JP2003149074A - Seal checking device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a seal checking device an operator of which can appropriately inspect a packed commodity for sealed state in accordance with the thickness fluctuation of the commodity. SOLUTION: After the operator receives a carried-in commodity by setting a pressing member to a prescribed waiting height H0, the operator checks the commodity for sealed state based on the fluctuation of the height H of the pressing means within a prescribed data fetching time by pressing the commodity by means of the pressing member. After the operator stores the data about the height H1 of the pressing means at data fetching starting time t1 on N1 pieces of commodities when the sealed states of the commodities are normal, the operator calculates the means value Hlave of the data. Then the operator calculates a new waiting height H0' by subtracting a prescribed value αfrom the mean value Hlave. At the time of controlling the pressing member to the new waiting height H0' thereafter, the operator sets the height of the pressing means between a preset lower limit value HL and upper limit value HU.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a seal check device for checking the seal of a packaged product and belongs to the technical field of product inspection.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in order to find a defective seal in a product in which contents such as snacks are packed in a packaging bag, a seal check for inspecting the sealing state of the packaging bag is performed.

A device for performing such a seal check is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-165803. This seal check device
The pressing member for pressing the packaged product is configured to press the product while being pushed upward from the standby height by the carried product, and when the product is well sealed, Even if pressed by the pressing member, air in the product does not leak to the outside, and the pressing member receives a substantially constant reaction force from the product, so the height of the pressing member during pressing does not change substantially, Phenomenon in which the height of the pressing member during pressing changes as a result of the air inside the product leaking to the outside and the packaging bag shrinking when the product is not well sealed The seal check is performed based on.

That is, by detecting the height change of the pressing member when the packaged product is pressed, for example, if the height change amount within a predetermined time is smaller than a preset threshold value, the sealing state is normal. If the height change amount is larger than the threshold value, it is determined that the seal state is abnormal, and thus the seal check of this product can be performed.

[0005]

However, even in such a seal check device, the following problems may still occur.

That is, even for the same product, the thickness may change greatly due to a lot change or a change in temperature or humidity around the work place. Further, when the combination weighing device is arranged on the upstream side of the seal check device, the allowable weight range at the time of the combination calculation is increased (for example, 1
Normally +0 to + 5g for + 00g +0 to +2
When set to 0 g), even for the same product, the volume of the contents packed in the bag varies greatly, so that the thickness may vary greatly.

Even in such a case, in the conventional case, since the standby height of the pressing member is fixedly set, the pressing condition of the product by the pressing member may be the permissive side or the strict side. I have something to do. In other words, if the product becomes thinner, the pressing condition will be on the more tolerant side. For example, even if there is a small hole in the product, the pressing force that acts tends to be small, so this abnormality is not detected, and this product is in a sealed state. May be determined to be normal. On the other hand, when the product becomes thicker, the pressing condition becomes more strict, and for example, even if the seal strength of the seal part of the product is at a low level but the reference level is cleared, the pressing force that acts tends to increase. Due to this, the bag is broken at the seal part, and this product may be judged to have an abnormal seal state. In addition, the increased pressing force may damage the contents in the packaging bag. As described above, there arises a problem that the sealed state of the product cannot be properly inspected.

In view of the above situation, it is an object of the present invention to provide a seal check device capable of properly inspecting the sealed state of a packaged product according to the thickness variation of the packaged product.

[0009]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is characterized by having the following configuration.

First, the invention according to claim 1 has a pressing member for pressing a packaged product, and a detection means for detecting a pressing height when the product is pressed by the pressing member,
The present invention relates to a seal check device for inspecting the seal state of the product by comparing the detected change amount of the press height with a preset threshold value, based on the detected value of the press height obtained for the product. It is characterized in that correction means for correcting the initial value of the height of the pressing member is provided.

Next, the invention according to claim 2 is likewise
Comprising a pressing member that presses the packaged product and a detection unit that detects the pressing force when the product is pressed by the pressing member, and compare the amount of change in the detected pressing force with a preset threshold value. The present invention relates to a seal check device for inspecting a sealed state of a product, comprising correction means for correcting the initial value of the pressing force of the pressing member based on the detected value of the pressing force obtained for the product. Is characterized by.

