JP2004067224A - Inert gas filling method in packaging machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inert gas filling method which effectively downsizes a packaging machine and reduces its production cost by constructing the packaging machine such that filling of an item to be packaged and inert gas in a packaging bag and sealing of the bag opening are conducted using one intermittently rotary table. <P>SOLUTION: In the packaging machine filling funnels 21 are upward downward movably mounted on a rotator 4 intermittently stopping at every one of a plurality of processes each filling funnel 21 corresponding to a pair of grips (g) and a gas filling nozzle 23 is mounted in each filling funnel 21. In the preceding filling process, the filling funnel 21 and the gas filling nozzle 23 are inserted from the bag opening (b) in the packaging bag (a). In the filling process, the packing bag is shaken by means of vibration to accelerate replacement of the air in the bag with the inert gas while the inert gas is injected from the filling nozzle 23. Further, in the latter process the clearance between the grips (g) is broadened to linearly stretch the bag opening and then the filling funnels 21 and the gas filling nozzles 23 are taken out in this order from the packaging bag (a). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an inert gas filling method in a gas filling and packaging machine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a method for filling an inert gas in a conventional packaging machine, a method according to the present applicant is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-29332. This "method of filling an inert gas into a packaging bag" is applied to a gas filling and packaging apparatus in which a filling apparatus for an article to be packaged and an inert gas filling apparatus are connected to a common machine base. Further, Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-52890 discloses a packaging machine which intermittently transports a packaging bag while supporting the packaging bag by a pair of grips provided on a rotary table, and fills a packaged object during the transport. The bag is supported by a pair of sandwiching plates provided on a rotary table and is intermittently transported, and two devices, a gas filling nozzle which is capable of moving up and down and a gas filling device provided with a heat sealing means at the bag mouth, An "apparatus for performing gas filling and fusing for packaging machine connection" in which adjacent connection is performed as a delivery process of each stop process is disclosed.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The conventional method for filling an inert gas into a packaging bag and the gas filling and packaging apparatus to which this method is applied, each of which comprises a filling apparatus for an article to be packaged and an inert gas filling apparatus, and includes a grip pair. It has a complicated structure in which the rotary table and the rotary table including the holding plate and the sealing bar are intermittently driven by separate drive mechanisms. For this reason, not only is the entire apparatus increased in size, but also the manufacturing cost is increased. In addition, a large space was required to install the gas filling and packaging apparatus.
[0004]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to use a single intermittent rotary table to fill a packaging bag with an object to be packaged and an inert gas and seal the bag mouth, which is effective for miniaturization and reduction in manufacturing cost. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for filling an inert gas in a packaging machine.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a rotating body provided with a large number of grip pairs in a radial direction is intermittently stopped at a plurality of steps by an intermittent driving means and moved, and is suspended by each grip pair. After filling a predetermined amount of the package to be packed in the packaging bag supported in a lowered shape, in a packaging machine that discharges the packaging bag from the outside after performing sealing of the bag mouth,
Filling funnels arranged to correspond to each grip pair are provided on the rotating body so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and gas filling nozzles are respectively provided in those filling funnels. The filling port and the gas filling nozzle are inserted into the packaging bag from the opened bag opening, and the objects to be packaged are charged and filled into the packaging bag in the filling step, and the inert gas is ejected from the filling nozzle to perform the packaging. The bag is shaken by vibrating means to promote the replacement action of the inert gas and the air in the bag, and in the subsequent step of the filling step, the gap between the pair of grips is expanded and the bag mouth is linearly tensioned. It is characterized in that the dropping port of the filling funnel and the gas filling nozzle escape from the packaging bag in this order.
[0006]
In order to achieve a similar object, the invention described in claim 2 is directed to an inert gas filling method in the packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the gas filling nozzle is placed at a lower end of the filling funnel from a dropping port of the filling funnel. Are also provided so as to protrude downward.
[0007]
In order to achieve the same object, the invention described in claim 3 is to intermittently stop and move a rotating body provided with a large number of grip pairs in a plurality of steps by an intermittent driving means by an intermittent driving means. In a packaging machine in which a predetermined amount of an object to be packaged is filled in a hanging-supported packaging bag, and then the packaging bag is sealed and then the packaging bag is discharged outside the machine,
The rotating body is provided with a gas filling nozzle arranged to correspond to each grip pair so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and the gas filling nozzle is opened in a packaging bag from a bag opening that has been opened in a preceding process of a filling process. In the filling step, the filling funnel of the filling means is inserted into the packaging bag in the filling step to perform charging / filling of the article to be packaged, and the packaging bag is vibrated by the vibrating means while injecting the inert gas from the gas filling nozzle. Shake to promote the replacement action of the inert gas with the air in the bag, widen the gap between the grip pairs in the subsequent process of the filling process, and straighten the bag mouth, then pack the gas filling nozzle. It is characterized in that it escapes from the bag.
