JP2002308203A - Filler filling device and filling method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a filling device for a bagging machine, which selects and fills fillers in accordance with product types. SOLUTION: A turning plate 30 is mounted on a turning shaft 28. Filling units 24 are vertically movably mounted on the guide plate along a guide rail 33. In each of the filling units, an outer roller 37 rolls and rotates on a support cam 46. A groove 7 is formed in the cam. An inner roller 36 of the unit, in which an outer roller faces the groove, is trapped by a locking member 74 of a leading end of an arm 73, which is attached to an upper end of an elevating shaft 29. When the elevating shaft descends, a nozzle 40 descends and moves to a filling position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a filling device for use in connection with a packaging machine, and more particularly, it is capable of selectively switching a plurality of types of articles to be packed, that is, filling. It relates to a filling device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional packaging machine, when the type of a packaged product is changed, for example, when the filling liquid is changed, the liquid that has been filled up to that time is extracted from the filling device,
After cleaning the filling device, the changed liquid is supplied to the filling device. Therefore, the packaging machine must be stopped every time the type is changed, and a reduction in productivity is inevitable.

[0003] Further, depending on the type of the filling device, there is a case where it is necessary to carry out disassembly cleaning, and the operation is extremely complicated.

[0004] Therefore, when the same packaging machine is used to produce many kinds and small quantities, the above problems are extremely serious. Further, in the case where the type is changed for each bag or for each of a plurality of bags, it is substantially impossible to cope with the conventional packaging machine.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a filling apparatus and a filling method capable of switching a plurality of fillings by filling.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in a filling device according to the present invention, a plurality of filling units each having a filling nozzle, and the plurality of filling units are provided. And a switching device for switching and operating. A product type identification device that identifies the type of the packaged product based on a signal from the outside, and a control device that selects a filling unit corresponding to the identified product type based on a signal from the product type identification device And the switching device is controlled by the control device.

[0007] In the filling method according to the present invention,
A plurality of filling units are provided, each product type is associated with each of the plurality of filling units, and the associated data is stored. On the other hand, a product type signal indicating the type of each packaged product is received by the receiving means, the received product type signal is determined, the type of the packaged product is specified, and the specified product type is determined based on the stored related data. The filling unit corresponding to is selected.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described, but the following description is an exemplification, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing a schematic configuration of a packaging system provided with a filling device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof. In the packaging system 1 shown in the figure, three operators manually pack three different types of solid filling into different bags, and in a packaging machine, fill each solid filling or a different liquid corresponding to each bag. It is a system that seals.

In the figure, three workers 2 hold bags 5 (5a, 5b, 5) from a magazine (not shown) placed beside them.
c) is taken out one by one, and into the bag 5, the solid packing 4 (4a, 4b, 4c) sequentially supplied from the solid packing supply device 3 composed of, for example, a conveyor shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.
(See FIG. 1) by hand. Then, the bags 5 are sent to a packaging machine 7 described later by the conveyor 6. In this case, the solid fillings 4 to be bagged by the respective workers are different, and in this example, the liquid fillings to be filled in the respective bags 5 in the subsequent process will be described as being different. May be filled with the same liquid filler. In addition, different bags are used for the bags 5 to be used, corresponding to the different fillings 4. And in each bag 5,
A bar code for identifying the bag 5 is attached at a predetermined position, and the bar code is read by a bag identification device 22 described later, and the read signal is also sent to a control device 23 described later.

The bag packing machine 7 receives the bag 5 filled with the solid filling, and performs a packing process such as filling with the liquid filling, degassing, and sealing the bag mouth. This packaging machine 7 includes first and second rotors 8 and 9. The first rotor 8 is provided with a plurality of pairs of known grippers 10 as holding devices for the bag 5. The second rotor 9 is provided with a plurality of known vacuum pots 11 for degassing the filled bag 5 and sealing the bag mouth. Detailed description of these will be omitted.

The delivery of the bags 5 from the conveyor 6 to the packaging machine 7 is performed by the bag removing device 1 arranged adjacent to the conveyor 6.
2 and via a transfer device (not shown) arranged adjacent to the first rotor 8, but these have no direct relevance to the present invention and will not be described in detail.

Next, the filling device 21 of the present invention will be described in detail. The filling device 21 is roughly constituted by a bag identifying device 22, a control device 23, a filling unit 24, and a switching device 25 to be described later shown in FIGS. The control device 23 controls not only the filling device 21 but also the entire packaging system 1. Although three filling units 24a, 24b, and 24c are shown in a parallel state in FIG. 2, this is to avoid complicating the drawing, and the actual arrangement will be described later.