In any of these inventions, these initial values are corrected in accordance with the fluctuation status of the detected value of the pressing height or the pressing force during the operation of the apparatus, so that, for example, the same product can be changed in lot or the work place can be changed. Even if the thickness varies greatly due to fluctuations in ambient temperature and humidity, or even if the thickness varies greatly due to large variations in the volume of the contents to be packaged, it is possible to appropriately adjust the thickness according to such variations. It becomes possible to inspect the seal condition of the product. Therefore, erroneous determination and damage to the contents due to the seal check under inappropriate conditions can be avoided, and the occurrence of product loss due to this can be suppressed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the seal check device according to the first or second aspect, the storage means stores the detection values obtained by the detection means for a plurality of the products. The correction means is provided, and the correction means corrects the initial value based on the detection value stored in the storage means.

When a single detection value is adopted, there is a possibility that an erroneous correction reflecting an accidental disturbance may be performed. According to the present invention, the correction is based on the detection values obtained for a plurality of products. As a result, the above-mentioned fear is alleviated. That is, since the correction is performed based on the variation tendency of the detected value, the reliability of the correction can be improved.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the seal check device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the correction of the initial value is performed within a preset range. Is characterized by.

According to the present invention, even if the initial value is corrected by deviating from the specification or capability of the device,
In that case, if the warning sound is emitted, the operator can promptly recognize this irrationality. Moreover, the correction of the initial value will surely be performed within the range that conforms to the specifications or capabilities of the device,
It becomes possible to eliminate the waste of performing meaningless correction.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION [First Embodiment] First, a seal check device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in which Claims 1, 3, and 4 of the present invention are reflected.

As shown in FIG. 1, the seal check device 1 includes an upstream side conveyer C1 that conveys a product G in which contents are packed in a bag, and a downstream conveyer conveyor that conveys the product G to the next work station. It is arranged between C2 and
A seal check is performed while the product G is conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrow A, and the lower conveyance conveyor is supported by the first support column 3, the second support column 4 and the support frame 5 which are erected on the pedestal 2. 6 and a pressing unit 7 supported by the support frame 5 so as to face above the conveyor 6.

<Lower Conveyor> Lower Conveyor 6
Is an endless lower conveyance belt 14 wound between an upstream driven roller 12 and a downstream driving roller 13 which are rotatably supported by a pair of side frames 11, 11 (only the front side is shown). It is designed as a fixed structure. And
The top plate 1 that supports the upper horizontal traveling portion of the lower conveyor belt 14.
5 is attached to the side frames 11, 11.

A conveyor drive motor 16 is arranged inside the lower part of the support frame 5. Then, a pulley 17 mounted on the output shaft 16a of the motor 16 and a pulley 18 mounted coaxially with the drive roller 13.
A pulley 19 rotatably attached to the inside of the support frame 5, and a pulley 21 assembled to the front side of a shaft member 20 rotatably installed inward of the support frame 5 near the center in the vertical direction. First timing belt 22 across
The drive force of the motor 16 is transmitted to the drive roller 13 and the shaft member 20.

<Pressing Unit> The pressing unit 7 has an opening 31 capable of penetrating the upper portion of the side view portal type support frame 5.
a pair of body frames 31 provided with a'and 31a '
Support frame 5 via a and 31a (only the front side is shown)
A main body 31 supported by the main body 31, a pressing member 32 arranged below the main body 31 to press the product G on the lower conveyer 6, and an upper conveyer 33 installed between the main body 31 and the pressing member 32. is doing.

(Upper Conveyor) Upper Conveyor 3
3 includes four driven rollers 34 to 37 and one drive roller 38 rotatably installed between the body frames 31a and 31a, and a pair of front and rear driven rollers 39 and 40 rotatably supported by the pressing member 32. The endless upper conveyance belt 41 is wound around the entire length.

Then, the pulley 42 mounted on the inner side of the shaft member 20 and the pulley mounted on the inner side of the shaft member 43 rotatably installed inside the support frame 5 above the shaft member 20. A second timing belt 45 is wound around 44. Further, the shaft member 43
The pulley 46 assembled to the front side of the
The third timing belt 48 is wound around the pulley 47 mounted coaxially with the motor 8.
6 driving force is applied to the driving roller 38 via the shaft members 20 and 43.
To be transmitted to. That is, according to the configuration of the illustrated example, the lower and upper transport conveyors 6 and 33 are synchronously driven by the single motor 16, and the product G can be stably sandwiched and transported. Even if the both conveyors 6 and 33 are driven by independent motors,
I don't care.

