JP2005096829A - Packaging machine with impulse sealing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily find troubles such as liquid passages being blocked or leaking, in the case where hot water is passed through the liquid passage formed in the sealing bars of impulse sealing devices installed in the vacuum chambers 9 of a rotary type vacuum packaging machine 2. <P>SOLUTION: Liquid passages formed in all the sealing bars are connected in series. A conduit line 75 is connected to one end of it, and a conduit line 76 to other end. When hot water is supplied from a supply conduit line 65 by the action of a pump 77, the hot water runs through a rotary valve 64 and the conduit line 75, supplied to one (9A) of the vacuum chambers 9, and thereafter flows through the liquid passages of all the sealing bars. Then, the hot water is discharged to the conduit line 76 from the final vacuum chamber (9B), flows through the rotary valve 64 and a discharging conduit line 66, and returns to a tank 82. In the case of event that even one of the liquid conduit lines is blocked, a flow rate in the discharging conduit line 66 decreases. This makes it easy to detect the occurrence of trouble with a flow meter 79. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a packaging machine (mainly a rotary type) in which a plurality of impulse seal devices each having a pair of seal bars are installed, and in particular, a plurality of vacuum chambers are installed around a rotary table. The present invention relates to a rotary type vacuum packaging machine in which a pair of seal bars of the impulse seal device is installed.

  In a rotary type vacuum packaging machine, a plurality of vacuum chambers are installed around a rotary table, and a pair of seal bars of an impulse seal device are installed in each vacuum chamber, while the rotary table rotates once. After the filled bag is received in the vacuum chamber, and after the vacuum chamber is vacuumed and the bag is vacuum processed, the bag mouth of the bag is sandwiched between the pair of seal bars and welded. Yes. Of the pair of seal bars, the heater wire is usually installed only on one side, and the other is a cradle. The seal bar is energized for a short time each time the turntable makes one revolution, and this is repeated, so that the seal bar (including the seal bar on the cradle side) is heated and stores heat (this point is particularly high in production efficiency) This is remarkable when high-speed operation is performed), and the seal bar is usually cooled by cooling water or the like.

For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a rotary type vacuum packaging machine in which cooling water is supplied to a heating seal plate (a seal bar on which a heater is installed) of an impulse seal device installed in a vacuum chamber. A cooling water passage is formed in each heating seal plate, a water distribution tube for supplying cooling water to one end of each cooling water passage, and a drain pipe to the other end are connected to each other from the rotary valve as the turntable rotates. Cooling water is sequentially supplied to the water tube, and further, cooling water is supplied from the diversion tube to the heating seal plate immediately after energization heating, thereby cooling the heating seal plate. Cooling water is drained into the trough through each drain pipe.
In addition, Patent Document 2 below describes a vacuum packaging machine in which cooling water is supplied to a movable seal bar of an impulse seal device installed in a vacuum chamber (also to a fixed seal bar as necessary). . A cooling water passage is formed in the seal bar, a water supply line is connected to one end of the cooling water passage, a drainage line is connected to the other end, both lines are connected to a tank, and the cooling water passage, both lines and the tank are connected to each other. A closed circuit is configured, and the cooling water cooled in the tank is circulated in the closed circuit by the action of the pump. Further, in Patent Document 3 below, in a packaging machine in which an impulse seal device is installed, cooling air is applied to both a mounting base (seal bar in which a heater wire is installed) and a holding plate (a cradle) of the impulse seal device. It is described that a cavity is provided to cool both the mount and the presser plate.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-31929 JP-A-60-148428 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-31379 Japanese Patent No. 2905588 Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-62284

On the other hand, in the impulse sealing device, to prevent a sealing failure that occurs when the sealing operation is resumed after a temporary interruption of the sealing operation, the energizing time is set manually or automatically during normal operation for several bags immediately after the restart. It is done to set longer. This is because when the seal operation is interrupted, the seal bar is cooled from the normal operation (particularly noticeable when the seal bar is cooled with cooling water). This is because there is a shortage.
For example, in Patent Document 4, in an intermittent rotary type rotary packaging machine in which an impulse seal device is disposed at a seal position, when an empty bag comes in and the operation of the impulse seal device is interrupted (usually, when an empty bag is detected) It is described that the impulse current is not applied to the heater wire), and when energization is resumed for the next bag, the energization time is lengthened to compensate for the lack of heat in the seal bar cooled during the interruption. Yes.
Further, in Patent Document 5, as another solution, a low-temperature heater with a thermostat is embedded along the width direction inside the seal base of the impulse seal device, and the seal base is kept at a constant temperature by the low-temperature heater. And preventing cooling during interruption.