The bag identifying device 22 is a device for reading the bar code attached to the bag 5 described above. That is, the bag identification device 22 is disposed adjacent to the first rotor 8 of the packaging machine 7, reads a bar code attached to a predetermined position of the bag 5 that is held and moved by the gripper 10, and outputs the read signal. Input to the control device 23. In the control device 23,
Different solid fillings 4a, 4b, 4c or different bags 5a,
5b and 5c, and data in which the respective filling units 24a, 24b and 24c for filling the corresponding liquid fillings are stored. Then, based on the signal input from the identification device 22, the corresponding liquid filling unit 24 is selected, and based on the selection, a switching device 25 described later is selected.
To operate the selected filling unit 24 as described later.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing the filling unit 24 and a portion of the switching device 25 located above the machine base 26 when viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a plan view, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG.
FIG. 6 is an elevation view showing a drive unit of the switching device 25 located in the machine base 26, and FIG. 7 is a plan view.

As described above, the filling device 21 has three filling units 24a, 24b and 24c, but the basic structure may be the same.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 27 denotes the top plate 2 of the machine base 26.
It is a hollow stand which is erected and fixed on 6a. A hollow rotating shaft 28 extends through the inside of the stand 27,
Further, an elevating shaft 29 extends in the interior. The rotating shaft 28 rotates as described later, but does not move up and down. Also,
The elevating shaft 29 moves up and down but does not rotate.

First, the rotational movement will be described.
Reference numeral 0 denotes a rotating plate integrally attached to the cylindrical portion 30a at a predetermined position in the height direction of the rotating shaft 28.
On the upper surface of the rotating plate 30, two rail stands 31a, 31b (see FIG. 4) having a substantially T-shaped cross section are provided upright. The T-shaped legs 32a, 32b
This is a rail mounting portion and extends substantially in the radial direction of the rotation shaft 28. And one of the stands 31a has its leg 32a.
The first and second guide rails 33a and 33b are attached to both sides of the stand so as to extend vertically in a back-to-back state, and the other stand 31b is provided with a third guide rail on the side facing the second guide rail 33b. The guide rail 33c is attached.

Reference numerals 34a, b, and c denote sliders which are fitted to the guide rails 33a, b, and c, respectively, and are movable up and down. It is. Each elevating block 35 has an inner roller 36a, b, c and an outer roller 37a having an axis on the same line toward the axis of the rotating shaft 28,
b and c are mounted facing each other. Inner roller 3
The outer roller 6 and the outer roller 37 are located on the same radius from the center of the rotation shaft 28. This will be further described later.

On the upper surface of the elevating block 35, elongate elevating plates 38a, 38b, and 38c are fixed, and extend in the radial direction of the rotating shaft 28. Elongated plate-shaped nozzle mounting brackets 39a, 39b, and 39c are mounted on the distal end side of the plate 38, respectively, and extend in the same direction as the lifting plate 38. The nozzles 40a, 40b, and 40c are attached to the tips of the nozzles 40 in a hanging manner. The nozzles 40a, b, c are
Are located on the same circle about the center of the axis, and are arranged at the same interval in the circumferential direction in the present embodiment. Reference numeral 41 is
Filling liquid supply port connected to the filling pump, 42 is nozzle 4
The air cylinders that operate the open / close valve of the discharge port 0 are well-known and have no direct relation to the gist of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, a bush 43 with a flange 43a is fixed to the upper end of the stand 27, and a bearing 44 is fitted on the inner peripheral side thereof. It is movably supported. A support plate 45 is fixed to the upper surface side of the flange 43a, and a wall-shaped nozzle support cam 46 is mounted upright on the upper surface thereof. That is, the cam 46 is formed below the outer roller 37 attached to the elevating block 35 so as to extend in the circumferential direction of a circle around the rotation shaft 28 formed by the three rollers. Fig. 3
When the outer roller 37 is placed on the upper end surface of the bag 5, the nozzle 40 does not enter the opening of the bag 5 but is located above. 4 and 5, at the position where the outer roller 37c of the third filling unit 24c is located in the state shown in FIGS.
7 is provided. That is, the filling unit 24 can move downward when the outer roller 37 faces the groove 47, but cannot be moved downward at other positions because it is supported by the support cam 46.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a driving device for rotating the rotating shaft 28 is housed inside the machine base 26, that is, below the top plate 26a. That is, the machine 26
A rotating lever 48 is fixed to a lower end portion of the rotating shaft 28 that has entered the inside so as to rotate integrally. A support bracket 49 having a vertical portion 49a and a horizontal portion 49b is attached to the lower surface of the top plate 26a of the machine base 26 at a position away from the rotation shaft 28 so as to hang down. Then, the free end of the rotating lever 48 and the horizontal portion 49 of the support bracket 49
Two air cylinders 50 and 51 are arranged in series between the air cylinders 50 and 51. The first air cylinder 50 and the second air cylinder 51 are connected via a connection plate 52 arranged between the bottoms of the respective cylinders, and the respective rods 50a, 51a are arranged on the same axis. It extends in the opposite direction. A connecting member 53 is attached to the tip of the rod 50a, and is connected to the free end of the rotating lever 48 via a pin 54. A connecting member 55 is also attached to the other rod 51a, and is connected to a horizontal portion 49b of the support bracket 49 via a pin 56.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a state in which the rods 50a, 51a of the first and second air cylinders 50, 51 are both contracted, and in this state, the outer roller of the third filling unit 24c is in a state. 37c is located above the groove 47 of the support cam 46 as described above. When the rod 50a of the first air cylinder 50 extends, the rotating shaft 28
At 5 and 7, the outer roller 37 b of the second filling unit 24 b rotates counterclockwise by a predetermined angle, and the outer roller 37 b is positioned above the groove 47. At that time, each outer roller 37 rolls on the upper surface of the cam 46. When the rod 51a of the second air cylinder 51 further extends, the outer roller 37a of the first filling unit 24a faces the groove 47. When the rods 50a, 51a of the air cylinders 50, 51 contract, they move in opposite directions. The control device 23 described above is used to control the bag identification device 22.
, The corresponding nozzle is selected by referring to the stored data, and a signal is sent to the switching device 25 to extend and contract the rods 50a, 51a of the air cylinders 50, 51 as appropriate. 24 is located at the filling position.