Further, the upper conveyer 33 is constructed such that the upstream driven roller 34 side, as viewed from the driven roller 39 side, is inclined upward. By doing so, the goods G to be carried in can be smoothly introduced between the lower and upper conveyors 6, 33.

Then, the driven roller 3 on the pressing member 32 side.
A top plate 49 that presses the product G via the upper conveyance belt 41 is attached between 9 and 40.

Further, the upper conveyor belt 41 has a mesh shape, and the pressing surface of the top plate 49 has a large number of grooves (not shown) inclined in a direction different from the conveying direction of the product G indicated by the arrow A. ) Has been formed. By doing this,
When the product G is carried in so that the seal portion faces the pressing surface of the top plate 49, an escape path for air or the like in the packaging bag of the product G is secured via the upper conveyor belt 41 and the groove of the top plate 49.
Therefore, when the product G having a poor seal is pressed by the pressing member 32, the air and the like in the packaging bag surely leaks to the outside through this escape path, so that the risk of missing the seal is reduced.

(Connecting Structure of Pressing Unit) The main body 31 and the pressing member 32 are four connecting links 51, 51, 5 rotatably arranged in the front-rear and left-right directions along the conveyance direction of the product G.
2, 52 (only two on the front side are shown). These connecting links 51, 51, 52, 52 are
The fulcrum on the main body 31 side (the shafts of the driven rollers 34 and 37) and the fulcrum on the pressing member 32 side (the shafts of the driven rollers 39 and 40) form a parallel link mechanism. It is supported so that it can move in parallel.

A servo motor 53 for moving the pressing member 32 up and down and detecting the height of the member 32 is housed in the main body 31. Output shaft 53 of the motor 53
One end of the first connecting member 54 is fixed to a, and the second connecting member 55 is attached to the other end of the first connecting member 54.
The upper end of is attached rotatably. And the second
The lower end of the connecting member 55 has the upstream connecting links 51, 51.
Is rotatably attached to a shaft member 56 that is installed between the lower ends of the.

Further, the upper end portion of the connecting link 51 is disposed so as to be able to contact a stopper member 57 attached to a predetermined position on the upstream side of the main body frame 31a. Thus, when the connecting link 51 rotates about the shaft of the driven roller 34 as a fulcrum, the downward movement of the pressing member 32 is restricted when the upper end of the connecting link 51 contacts the stopper member 57. Then, the bottom dead center position of the pressing member 32 is set.

The operation of the pressing unit 7 will now be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the standby height H0 of the pressing member 32 waiting for the product G to be carried in is set smaller than the thickness Hg of the product G. ing. That is, when the product G is carried in from the direction indicated by the arrow A and the product G plunges between the lower transport conveyor 6 and the pressing unit 7, the product G is carried by being sandwiched between the lower and upper transport conveyors 6, 33. On the other hand, the pressing member 32 is pushed up from the standby height H0 in the direction indicated by the arrow A by the reaction force from the product G. In response to this, the connecting links 51, 51, 52, 52 rotate about the shafts of the driven rollers 34, 37 in the directions shown by the arrow C, and the second connecting member 55 interlocks with this rotation. As a result of moving in the direction indicated by, the first connecting member 54 rotates in the direction indicated by arrow E, so that the rotary shaft 53a of the servomotor 53 rotates in the same direction. Therefore, the height H of the pressing member 32 can be detected by detecting the rotational position of the rotary shaft 53a. When the pressing member 32 rises from the bottom dead center position shown in FIG. 1, the contact between the upper end portion of the connecting link 51 and the stopper member 57 is released, as shown in FIG.

<Merchandise Detection Sensor> As shown in FIG. 1, a merchandise detection sensor 61 for detecting the carry-in of the product G from the upstream side conveyor C1 to the seal check device 1 is installed above the first support column 3. ing.

<Air Nozzle> As shown in FIG. 1, an air outlet is provided on the downstream side of the pressing unit 7 at the upper conveyor belt 4.
The air nozzle 62 is disposed so as to face No. 1. The outlet of the nozzle 62 has a flat shape that is long in the width direction of the belt 41, and compressed air is supplied from a compressor (not shown) through a pipe.