By the way, when the cooling water passage is formed in the seal bar of the impulse sealing device and the cooling water is allowed to flow, troubles such as clogging or leakage of the cooling water passage due to accumulation of scale or corrosion products may occur. For example, in the rotary type vacuum packaging machine described in Patent Document 1, such troubles can be found by reducing the amount of cooling water flowing out from the drain pipes and stopping the outflow as many as the number of impulse sealing devices. If there are a large number of tubes, it is difficult to find them, and the discovery may be delayed, and the occurrence of a large number of poorly sealed products may be missed. Moreover, it is necessary to always monitor the packaging machine closely. Further, in the rotary type vacuum packaging machine, the flow rate of the cooling water is not necessarily the same for each seal bar, and therefore product bags having different seal quality for each impulse seal device (for each vacuum chamber) are manufactured. Will arise.
In the impulse sealer, cooling water having a temperature lower than room temperature is used, but in order to compensate for the amount of heat taken from the seal bar by the cooling water, the energization time is set to be long, resulting in the power cost. And the improvement of production efficiency is hindered. In addition, when the operation of the impulse seal device is interrupted, the temperature of the seal bar suddenly decreases, so it is difficult to adjust the energization time when restarting the operation, and it takes time to return to the steady state. If the sticker is prolonged, the seal bar will dew, causing a problem that the Teflon sheets (Teflon; registered trademark) attached before and after the heater wire will be peeled off.
In addition, although the trouble at the time of using cooling water is eliminated by embedding a low temperature heater in a seal bar like the said patent document 5, in this case, overheating of a seal bar cannot be prevented.

  The present invention has been made to solve these problems in conventional packaging machines and impulse seal devices.

The packaging machine according to the present invention includes a plurality of impulse sealing devices each having a pair of seal bars, and the bag packaging machine is configured such that the bag mouth is clamped and welded by the pair of seal bars. A liquid passage is formed in the bar along the width direction, a supply pipe is connected to the liquid passage of one seal bar, a discharge pipe is connected to the liquid passage of another seal bar, The liquid passage of the other seal bar is connected in series via the conduit between the liquid passage connected to the conduit and the liquid passage connected to the discharge conduit, and liquid is always supplied from the supply conduit, The liquid passes through all the liquid passages connected in series, and is then discharged through the discharge pipe. In addition, although the case where the heater wire is installed on both of the pair of seal bars and the case where it is installed only on one side, both of them are included in the present invention.
In this packaging machine, for example, an impulse seal device is installed around the rotary table at equal intervals, and the bag is filled with a filler or receives a filled bag while the rotary table rotates once, and then the bag bag is filled. It is a rotary type packaging machine in which the mouth is clamped and welded by the pair of seal bars. In particular, a plurality of vacuum chambers are installed around the rotary table, and a pair of seal bars of the impulse seal device are installed in each vacuum chamber. Rotary type vacuum packaging that accepts a filled bag, then vacuums the vacuum chamber and vacuums the bag, and then welds the bag by holding the bag mouth with the pair of seal bars Machine.

Since the liquid passages of a plurality of seal bars are connected in series in this way, the same amount of liquid flows through the liquid passages of these seal bars, and not only the flow rate control is greatly simplified. The heat effect of the liquid on all the seal bars can be made almost uniform, and a uniform quality seal portion can be obtained in all the impulse seal devices.
In addition, since the liquid that has passed through all the liquid passages connected in series is discharged through the discharge pipe, if only the last discharge pipe is monitored, one of the connected liquid passages is monitored. However, when troubles such as clogging or leakage occur, they can be easily detected, and the occurrence of defective seals can be minimized. In particular, if a flow meter is installed in the discharge pipe, it is possible to grasp the occurrence of a trouble just by looking at the flow meter, and a control device that informs the occurrence of the trouble based on the signal from the flow meter and performs evacuation measures. Once installed, there is no need to monitor the packaging machine closely. In this case, for the control device, for example, when a signal for detecting that the flow rate has become a predetermined value or less is received, a notification means such as a monitor display or an alarm is activated, and / or the packaging machine is stopped, etc. It may be set to execute the evacuation procedure.
The occurrence of trouble can also be known by installing a thermometer in the discharge pipe. This is because the temperature of the liquid rises when the flow rate of the liquid in the discharge pipe decreases. Also in this case, it is preferable to install a control device for notifying the occurrence of a trouble or executing an evacuation procedure based on a signal from the thermometer. Alternatively, when the temperature is out of the set range, control for increasing or decreasing the flow rate of the liquid (controlling the flow rate control valve installed in the supply pipe line) can be performed. Both a flow meter and a thermometer may be installed.