[0008]
In order to achieve the same object, an invention according to claim 4 is the method for filling an inert gas in the packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gas filling nozzle is inserted into the packaging bag. Then, almost at the same time, the inert gas is ejected from the nozzle.
[0009]
【The invention's effect】
According to the inert gas filling method in this packaging machine, the configuration is such that the packing bag and the inert gas are filled into the packaging bag and the bag mouth is sealed using one intermittent rotary table. The downsizing and the manufacturing cost of the filling and packaging machine can be reduced. In addition, the downsizing of the packaging machine has the advantage of requiring less installation space.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a gas filling and packaging machine to which an inert gas filling method in a packaging machine of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a development view of a cam rail showing the relative relationship between the filling funnel and the gas filling nozzle and the packaging bag over the entire process.
[0011]
1 and 2 show a gas filling and packaging machine P to which the “inert gas filling method in a packaging machine” of the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotary type packaging machine P includes a weighing device (not shown), an inert gas supply device 70, and the like. (B), printing process such as expiration date (c), opening process of packaging bag (d), filling process of packaged goods such as butter peanuts (e), vibration process (e) to (g) , An empty bag discharging step (h), a step of detecting the entrapment of the packaged object into the bag mouth seal and the sealing section (i), a cooling step of the sealing section and a product discharging step (nu). The method of filling the packaging bag with an inert gas such as nitrogen gas will be described in detail below, but is performed from the filling step (e) to the vibration steps (e) to (g).
[0012]
A stand 3 that rotatably supports a vertically oriented intermittent rotating shaft 2 is provided on a machine base 1 of the packaging machine P, and a disk-shaped rotating body 4 attached to the intermittent rotating shaft 2 has a bag opening b. Only 10 grip pairs g (same number as the number of processes) for gripping or releasing the opened packaging bag a are provided so as to protrude radially at equal angular intervals. The bag feeding apparatus 10 arranged in the bag feeding step (a) separates a large number of packaging bags a stacked on the supply table 11 one by one from above by suction means provided with a suction cup (not shown). It has a well-known structure in which the bag mouth b is supplied to the grip pair g in a suspended state with the bag mouth b upward.
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of guide bars 15, 15 are provided upright on the outer peripheral edge 4a of the rotating body 4 so as to correspond to the central positions of the grip pairs g, respectively. The upper ends of the guide bars 15 are attached to a ring plate 16. Reference numeral 17 denotes a slide plate in which rollers 18 are arranged at four positions, that is, up, down, left and right. The slide plate 17 is mounted on the guide bars 15 and 15 from the outside and is provided so as to be movable in the up and down direction. A bracket 19 provided on the filling funnel 21 is attached to the front of the slide plate 17. A cam roller 20 is provided at the center of the rear surface of the slide plate 17 so as to freely rotate.
[0014]
The same number of the filling funnels 21 as the number of steps are provided. Gas filling nozzles 23 are provided on the side surfaces 21a of the filling funnels 21, respectively. The gas filling nozzles 23 are arranged so that their lower ends 24 project below the dropping ports 22 of the filling funnel 21 by an appropriate dimension.
[0015]
A boss 7 is provided at the upper end of the intermittent rotation shaft 2 by a bearing 6 so as to be freely rotatable. A drum 25 is fixed to the boss 7 directly above the rotating body 4 and concentrically with the intermittent rotating shaft 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the cam surfaces of the lower cam rails 26 and 27 and the upper cam rails 29 and 30 are formed on the outer surface of the drum 25 so that cam grooves 31 are formed at regular intervals. They are arranged facing each other. The cam roller 31 of the slide plate 17 is inserted into the cam groove 31, and the slide plate 17 is provided so as to be supported by the lower cam rails 26 and 27. The cam roller 20 of each slide plate 17 rolls on the lower cam rails 26 and 27 due to the intermittent rotation of the rotating body 4 so that the filling funnel 21 and the gas filling nozzle 23 move in the vertical direction, respectively. Is configured.
[0016]
A rectangular guide bar 34 is erected at the position of the packaging bag opening step (d) inside the drum 25, and a slider 35 is loosely fitted to the slider 35 freely. It is provided so as to be able to move up and down by means of raising and lowering means (not shown). On the front surface of the slider 35, a support piece 36 for receiving the cam roller 20 of the slide plate 17 is provided.