Next, the vertical movement will be described. As described above, the elevating shaft 29 passes through the rotating shaft 28 and
Extends from the inside to the outside and upward. Its upper end extends beyond the upper end of the pivot shaft 28.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, an air cylinder 71 for vertically moving the elevating shaft 29 is provided upright on the upper surface of the bottom plate 26b of the machine base 26. The rod 71a expands and contracts in the vertical direction, and its tip is connected to the lower end of the elevating shaft 29 via a connecting block 72 that is bent in the shape of a double hook. Therefore, in response to the operation of the air cylinder 71, the elevating shaft 29 moves up and down between a rising position indicated by a broken line and a lowering position indicated by a solid line in FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, an arm 73 extending in the direction in which the groove 47 of the nozzle support cam 46 is located is fixed to the upper end of the elevating shaft 29. A roller locking member 74 having a U-shape that is open toward the groove 47 is attached to the tip of the roller locking member 74. The position of the locking member 74 in the height direction is the position of the member 7 when the elevating shaft 29 is at the ascending position (indicated by a solid line in FIG. 3).
4, between the upper and lower horizontal portions 74a and 74b, at a position where the inner roller 36 of the filling unit 24 that rotates with the rotation of the rotation plate 30 can pass or can be located therebetween. . That is, when the filling unit 24 selected as described above rotates to the filling position, the inner rollers 36 of the unit are moved to the upper and lower horizontal portions 74 of the locking member 74.
a and 74b. And at this time,
The outer roller 37 of the selected unit 24 is located at a position facing the groove 47 of the support cam 46. Therefore, the downward movement of the unit 24 is not hindered. When the air cylinder 71 contracts, the unit 24 moves to the downward descending position, and the tip of the nozzle 40 enters the inside of the opening of the bag 5. Then, the liquid is filled.

In the filling device configured as described above, first, the bag identifying device 22 reads the bar code attached to the bag 5 that has moved before, and sends a corresponding signal to the control device 23. In the control device 23, referring to the pre-stored related data indicating the relationship between the product type and the filling material, that is, the filling unit 24, specifically, in the present embodiment, the relationship between each bag and the filling unit 24, Select a particular filling unit 24. Next, the control device 23 switches the switching device 25.
By controlling the operations of the first and second air cylinders 50 and 51, the rotation plate 30 is rotated to move the selected filling unit 24 to a position corresponding to the groove 47 of the support cam 46. At this time, the outer roller 37 of the selected filling unit 24 faces the groove 47, and the inner roller 36 is captured by the locking member 74 at the tip of the arm 73. Here, the air cylinder 71 is operated, the elevating shaft 29 is lowered to a predetermined position, and the tip of the nozzle 40 is advanced into the bag mouth.Filling is performed in this state, and when the filling is completed, the nozzle 40 is pulled up, The following selections are made:

In the above-described embodiment, the bags are automatically identified by the bag identifying device 22. However, when at least a fixed number of the same products are continuously packed and packaged, the operator receives a signal. May be input to switch the filling unit 24.