  The above-described operation by installing a thermometer in the discharge pipe is not limited to a packaging machine in which all the liquid passages of a plurality of seal bars are connected in series, and all the seals are provided between the supply pipe and the discharge pipe. It is obtained in general packaging machines in which the liquid passage of the bar is connected, the liquid is always supplied from the supply pipe, and after passing through the liquid passage, all is discharged to the discharge pipe. For example, the liquid passages of all the seal bars are connected in parallel between the supply pipe and the discharge pipe, and the liquid supplied from the supply pipe is distributed to all the liquid passages connected in parallel. Thereafter, a plurality of liquid passages are connected in parallel to the packaging machine and the supply pipe that are gathered in the discharge pipe, and the same number of other liquid passages are connected in parallel to the discharge pipe. And each of the liquid passages connected to the supply conduit is connected in series with one of the liquid passages connected to the discharge conduit via a conduit or other liquid passage, the supply conduit After the liquid supplied from is distributed to all the liquid passages connected in parallel, the liquid is collected in the discharge pipe and discharged. In these packaging machines, for example, if the liquid line of one of the seal bars is clogged and the flow rate to the liquid line of the other seal bar increases, the temperature of the liquid discharged to the discharge line decreases. Therefore, the occurrence of trouble can be detected.

In the packaging machine, it is desirable to install a flow control valve in the supply pipeline. For example, when the type and size of the bag is changed and it is necessary to change the sealing conditions such as the energization time and voltage to the heater wire of the seal bar, the flow rate of the liquid is adjusted by the flow control valve to overheat the seal bar. This is because it is possible to prevent overcooling. The flow rate adjustment by the flow rate control valve may be performed manually, but the relationship between the seal condition and the flow rate is input to the control device in advance, and the control device automatically controls the flow rate adjustment valve when the seal condition is changed. You may be made to be.
Note that the packaging machine has a plurality of impulse seal devices and a plurality of seal bar liquid passages connected in series in terms of providing a flow meter in the discharge line and providing a flow control valve in the supply line. (For example, refer to the type of Patent Document 5 described above) in which liquid passages are arranged in parallel as described above, and similar effects can be obtained.

  In the packaging machine, it is desirable that the temperature of the liquid supplied from the supply pipe line is maintained at a substantially constant temperature exceeding room temperature. When the temperature of the liquid exceeds room temperature, the amount of heat taken away from the seal bar is less than when circulating normal cooling water, so the temperature of the seal bar is kept high, thereby shortening the energization time (sealing time). Even when the bag mouth is sealed well, the sealing time can be shortened and the production efficiency can be improved. Further, when the energization time is shortened, the burden on the heater wire and the Teflon sheet attached to both sides of the heater wire is reduced, and there is an advantage that the life is extended. In addition, when the operation of the impulse seal device is interrupted, the temperature drop of the seal bar is not slow and not too low. There is an advantage that the return to the steady state is quick and the condensation of the seal bar due to overcooling does not occur.

  The packaging machine forms a liquid circulation path including the supply line, the liquid path, and the discharge line as a specific configuration for supplying a liquid having a temperature exceeding room temperature, and further measures the temperature of the liquid. And a temperature adjusting means for adjusting the temperature of the liquid, and a control device for controlling the temperature adjusting means based on a signal from the thermometer to keep the temperature of the liquid supplied from the supply line substantially constant. Can be provided. More specifically, a tank for storing liquid is installed between the discharge pipe and the supply pipe, and the temperature adjusting means includes a heater installed in the tank, and the temperature of the liquid in the tank is made substantially constant. Can be kept. The temperature adjusting means may further include an open / close valve and a low-temperature fluid supply source (for example, tap water) connected to the tank via the valve.