By doing so, the upper conveyor belt 41
It is possible to efficiently remove dust adhering to the parts and a part of the contents of the product G by the air blown from the air nozzle 62. As a result, the upper conveyor belt 4
1 will not be clogged, and an escape route for air or the like in the packaging bag will be well secured, so that the risk of missing a defective seal is reduced. The air nozzle 62
Cleaning by means of, for example, when the power source of the seal check device 1 is turned on, when the seal check start button is turned on, and the seal check end button is turned on.
The upper conveyance belt 41 is run when operated or at any time during the operation of the apparatus 1.

When the lower carrying belt 14 in the form of a mesh is used in the lower carrying conveyor 6, for example, the air nozzle 62 as shown by the chain line in FIG.
Can be provided.

<Control System> As shown in FIG. 3, the seal check device 1 is provided with a control device 63 for generally controlling the operation of the device 1.

The control device 63 outputs a control signal to the conveyor driving motor 16 to control the driving of the lower and upper conveyors 6, 33. Further, the control device 63 sends and receives a signal to and from the servo motor 53, and the servo motor 5
3 controls the vertical movement of the pressing member 32, and inputs the position detection signal fed back from the servomotor 53, that is, the height H data of the pressing member 32 to input the seal determination and the standby height. Correct H0.

Then, the control device 63 inputs the product detection signal from the product detection sensor 61 and sets the time starting point for performing a series of control based on the signal. Although the product detection signal from the product detection sensor 61 is not input,
When the position detection signal corresponding to the change in the height H of the pressing member 32 is input from the servo motor 53, the control device 63 can determine that the product detection sensor 61 is abnormal. Therefore, for example, if the warning sound is emitted based on this determination, the operator can recognize this abnormality early and can deal with this abnormality early.

The controller 63 has a memory 63a. The memory 63a stores so-called product masters such as initial settings for each product G and various control parameters, and also stores the input height H data of the pressing member 32.

<Example of control operation> This seal check device 1
An example of the control operation performed by the control device 63 when the seal check is performed in step 1 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

First, in step S1, initialization is performed.
Specifically, the height H of the pressing member 32 and the counter value N (described later) are set to 0 as initial values.

Next, when the product number of the product G to be inspected is designated, the standby height of the preset pressing member 32 corresponding to the product number stored in the memory 63a is set in step S2. Read H0. Then, by outputting a control signal to the servo motor 53, the height H of the pressing member 32 is controlled to the standby height H0 (see FIG. 2). By the way, this waiting height H0 is the product G to be carried in.
Is usually about 5 to 10 mm smaller than the thickness Hg.

When the product G is detected by the product detection sensor 61 and then the product G plunges between the lower conveyor 6 and the pressing unit 7, the pressing member 32 is pushed up from the standby height H0 (see FIG. 2), the rotational force corresponding to the change in the height H of the pressing member 32 is generated by the servo motor 53.
Will act on the rotary shaft 53a. Therefore, in step S3, the height H data based on the position detection signal from the servo motor 53 is acquired.

Then, in step S4, the obtained height H
Based on the data, the sticker determination shown in FIG. 5 will be performed.

That is, in step S21, the change amount ΔH of the height H between the preset data acquisition start and end times t1 and t2 is calculated. That is, this change amount Δ
H is obtained by subtracting the height H2 at the capture end time t2 from the height H1 at the capture start time t1. The heights H1 and H2 vary depending on the thickness Hg of the product G.

Then, in step S22, it is determined whether or not the amount of change ΔH is less than or equal to a preset reference value ΔH0, and YE
If it is determined to be S, it means that the seal state of the product G is normal, and the process returns. On the other hand, if NO is determined, the sealed state of the product G is abnormal. In this case, an error signal is output in step S23 and the process returns.

Here, an example of the result of the seal check is shown in FIG. FIG. 6 shows changes in the height H of the pressing member 32 with the lapse of time t after the time t0 when the product detection sensor 61 detects that the product G has been carried in.