[0017]
The above-described mechanism for raising and lowering a large number of filling funnels by cam rails provided around a fixed drum and a slider mechanism for raising and lowering the filling funnels in a specific process are disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2884064 owned by the present applicant. It is configured according to the content that was given.
[0018]
Numeral 40 is a rotary valve arranged on the drum 25. The rotary valve 40 includes a central valve shaft 40a fixed to the drum 25 side, and a ring-shaped valve body 41 that is rotatably mounted on the valve shaft 40a. The valve body 41 is provided with the same number as the number of processes, that is, ten gas supply holes (not shown) so as to communicate with the gas passage of the valve shaft. The valve body 41 is connected to the ring plate 16 by stays 43, 43, and is provided so as to rotate together with the rotating body 4.
[0019]
The gas supply hole and the gas filling nozzle 23 are connected to each other by a flexible tube 44. In addition, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas or carbon dioxide gas adjusted to a predetermined pressure (0.1 to 0.3 MPa) is supplied from the inert gas supply device 70 to the valve shaft 40 a of the rotary valve 40 via the hose 51. Is provided.
[0020]
The inert gas supply system has a configuration according to the content disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2619795 owned by the present applicant.
Thus, the gas filling and packaging machine P is configured.
[0021]
Next, the “inert gas filling method in the packaging machine” of the present invention will be described in detail in relation to the operation of the gas filling and packaging machine P.
(1) In the bag supplying step (a), the packaging bag a is supplied to the grip pair g in a state of being hung with the bag opening b facing upward. Whether or not the packaging bag a is gripped at a predetermined height by the grip pair g at both ends is checked in the step (b) of detecting the height of the single gripping / gripping of the packaging bag, and the printing step (c). , A known printing device 50 prints the expiration date and the like.
(2) In the opening step (d) of the packaging bag, the packaging bag a is sucked on the front and rear surfaces by the well-known opening device 55 with the suction cup, and the bag opening b is opened, and the opened state is held in the bag opening b. A pair of opening / closing pieces 56 are inserted and opened in a substantially C-shape.
(3) On the other hand, when the cam roller 20 of the slide plate 17 moves from the lower cam rail 26 to the support piece 36 of the slider 35 waiting at the raised position, the slider 35 descends. Thereby, the falling port 22 of the filling funnel 21 and the lower end 24 of the gas filling nozzle 23 are inserted into the packaging bag a.
The opening / closing piece 56 of the opening device 55 is moved upward after the filling funnel 21 is inserted and returned to the original closed state of the V-shape.
(4) Then, by the intermittent rotation of the rotating body 4, the cam roller 20 of the slide plate 17 moves onto the cam rail 27 from the support piece 36 of the slider 35 in the lowered state, and the packaging bag a is filled with the packaged object ( E) is intermittently transferred. Then, a predetermined amount of the article to be packaged is discharged into the filling funnel 21 by the measuring device (not shown) and filled in the packaging bag a. At the same time, the injection of the inert gas from the gas filling nozzle 23 is started, and while the packaging bag a is rocked back and forth by the vibrating means (not shown), the inert gas which is continuously supplied and diffused and the inside of the bag are mixed. Promotes the action of displacement with air.
(4) In the vibration step (f), the distance between the pair of grips g is widened and the bag mouth b is straightened to prevent outside air from entering the packaging bag a. On the other hand, the slide plate 17 rises little by little by the intermittent rotation of the rotating body 4, and only the falling port 22 of the filling funnel 21 escapes from the packaging bag a while leaving the lower end 24 of the gas filling nozzle 23 in the packaging bag a. I do.
The shaking operation of the packaging bag a is performed in three steps of a filling step (e), a vibration step (f), and a vibration step (g).
(5) In the empty bag discharging step (h), the packing bag a in which the article to be packaged was not filled in the previous step or the packing bag a having a poor gripping / holding height is released by the gripping pair g by releasing. It is discharged outside. On the other hand, at the end of this step, the gas filling nozzle 23 completely escapes the lower end 24 from the packaging bag a while ejecting the inert gas.
(6) In the step (i) of detecting the biting of the packaged object into the bag mouth seal and the seal portion, it is detected whether or not the packaged item is bitten into the sealed portion of the packaging bag a. With respect to the packaging bag a having no dust, the sealing device 60 heat seals the bag opening b.