As the liquid to be supplied, water, alcohols or a mixture thereof can be used. What is necessary is just to select the temperature of the liquid at the time of supply from the range up to about 70 degreeC higher than room temperature. Increasing the supply per hour has almost the same effect as lowering the temperature.
In addition, the point which distribute | circulates the liquid of the temperature exceeding room temperature to the liquid channel | path of a seal bar is provided with several impulse sealing apparatuses, and except the packaging machine which connected the liquid channel | path of the several seal bar in series (for example, the said (See the types of Patent Documents 1 and 5), and the same effect can be obtained.

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.
In a packaging machine equipped with a plurality of impulse seal devices, by connecting the liquid passages of the seal bar in series, a product having a uniform quality seal can be manufactured, and troubles such as clogging or leakage of the liquid passages can be produced. It is easy to discover without missing, and the occurrence of seal failure can be minimized.
By installing a flow meter or thermometer in the discharge pipe, it is possible to grasp the occurrence of trouble just by looking at the flow meter or thermometer, and control to notify the occurrence of trouble based on the signal from the flow meter or thermometer If the device is installed, it is not necessary to closely monitor the packaging machine.
By installing a flow control valve in the supply line, the type and size of the bag will change, and if it is necessary to change the sealing conditions such as the energization time and voltage to the heater wire of the seal bar, the liquid flow rate will be reduced. Adjustment can be made to prevent overheating and overcooling of the seal bar.
By supplying a liquid having a temperature exceeding room temperature to the seal bar, the sealing time can be shortened and the production efficiency can be improved. In addition, when the operation of the impulse seal device is interrupted, it is unnecessary to adjust the energization time when restarting the operation, or a large adjustment is not required, the return to the steady state is quick, and the seal bar due to overcooling Condensation does not occur.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is an entire configuration diagram of a filling and packaging apparatus including an intermittent rotary rotary filling machine 1 and a rotary vacuum packaging machine 2.
The filling machine 1 is a W-type filling machine (two bags are handled simultaneously) in which two sets of grippers (also not shown) are arranged side by side at eight positions around a rotary table (not shown). This type of filling machine is known per se from Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-36392. The rotation locus of the gripper is indicated by a one-dot chain line. When the intermittently rotating rotary table stops, bags are supplied to each gripper, and various filling operations are performed on the bags gripped on both edges by the grippers. Specifically, at the stop position I, two bags (not shown) are simultaneously supplied to the two grippers by the bag supply device 3, and at the stop position II, the date is printed on the bag by the printing device 4, and the stop position In III, the bag mouth is opened by the opening device 5, and in the stop position IV, the bag is filled with solid matter from the charging device 6 via the hopper, and in the stop position V, the bag is filled from the filling nozzle device 7. At the stop position VI, the bag mouth is temporarily sealed with a hot plate (not shown) at the stop position VI (seal so as to leave an air vent), and filled with a delivery device (not shown) at the stop position VII. The used bag is delivered to the vacuum packaging machine 2. Nothing is done at the stop position VIII.

  The vacuum packaging machine 2 is provided with vacuum chambers 9 at 10 locations around the rotary table 8 that rotates intermittently. During the rotation of the rotary table, the vacuum chamber 9 receives a bag and performs vacuum processing. Thereafter, the bag mouth is sealed by an impulse sealing device, and the product bag W1 is discharged onto the conveyor 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the vacuum chamber 9 includes a chamber main body 11 fixed to the rotary table 8 and an openable / closable lid 12, and the lid 12 rotates around a support shaft 14 of an arm support portion 13 of the chamber main body 11. It is attached to the tip of an opening / closing arm 15 that is supported movably. The opening / closing arm 15 is attached to the tip of the connecting rod 16, and swings when the connecting rod 16 moves back and forth in the axial direction, thereby opening and closing the lid 12. The connecting rod 16 advances and retreats in the axial direction by a driving source (not shown) (for example, cam driving) as the turntable 8 rotates. A vacuum suction port 17 is formed on the back surface side of the chamber body 11, and this vacuum suction port 17 communicates with a vacuum pump via a rotary valve (not shown).