The bag identifying device uses a color sensor,
It is also possible to identify the bag by detecting the color of the bag or the color applied to a predetermined position of the bag. Alternatively, the image may be identified by the shape of the bag or a specific portion of the bag using an imaging device.

As described above, in the present invention, a plurality of filling units are selected according to the product type, and the filling nozzle of the selected unit is moved to the filling position. Therefore, unlike the conventional packaging machine, a series of operations associated with the change of the product type is not required, and there is no need to stop the packaging machine, so that extremely high productivity can be achieved.

Further, the information detected by the bag or the container is detected,
Thereby, when the product type is determined, it is possible not only to switch between multiple types of production, but also to pack and package a plurality of types of products at the same time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a packaging system using a filling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the packaging system.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the operating part of the filling device.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an operation section of the filling device.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an elevation view of a driving unit of the filling device.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a driving unit of the filling device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Packaging system 5 Bag 7 Packaging machine 21 Filling device 22 Bag identification device 23 Control device 24 Filling unit 25 Switching device 28 Rotating shaft 29 Elevating shaft 30 Rotating plate 33 Guide rail 34 Slider 36 Inner roller 37 Outer roller 38 Elevating plate 40 Nozzle 42 Air cylinder 46 Nozzle support cam 47 Groove 48 Rotating lever 50 First air cylinder 51 Second air cylinder 71 Air cylinder 73 Arm 74 Roller locking member

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yuta Fujitomi 1808, Nagano, Iwakuni-shi, Yamaguchi F-term in Toyo Automatic Machinery Co., Ltd. (reference) 3E118 AA07 AB08 AB14 AB16 BA07 BA10 BB21 BB30 CA06 DA01 DA20 EA04 EA05 FA02 FA08 FA20

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of filling units each having a filling nozzle, a switching device for switching and operating the plurality of filling units, and a product for specifying a type of a packaged product based on an external signal. Type specifying device, based on a signal from the product type specifying device, select a filler filling unit corresponding to the specified product type, comprising a control device that controls the switching device. To fill the filling device. 2. The filling device according to claim 1, wherein at least each of the filling units is provided so that at least a filling nozzle is movable, and the switching device moves the filling nozzle of the filling unit selected by the control device to a predetermined movement locus. A filler filling device, wherein the filler is moved to a predetermined filling position along the same. 3. The filling device according to claim 2, wherein the movement trajectory includes a horizontal movement trajectory in a horizontal plane. 4. The filling device according to claim 3, wherein the horizontal movement trajectory has an arc shape, and the switching device includes a rotating member that is connected to a driving device and that rotates in a horizontal plane. A nozzle is attached to the rotating member, and the control device controls the driving device,
Filling equipment. 5. The filling device according to claim 3, wherein the movement trajectory includes a vertical movement trajectory extending in a vertical direction and connected to the horizontal movement trajectory at a predetermined connection position. To fill the filling device. 6. The filling device according to claim 5, wherein the filling nozzle can move downward along a vertical movement trajectory only along the vertical movement trajectory, and the horizontal movement at other positions. Characterized by being held on a trajectory,
Filling device. 7. The filling device according to claim 6, wherein the filling device includes an elevating device that moves along the vertical movement locus, and a filling unit positioned at the connection position is held by the elevating device. A filling material filling apparatus characterized by moving along the vertical movement trajectory. 8. The filling device according to claim 7, wherein the elevating device includes a capturing member capable of capturing the filling nozzle, and the filling nozzle moves the nozzle vertically along the horizontal movement trajectory. When passing through the position corresponding to the trajectory, it is possible to pass without being captured by the capturing member, the nozzle remains at the position corresponding to the vertical movement trajectory, is captured by the capturing member when the lifting device moves, A filling device, comprising a captured member, wherein the nozzle moves integrally with the lifting device. 9. The filling device according to claim 5, wherein the horizontal movement trajectory is formed by a wall-shaped cam extending along the horizontal movement trajectory and having a predetermined height, The filling nozzle includes a member mounted on the upper surface of the cam and supported by the cam, and the vertical movement trajectory is
A filling device characterized by being formed by a vertically extending groove formed at a predetermined position of the wall-shaped cam. 10. The filling device according to claim 1, wherein the product type identification device detects the product type identification information of the packaging container. 11. A filling method for switching and filling each type of packing product for a plurality of types of packaged products, wherein a plurality of filling units are provided, and each product type is associated with each of the plurality of filling units. Storing the associated data, receiving a product type signal indicating the type of each packaged product by receiving means, determining the received product type signal, and identifying the type of the packaged product; And selecting a filling unit corresponding to the specified product type based on the method.