowing air into the unopened bag mouth, the bag mouth becomes easy to open when subsequently opened by the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26.

The cam surface of the suction cup opening / closing cam 31 projects again to the outer peripheral side, whereby the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26 are retracted (toward the open position), and the bag is opened. At the same time,
The descending air jet nozzle 37 jets air into the bag from the bag mouth while entering the bag. The air blown into the bag assists the opening of the bag, and even if the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26 are rapidly opened, poor opening hardly occurs and high-speed operation is possible. Also,
When the air ejection nozzle 37 fills the bag mouth and ejects air, even a self-standing bag that is difficult to open can be completely opened to the bottom.

The vacuum cam operating valve 45 is closed, and the cam surface of the suction cup opening / closing cam 31 is further extended to the outer peripheral side, whereby the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26 are completely opened. On the other hand, the cam surface of the nozzle lift cam 39 rises, and the air ejection nozzle 37 starts to rise. At this time, the pneumatic cam operation valve 44 remains open. The air ejection nozzle 37 rises and completely comes out of the bag opening, and at the same time, the compressed air cam operation valve 44 closes, and the air ejection nozzle 37 stops the ejection of air. In this state, the vacuum suction cups 25 and 26 and the air ejection nozzle 37 are separated from the parallel portion of the annular orbit. At this time, there is no interference with the opened bag W.

In the above continuous opening device, the vacuum suction cup 2
5 and 26 are a pair, which are arranged near the bag mouth. However, in the case of a self-standing bag which is difficult to open, a plurality of pairs of vacuum suction cups can be arranged (for example, a pair near the bag mouth and a pair near the bag bottom). . In the case of a normal bag that is not a self-supporting bag, simply blowing air from directly above has an effect. In that case, the air ejection nozzle does not have to be moved up and down. Further, the air pressure may be set in a plurality of stages by one or more compressed air cam operation valves corresponding to the respective air ejection nozzles (for example, low pressure before opening the bag mouth and high pressure after opening the bag mouth). It is possible. In addition, the continuous opening device is applied to a filling device of a type in which a bag is gripped and transported by a gripper, but as shown in FIG. 6, a retainer type in which a bag W is accommodated in a retainer R and transported. It can also be applied to a filling device.
When the bag is stored in the retainer, a high air pressure can be applied to the inside of the bag by the air ejection nozzle inserted from the mouth of the bag. It can be easily opened to the bottom.

[0019]

According to the continuous opening apparatus of the present invention, bags conveyed at a constant speed can be continuously opened. Since the air ejection nozzle is rotated together with the vacuum suction cup, there is an advantage that the air can always be ejected from immediately above the bag and can be ejected at an arbitrary timing. Further, a vacuum control valve and a compressed air control valve corresponding to each opening means are arranged on a rotary table, and are rotated at the same rotation speed as the opening means, to perform vacuum and compressed air control of the vacuum suction cup and the air ejection nozzle. Therefore, the number of sliding parts is small, vacuum and compressed air can be held reliably and easily, and the operation timing can be set arbitrarily.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a continuous opening device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a vacuum suction part.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the same.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating application to a retainer-type filling device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 opening means 2 chain loop device 3 rotary table device 15, 16 conveyor chain 17 elevating guide shaft 25, 26 vacuum sucker 31 sucker opening / closing cam 34 sucker elevating cam 39 nozzle elevating cam 37 air ejection nozzle 44 pneumatic control valve 45 vacuum control valve

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A bag in which a plurality of opening means arranged at equal intervals travel at a constant speed in one direction along an annular track having a linear portion, and are conveyed at the same speed along the linear portion of the annular track. In the continuous opening device for continuously opening, the opening means is provided with a vacuum sucker and an air ejection nozzle to move up and down and open and close, respectively, while traveling along the linear portion, the vacuum sucker adsorbs both sides of the bag, then A continuous opening device for a bag, characterized in that the air opening nozzle is opened and the air ejection nozzle blows air into the bag. 2. A rotary table, which rotates in synchronization with the opening means, is provided inside the annular orbit, and a plurality of vacuum controllers are provided on the circumference of the rotary table in correspondence with the vacuum suction cup and the air ejection nozzle, respectively. A valve and a compressed air control valve are arranged, and the vacuum control valve and the compressed air control valve are connected to an external vacuum source and a compressed air source via a rotary joint, respectively, and connected to the vacuum suction cup and an air ejection nozzle, and 2. The continuous bag opening apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum suction cup is operated at a predetermined timing in accordance with the rotation of the nozzle to connect the vacuum suction source to the vacuum source and the air ejection nozzle to the compressed air source. 3. The bag according to claim 2, wherein the vacuum control valve and the compressed air control valve are cam operated valves operated by a cam installed around a rotary shaft of a rotary table. Continuous opening device. 4. The continuous bag opening apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air ejection nozzle moves up and down. 5. The continuous opening of a bag according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum sucker that moves up and down and opens and closes is installed vertically and adsorbs and opens at an upper portion and a lower portion of the bag, respectively. apparatus.