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a gripper 18 is installed in the chamber body 11, which can hold and suspend a position slightly below the bag mouths of the two bags W at the same time. The gripper 18 includes a fixed portion 18a and a movable portion 18b that can swing in the horizontal direction by a driving source (not shown) with one end portion as a fulcrum. The fixed portion 18a or the movable portion 18b is formed with a recess in a part in the width direction so that the bag W is not gripped by the recess. At the time of vacuum processing, the air in the bag W escapes into the vacuum chamber 9 from this ungripped portion. A chute 19 is supported by a fulcrum shaft 21 below the gripper 18. When the product bag is discharged, the chute 19 swings forward by a drive source (not shown) to guide the discharge of the product bag out of the chamber body 11.
A fixed seal bar 22 is installed on the lid 12 side and a movable seal bar 23 is installed on the chamber body 11 side above the gripper 18 (position corresponding to the bag mouth). The fixed seal bar 22 and the movable seal bar 23 constitute the main part of the impulse seal device.

The fixed seal bar 22 includes a main body portion 24 that is long in the horizontal direction, a non-conductive heat insulating block 25 disposed on both sides thereof, a conductive heater support block 26 disposed on the back side thereof, and a main body portion 24. The main body 24 is fixed to the lid 12 via the heater support block 26. The heater wire 28 is disposed on the surface side of the heat insulation block 25 and has both ends fixed to the heater support block 26 by fixing members 27. The heater wire 28 is covered with an insulating Teflon sheet (not shown) on the front surface side in contact with the bag and the back surface side in contact with the main body 24. A conductive pin 29 penetrating the lid 12 is connected to the back surface of the heater support block 26, and a power supply electric wire 31 is connected to the pin 29. In addition, the surface of the heater support block 26 and the pin 29 is subjected to insulation treatment for the portion that comes into contact with the lid 12 and the main body 24.
Inside the main body 24, a liquid passage 32 is formed along the longitudinal direction (width direction), and communication passages 33 (33a, 33b) that open to the lid 12 side are formed near both ends thereof. The formed communication path 34 (34a, 34b) is connected to the communication path 33 in a liquid-tight manner.

The movable seal bar 23 has a similar structure, and is a main body portion 35 that is long in the horizontal direction, a rubber plate 36 attached to the surface thereof, and a non-conductive heat insulating block 37 disposed on both sides of the main body portion 35. The heater support block 38 is disposed on the back side thereof, and the heater wire 41 is disposed on the front surface side of the main body 35 and the heat insulation block 37, and both ends are fixed to the heater support block 38 by fixing members 39. The heater wire 41 is covered with an insulating Teflon sheet (not shown) on the front surface side in contact with the bag and the back surface side in contact with the rubber plate 36.
Inside the main body 35, a liquid passage 42 is formed along the longitudinal direction (width direction), and communication passages 43 (43a, 43b) opening upward are formed in the vicinity of both ends thereof, and a pipe 44 (44a) is formed. , 44b), and is fluid-tightly connected to a communication passage 45 (45a, 45b) formed in the chamber body 11 through the above-described components.
A sliding shaft 46 that passes through the chamber body 11 and protrudes from the back surface of the chamber body 11 is fixed to the back surface of the heater support block 38, and the sliding shaft 46 moves in the axial direction, whereby the movable seal bar 23 is moved. Advances and retracts toward the fixed seal bar 22.

An advancing / retreating block 47 is disposed in the vicinity of the end of the sliding shaft 46, the sliding shaft 46 fits into holes formed at both ends of the advancing / retreating block 47, and a stopper 48 fixed to the end of the sliding shaft 46 is provided for the advancing / retreating block. No. 47 is retained. A compression spring 51 is interposed between a spring receiving portion 49 formed at an intermediate position between the advance / retreat block 47 and the sliding shaft 46. A power supply electric wire 52 is connected to the stopper 48. In addition, the surface of the sliding shaft 46 is subjected to insulation treatment for the portions that come into contact with the chamber body 11, the compression spring 51 and the advance / retreat block 47.
A support member 53 is fixed to the back surface of the chamber body 11, and one end of a swinging lever 55 having a substantially triangular shape in plan view is rotatably fitted to a support shaft 54 erected on the end thereof. A cam roller 56 is attached to the other end of the swing lever 55 and travels in the cam groove 57 a of the cam 57 that surrounds the periphery of the axis of the rotary table 8. A link 58 connects the other end of the swing lever 55 and the intermediate position of the advance / retreat block 47.