Reference numeral (1) shows a change in the height H of the good product G. The height H rapidly increases from the standby height H0 due to the entry of the product G, and then becomes substantially constant as indicated by the arrow F. Then, when the product G passes under the pressing member 32, the pressing member 32 descends and the height H returns to the standby height H0. In this case, the change amount ΔH of the height H between the data acquisition start and end times t1 and t2.
Since (1) is equal to or less than the reference value ΔH0, the sealed state is determined to be normal.

Reference numeral (2) shows a change in the height H of the product G having a hole in the packaging bag. Similarly, the height H rapidly increases and then decreases significantly as indicated by the arrow key. When the product G passes under the pressing member 32, the height H returns to the standby height H0. In this case, the amount of change Δ
Since H (2) is larger than the reference value ΔH0, the sealed state is determined to be abnormal.

Reference numeral (3) is a good product in which the seal strength of the seal portion is at a low level but clears the reference level, and a large pressing force acts during the seal check.
It shows a change in the height H of the product G broke at the seal portion. The height H also increases promptly, but because the product G broke, it decreased steeply as shown by arrow C and returned to the standby height H0. In this case, the change amount ΔH
(Not shown in FIG. 6) is larger than the reference value ΔH0,
The seal state is determined to be abnormal.

The reference numeral (4) indicates a change in the height H of the product G which has already been broken before the seal check. Since the product G shrinks quickly without resisting the pressing by the pressing member 32, the height H stays at approximately the standby height H0 as indicated by the arrow. In this case, since the heights H1 and H2 at the start and end times t1 and t2 are both 0, it is determined that the seal state is abnormal.

Returning to FIG. 4 again, in step S5, it is determined whether or not the seal state is normal based on the seal determination, and if YES is determined, 1 is added to the counter value N in step S6. , The height H1 in step S7
Is stored in the memory 63a, and if NO is determined, the process returns to step S3. That is, the height H1 at the take-in start time t1 is stored only when the sealed state is normal. The height to be stored is not limited to the height H1,
It may be appropriately selected.

Next, in step S8, it is determined whether or not the counter value N is equal to or more than a predetermined value N1 (for example, 20). If NO is determined, the process returns to step S3. If YES is determined, the counter value is determined in step S9. After resetting N,
In step S10, an average value H1ave of the N1 heights H1 ... H1 is calculated. Then, in step S11,
A new standby height H0 ′ is obtained by subtracting a predetermined value α, which should be called a preset optimum push-up amount, from the average value H1ave.
To calculate.

In step S12, the new standby height H0 '
Determines whether it falls between the preset lower limit value HL and the preset upper limit value HU, and if YES is determined, in step S13, the standby height H0 is changed to the new standby height H thereafter.
If it is determined to be NO while controlling to 0 ', step S1
After outputting an error signal in step 4, in step S15,
When the new standby height H0 'is below the height lower limit value HL, the standby height H0 is controlled to the height lower limit value HL, and when it exceeds the height upper limit value HU, the standby height H0 is adjusted to the height upper limit value. Control to HU. The height lower limit value HL is, for example, the bottom dead center height (see FIG. 1) of the pressing member 32, while the height upper limit value HU is, for example, the thickness Hg of the product G.
The height (see FIG. 1) obtained by appropriately reducing the thickness is used.

By doing so, the new standby height H0 '
It is avoided that the value is set to a value that does not conform to the specifications or capabilities of the seal check device 1, and the operator can promptly recognize this irrationality by the output error signal. .

Then, in step S16, the standby height H0 of the product G in the product master is set to the new standby height H.
After updating to 0 ', the lower limit of height HL, or the upper limit of height HU, the process proceeds to step S17, and it is determined whether or not the seal check end button is operated. If the result is NO, the process returns to step S3. , YES, the seal check ends.

In this way, the thickness Hg of the goods G to be carried in is
Even if fluctuates, the pressing member 3
Since the standby height H0 of 2 is corrected, it is possible to properly perform the seal check of the product G. as a result,
It is possible to avoid erroneous determination and damage to the contents due to the seal check under improper conditions, and it is possible to suppress product loss caused by these.

Since the updated standby height H0 for the product G can be stored in the memory 63a,
For example, even if the sticker check of the product different from the product G is performed after this, and then the seal check of the product G is performed again, it is possible to carry out the previous correction result and perform the seal check promptly and properly. become.