(7) Next, in the step of cooling the seal portion and discharging the product (N), after the heat seal portion cooled in the previous process is cooled by the seal cooling device 65, the packaging bag a is released by the releasing operation of the grip pair g. Released outside the aircraft.
It should be noted that the packaging bag a for which the entrapment of the article to be packaged into the seal portion in the previous step is released to a different path from the normal packaging bag a in this step without heat sealing.
[0022]
In the above embodiment, the inert gas is ejected into the packaging bag in the filling step (e). When the gas filling nozzle 23 is inserted into the packaging bag a in the opening step (d), the inert gas is discharged. Can be controlled so as to squirt.
In addition, the amount of residual oxygen in the packaging bag by the inert gas filling method of the present invention was 0.1 to 1% (medium replacement rate).
[0023]
Further, in the above embodiment, the same number of filling funnels 21 and gas filling nozzles 23 as the number of steps are provided on the rotating body 4 so as to be vertically movable, but only the gas filling nozzle is provided on the rotating body so as to be vertically movable, In addition, it is also possible to adopt a structure in which an object to be packaged is filled by filling means having one filling funnel. The operation of the gas filling nozzle and the timing of ejecting the inert gas are preferably configured according to this embodiment.
[0024]
As described above, since the inert gas filling method in this packaging machine is configured to perform the filling of the packaging bag and the inert gas into the packaging bag and the sealing of the bag mouth using one intermittent rotary table, There is an advantage that the size and the manufacturing cost of the gas filling and packaging machine can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a gas filling and packaging machine to which an inert gas filling method in a packaging machine of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same. FIG. Side view [Figure 4] Development view of cam rail showing the relative relationship between the filling funnel and gas filling nozzle and the packaging bag over the entire process [Explanation of reference numerals]
P: gas filling and packaging machine g: grip pair a: packaging bag b: bag mouth 4: rotating body 15: guide bar 16: ring plate 17: slide plate 18 Roller 20 Cam roller 21 Filling funnel 22 Drop outlet 23 Gas filling nozzle 24 Lower end 25 Drums 26 and 27 Lower cam rail 29 , 30 ... Upper cam rail 35 ... Slider 36 ... Support piece 40 ... Rotary valve 44 ... Flexible tube 70 ... Inert gas supply device

Claims (4)

A rotating body provided with a large number of grip pairs in the radial direction is intermittently stopped and moved by a plurality of steps by an intermittent driving means, and a predetermined amount of the article to be packaged is hung in a packaging bag suspended by each grip pair. After filling, in a packaging machine in which the packaging bag is sealed and then the packaging bag is released outside the machine,
The rotating body is provided with a filling funnel arranged so as to correspond to each grip pair so as to be vertically movable, and a gas filling nozzle is provided in each of these filling funnels,
In the previous step of the filling step, insert the falling port of the filling funnel and the gas filling nozzle into the packaging bag from the opened bag mouth,
In the filling step, an object to be packaged is charged and filled into the packaging bag, and the inert gas is spouted from the filling nozzle while the packaging bag is shaken by vibrating means to promote the action of replacing the inert gas with air in the bag. Let
After expanding the distance between the pair of grips in the post-step of the filling step to linearly tension the bag mouth, the falling port of the filling funnel, and the gas filling nozzle are made to escape from the packaging bag in order. Method of filling inert gas in a packaging machine. The method of filling an inert gas in a packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the gas filling nozzle is provided so as to protrude below a dropping port of the filling funnel. A rotating body provided with a large number of grip pairs in the radial direction is intermittently stopped and moved by a plurality of steps by an intermittent driving means, and a predetermined amount of the article to be packaged is hung in a packaging bag suspended by each grip pair. After filling, in a packaging machine in which the packaging bag is sealed and then the packaging bag is released outside the machine,
The rotating body is provided with a gas filling nozzle arranged to correspond to each grip pair so as to be vertically movable,
Insert the gas filling nozzle into the packaging bag from the opened bag mouth in the previous step of the filling step,
In the filling step, the filling funnel of the filling means is inserted into the packaging bag to charge and fill the articles to be packaged, and the packaging bag is shaken by the vibrating means while the inert gas is ejected from the gas filling nozzle to be inert. Promotes the replacement of gas with air in the bag,
An inert gas in a packaging machine, characterized in that the gap between the pair of grips is widened in a post-step of the filling step to straighten the bag mouth, and then the gas filling nozzle is caused to escape from the packing bag. Filling method. The inert gas in the packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inert gas is ejected from the gas filling nozzle almost simultaneously with the gas filling nozzle being inserted into the packaging bag. Gas filling method.

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