The cam groove 57a is not circular around the axis of the rotary table 8. When the rotary table 8 rotates and the cam roller 56 travels in the cam groove 57a, the distance between the cam roller 56 and the axis varies. As a result, the swing lever 55 swings about the support shaft 54, the slide shaft 46 advances and retracts via the link 58, the advance / retreat block 47 and the compression spring 51, and the movable seal bar 23 advances and retracts toward the fixed seal bar 22. To do.
The compression spring 51 sets the clamping pressure between the movable seal bar 23 and the fixed seal bar 22, and the rubber plate 36 is used to make the contact of the movable seal bar 23 and the fixed seal bar 22 with the bag surface uniform. Is.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a conduit 61 extending from a vacuum chamber (not shown) adjacent to the right is connected to a communication passage 45a formed in the chamber body 11, and the communication passage 45b and the communication passage 34a are connected to the conduit in the same vacuum chamber. Further, a pipe 63 connected to the communication path 34b extends to a vacuum chamber (not shown) adjacent to the left side. Therefore, as shown by an arrow in FIG. 4, the liquid coming from the vacuum chamber (not shown) adjacent to the right side passes from the pipe 61 to the liquid passage of the movable seal bar 23 through the communication path 45a, the pipe 44a and the communication path 43a. 42 enters the liquid passage 32 of the fixed seal bar 22 through the conduit 44b, the communication passage 45b, the conduit 62, the communication passage 34a and the communication passage 33a, and exits from the communication passage 33b. , Passes through the communication path 34b, enters the pipe line 63, and heads to a vacuum chamber (not shown) adjacent to the left side. In this way, all the liquid passages in the 20 seal bars included in the 10 vacuum chambers 9 are connected in series.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, a rotary valve 64 is installed at the center of the rotary table 8, and a hot water supply pipe 65 and a discharge pipe 66 are connected to the rotary valve 64. The rotary valve 64 includes an outer ring 67 that rotates together at the upper end of the rotary table 8 and a fixed shaft 68 that is supported non-rotatingly inside the outer ring 67. Two communication passages 69 and 70 are formed on the side of the outer ring 67, two communication passages 71 and 72 are formed on the fixed shaft 68, and two annular grooves 73 and 74 are formed on the periphery of the fixed shaft 68. The pipe 65 is connected to the communication path 71, the discharge pipe 66 is connected to the communication path 72, the communication paths 69 and 71 are connected to the annular groove 73, the communication paths 70 and 72 are connected to the annular groove 74, and The pipe 75 is connected to the communication path 69, and the pipe 76 is connected to the communication path 70. The pipe 75 is connected to a communication passage 45a formed in the chamber body 11 of one vacuum chamber (shown by 9A in FIG. 1), and the pipe 76 is connected to another vacuum chamber (shown by 9B in FIG. 1). ) Is connected to a communication passage 34b formed in the lid 12. Reference numeral 80 denotes a stand for supporting the rotary table 8.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a pump 77 and a variable flow valve 78 are installed in the supply line 65, a flow meter 79 and a temperature sensor 81 are installed in the discharge line 66, and the supply line 65 and the discharge line 66 are arranged. Between these, a tank 82 for storing liquid is installed. The tank 82 is provided with a stirring device 83, a heater device 84, a level meter 85, and a thermometer 86, and further connected with a pipe line 89 communicating with a cooling water supply source 88 such as water supply via an opening / closing valve 87. A hot water discharge conduit 92 is connected via 91. Signals from the level meter 85 and the thermometer 86 are transmitted to the control device 93, and based on the signals, the control device 93 controls one or more of the heater device 84, the on-off valve 87, and the on-off valve 91. The temperature and water level of the hot water in the tank 82 are kept constant. Further, the control device 93 controls the flow rate variable valve 78 so that the hot water automatically becomes an appropriate flow rate in accordance with the operating speed (bag / min) set by the vacuum packaging machine 2 and the type of bag.

  Here, when the entire flow of the hot water is seen, the hot water constantly supplied from the tank 82 by the pump 77 enters the rotary valve 64 through the supply pipe 65, and passes through the communication path 71, the annular groove 73 and the communication path 69. It passes through the pipe 75 and enters the communication passage 45a formed in the chamber body 11 of one vacuum chamber (9A). Thereafter, as described above, the liquid flows in the flow path (liquid passages 32, 42, etc.) in the vacuum chamber and then enters the flow path in the adjacent vacuum chamber. This is repeated, and the hot water exits the flow path in the last vacuum chamber (9B), is discharged to the pipe 76, enters the rotary valve 64, passes through the communication passage 70, the annular groove 74 and the communication passage 72, and is discharged from the pipe. It flows to the path 66 and is returned to the tank 82.