In this seal check device 1,
Since the servo motor 53 outputs the position detection signal reflecting the fluctuation of the thickness Hg of the product G, it is not necessary to additionally provide a detecting means such as a thickness measuring device for monitoring the fluctuation of the thickness Hg. The structure and the control are simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the detected N
Although the standby height H0 is corrected based on the height H1 ... H1 of one piece, the following correction is also possible. That is,
When the combination weighing device is arranged on the upstream side, the volume of the content of the product G, and thus the thickness Hg of the product G, is generally predicted from the combination calculation data, and therefore, the combination calculation data is acquired every time from the weighing device. The standby height H0 can be corrected in real time based on the thickness Hg of the product G predicted from the data.

[Second Embodiment] Next, a seal check device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown by the chain line in FIG. 2, this device has a load detector 71 for detecting the pressing force acting on the product G, which is connected to the lower conveyor 6 and is added thereto. Since it is only different from the seal check device 1 according to the embodiment, the description of the configuration is omitted. As shown by the chain line in FIG.
It should be noted that only the point where the load detection signal from the load detector 71 is input to.

An example of the control operation executed by the control device 63 in this case will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. For the sake of convenience, the same reference numerals as those of the seal check device 1 will be used for description.

First, in step S31, initialization is performed. Specifically, the height H of the pressing member, the pressing force F (described later), and the counter value N are set to 0 as initial values.

Next, when the product number of the product G to be inspected is designated, a preset initial pressing force F0 corresponding to the number is read from the product master stored in the memory 63a in step S32. Then, by outputting a control signal to the servo motor 53, the height H of the pressing member 32 during pressing is controlled to the initial pressing height Ha at which the initial pressing force F0 is obtained. Since the memory 63a stores in advance a map showing the relationship between the height H and the pressing force F for each specification of the product G, the initial pressing height corresponding to the initial pressing force F0 is stored based on this map. Ha can be set.

When the product G is detected by the product detection sensor 61 and the product G plunges between the lower conveyor 6 and the pressing unit 7, the pressing member 32 is pushed up from a predetermined standby height H0. After that, the initial pressing height Ha is maintained. Therefore, in step S33, the pressing force F data based on the load detection signal from the load detector 71 is acquired.

Then, in step S34, the seal determination shown in FIG. 8 is performed based on the acquired pressing force F data.

That is, in step S51, the change amount ΔF of the pressing force F between the preset data acquisition start and end times t1 and t2 is calculated. That is, the amount of change ΔF is obtained by subtracting the pressing force F2 at the capturing end time t2 from the pressing force F1 at the capturing start time t1. These pressing forces F1 and F2 are the thickness Hg of the product G.
It fluctuates according to.

Then, in step S52, it is determined whether or not the amount of change ΔF is less than or equal to a preset reference value ΔF0, and YE
If it is determined to be S, it means that the seal state of the product G is normal, and the process returns. On the other hand, if NO is determined, the sealed state of the product G is abnormal. In this case, an error signal is output in step S53 and the process returns.

Here, the result of the seal check is shown in FIG. 10 as an example. This FIG. 10 shows the time t from the time t0 when the product detection sensor 61 detects the loading of the product G.
It shows the change in the pressing force F with the passage of.

Reference numeral (5) indicates a change in the pressing force F for the good product G. The pressing force F is the product G
After the plunge, it increases rapidly from 0 and then becomes substantially constant as indicated by the arrow. After that, when the product G passes under the pressing member 32, the pressing force F rapidly decreases to zero.
In this case, since the change amount ΔF (1) of the pressing force F between the data acquisition start and end times t1 and t2 is equal to or less than the reference value ΔF0, the seal state is determined to be normal.

Reference numeral (6) indicates a change in the pressing force F for the product G having a hole in the packaging bag. After the pressing force F rapidly increases, the pressing force F tends to decrease remarkably as shown by an arrow mark, and when the product G passes under the pressing member 32,
The pressing force F becomes 0. In this case, since the amount of change ΔF (2) is larger than the reference value ΔF0, the seal state is determined to be abnormal.

Reference numeral (7) is a good product in which the seal strength of the seal portion is at a low level but clears the reference level, and a large pressing force acts during the seal check.
It shows a change in the pressing force F for the product G broken in the seal portion. After the pressing force F rapidly increased, the product G could not resist the pressing force and broke the bag, so that the pressing force F decreases steeply to 0 as indicated by the arrow S. in this case,
Since the amount of change ΔF (not shown in FIG. 10) is larger than the reference value ΔF0, the seal state is determined to be abnormal.

The reference numeral (8) indicates a change in the pressing force F for the product G which has already been broken before the seal check. Since the product G quickly withdraws against the pressing force of the pressing member 32, the pressing force F stays substantially zero as indicated by the arrow C. In this case, the pressing forces F1 and F2 at the start and finish times t1 and t2 are both 0.
Therefore, the sealing state is determined to be abnormal.

Returning to FIG. 7 again, in step S35, it is determined whether or not the seal state is normal based on the seal determination, and if YES is determined, 1 is added to the counter value N in step S36, In step S37, the pressing force F1 is stored in the memory 63a. That is, the pressing force F1 at the take-in start time t1 is stored only when the sealing state is normal. The pressing force to be stored is not limited to the pressing force F1 and may be appropriately selected.

Next, at step S38, the counter value N
Is greater than or equal to a predetermined value N1 (for example, 20), NO
If YES is determined, the process returns to step S33. If YES is determined, the counter value N is reset in step S39, and then N1 pressing forces F1 ... F are reset in step S40.
The average value F1ave of 1 is calculated. And step S
At 41, the new initial pressing height Ha 'at which the initial pressing force F0 is obtained is converted based on the average value F1ave, and then the process proceeds to step S42.

On the other hand, if NO in step S35, as shown in FIG. 9, it is determined in step S61 whether the bag is broken during the seal check. If NO is determined, the process returns to step S33. In that case, as indicated by the symbol S in FIG. 10, it is determined that the bag is broken when the pressing force F decreases at a steep gradient of a predetermined value or more.

On the other hand, if YES is determined in the step S61, the process proceeds to a step S62, 1 is added to the counter value N, and then the peak pressing force Fp (see FIG. 10) is stored in the memory 63a in a step S63. In this case, when the peak pressing force Fp is lower than the appropriately set reference value,
It is determined that the seal strength of the seal portion does not reach the reference level and the seal is originally defective, and the peak pressing force Fp is excluded from the subsequent control.

Next, at step S64, the counter value N
Is greater than or equal to a predetermined value N2 (for example, 3), and if NO is determined, the process returns to step S33, whereas if YES is determined, the counter value N is reset in step S65 and then N2 is determined in step S66. Individual peak pressing force Fp ... F
The average value Fpave of p is calculated.

Then, in step S67, this average value F
New initial pressing force F0 'by subtracting a predetermined amount β from pave
To calculate.

Next, in step S68, the new initial pressing height Ha 'corresponding to the new initial pressing force F0' is converted, and then the process proceeds to step S42.

Returning again to FIG. 7, in step S42, the new initial pressing height Ha 'is set to the preset lower limit value HL.
And whether it falls within the upper limit value HU and YE
If S is determined, in step S43, the initial pressing height Ha
Is controlled to a new initial pressing height Ha ', while if NO is determined, an error signal is output in step S44, and the new initial pressing height Ha' is set to the lower limit value HL in step S45. When it is lower than the upper limit value HU, the initial pressing height Ha is controlled to the lower limit value HL. When the upper limit value HU is exceeded, the initial pressing height Ha is controlled to the upper limit value HU. In that case, when the initial pressing height Ha is controlled to the height lower limit value HL, the pressing force upper limit value FU is obtained. On the other hand, when the initial pressing height Ha is controlled to the height upper limit value HU, the pressing force The pressure lower limit value FL will be obtained.
The height lower limit value HL and the height upper limit value HU have the same values as in the first embodiment, for example.

By doing so, the new initial pressing height H
It is possible to prevent the a'and the new initial pressing force F0 'from being unnecessarily set to a value that does not conform to the specifications or capabilities of this seal check device, and the operator can promptly deal with this irrationality by the output error signal. You will be able to recognize.

Next, in step S46, the initial pressing force F0 for the product G in the product master is set to a new initial pressing force F0 'and a pressing force lower limit value FL commensurate with the height upper limit value HU,
Alternatively, after updating to the pressing force upper limit value FU commensurate with the height lower limit value HL, the process proceeds to step S47, and it is determined whether or not the seal check end button is turned ON. If NO is determined, the process returns to step S33 while YES is determined. If it is determined that the seal check is completed.

In this way, the thickness Hg of the goods G to be carried in is
Even if fluctuates, the initial pressing force F0 is corrected according to this fluctuating tendency, so that it is possible to properly perform the seal check of the product G. As a result, erroneous determination and damage to the contents due to the seal check under improper conditions can be avoided, and the occurrence of product loss due to these can be suppressed.

Further, since the updated initial pressing force F0 for the product G can be stored in the memory 63a, for example, after this, a seal check of a product different from the product G is performed, and then the product G is again checked. Even when the seal check is performed, it is possible to carry out the previous correction result and perform the seal check promptly and properly.

Further, even if the product G is in a normal sealing state, when the bag is broken at the seal portion due to excessive pressing by the pressing member 32 during the seal check, this is detected and such a product is detected. The initial pressing force F0 can be corrected, specifically, downward so that it can be determined that the G seal state is normal. Therefore,
It is possible to prevent the product G, which is originally in a normal seal state, from being broken by a seal check under an unsuitable condition and being erroneously determined to be in an abnormal seal state. The loss will be suppressed.

In this seal check device, the load detector 71 outputs the load detection signal reflecting the variation of the thickness Hg of the product G. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the thickness detector is newly added. Since it is not necessary to additionally provide such detection means, the structure and control can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the initial pressing force F0 is corrected when the number N of bag breaks exceeds a predetermined value N2, but the predetermined value N2 may be set to 1. Alternatively, the correction may be performed when the bags are broken by the predetermined value N2 continuously.

[Other Embodiments] In the first and second embodiments, when the counter value N becomes a predetermined value N1 or more, the standby height H0 of the pressing member 32 or the initial pressing force F
Although 0 is corrected and the predetermined value N1 is set to 20 as an example, the predetermined value N1 may be set to 1 and the correction may be sequentially performed.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, the seal check device 1 is configured to press the product G while the pressing member 32 is being pushed up by the carried product G. The present invention is also applicable to a seal check device configured such that the pressing member can be moved toward and away from the product G and approaches from above to start pressing the product G.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, the seal check is performed while the product G is being conveyed, but the present invention is also applicable to the case where the seal check is performed on the stationary product G. It is possible.

In the second embodiment, whether or not the bag is broken is determined based on the change in the pressing force F. However, as shown in FIG. 6, when the bag is broken, the height H of the pressing member 32 is increased. Is sharply reduced, it may be determined based on this phenomenon whether bag breakage has occurred.

[0092]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Provided is a seal check device capable of properly inspecting a sealed state of a packaged product according to a thickness variation of the packaged product. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is widely suitable for the technical field of product inspection such as a seal check device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a seal check device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an essential part for explaining the operation of the pressing unit.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control system.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of control operation.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the same.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a temporal change in height of a pressing member.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of control operation in the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the same.

FIG. 9 is also a flowchart.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a temporal change in pressing force.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Seal check device 32 pressing member 53 Servo motor (detection means) 63 control device (correction means) 63a memory (storage means) 71 Load detector (detection means) G packaged products

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A pressing member that presses a packaged product, and a detection unit that detects a pressing height when the pressing member presses the product, and a change amount of the detected pressing height is set in advance. A seal check device for inspecting a seal state of the product by comparing with a threshold value that is corrected, and corrects the initial value of the height of the pressing member based on the detected value of the press height obtained for the product. A seal check device comprising a correction means. 2. A pressing member that presses a packaged product, and a detection unit that detects a pressing force when the pressing member presses the product, and a change amount of the detected pressing force is set in advance. A seal check device for inspecting the seal state of the product by comparing with a threshold value, and a correction unit for correcting the initial value of the pressing force of the pressing member based on the detected value of the pressing force obtained for the product. A seal check device characterized by being provided. 3. A storage unit is provided for storing the detection values obtained by the detection unit for a plurality of the products, and the correction unit is configured to perform the initial operation based on the detection values stored in the storage unit. The seal check device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the value is corrected. 4. The seal check device according to claim 1, wherein the correction of the initial value is performed within a preset range.