In the vacuum packaging machine 2, the rotary table 8 rotates intermittently, and receives the filled bag W from the filling machine 1 during one rotation (delivery is performed by a delivery device (not shown)). On the other hand, various packaging operations are performed. Specifically, at the position I, two bags W and W (shown in FIG. 3) are supplied to the vacuum chamber 9 by the delivery device, and the gripper 18 grips the position slightly below the bag mouth, and the lid at the position II. 12 begins to close, preliminary evacuation begins at position III, primary evacuation begins at position IV, secondary evacuation begins at position V, and power is applied to the seal bars 22, 23 at position VI. After being supplied, impulse sealing of the bag mouth is performed, the sealing portion is cooled (natural cooling) at positions VII to VIII, the inside of the vacuum chamber 9 is released to the atmosphere at position IX, and then the lid 12 is opened. At the same time, the chute 19 is inclined, and at the same time, the movable portion 18b of the gripper 18 is opened to release the product bag W1. The released product bag W1 is discharged out of the chamber body 11 along the chute 19, falls onto the conveyor 10, and is transported to the outside.
Some rotary type vacuum packaging machines have a rotary table that rotates continuously. The difference between the continuous rotation type and the intermittent rotation type is that the filled bag W is delivered from the filling machine to the vacuum packaging machine. It is only performed during the rotation of the rotary table of the vacuum packaging machine or during the stoppage, and the subsequent packaging operation is substantially the same.

By the way, in the case of the W type like the vacuum packaging machine 2, the amount of heat taken by the bags from the seal bars 22 and 23 differs between the normal operation in which two bags are received simultaneously and the single lung operation in which only one bag is received. When the one-lung operation is performed, the sealing condition may not be met and a sealing failure may occur. One-lung operation is performed when one lung is intentionally operated (in this case, one-lung operation is also performed in the filling machine 1) or when only one bag is supplied to the vacuum packaging machine 2 due to some trouble. Arise.
This seal failure can be prevented by changing the sealing conditions such as lowering the voltage applied to the seal bar during normal operation or shortening the energization time. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a detector that detects the number of bags supplied into the vacuum chamber and a control device that changes the sealing condition (controls the power supply) based on the signal from the detector. Such a detector and control device can be applied not only to the W type but also to the case of simultaneously sealing three or more bags. Also, a vacuum packaging machine provided with an impulse seal device of a type in which a heater wire is installed only on one seal bar, or a vacuum packaging machine in which the liquid passages of the seal bars of a plurality of impulse seal devices are not connected in series (whichever Is also applicable to Patent Document 1), and the same action can be obtained.
Note that automatically changing the sealing conditions when the bag width is changed is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-20897, which changes the sealing conditions in real time during operation of the apparatus. is not.

6 and 7 show another vacuum packaging machine 94 according to the present invention (the same parts as those in the vacuum packaging machine 2 are given the same numbers). In this vacuum packaging machine 94, the liquid passage 32 of the fixed seal bar 22 and the liquid passage 42 of the movable seal bar 23 are connected in series in the same vacuum chamber (this is the same as the vacuum packaging machine 2; FIG. 2). The liquid passages of the different vacuum chambers are connected to the supply pipe 65 and the discharge pipe 66 in parallel with each other. And it is different from the vacuum packaging machine 2 only in that point.
In the vacuum packaging machine 94, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a rotary valve 95 is installed at the center of the rotary table 8, and a hot water supply pipe 65 and a discharge pipe 66 are connected to the rotary valve 95. . The rotary valve 95 includes an outer ring 96 that rotates together with the upper end of the rotary table 8, and a fixed shaft 97 that is supported non-rotatingly inside the rotary table 8. Two upper and lower communication passages 98 and 99 are formed on the side surface of the outer ring 96 by the number (10 sets) of the vacuum chamber 9, two communication passages 101 and 102 are formed on the fixed shaft 97, and around the fixed shaft 97, respectively. Two upper and lower annular grooves 103, 104 communicating with the communication passages 101, 102 are formed, the supply pipeline 65 is connected to the communication passage 101, the discharge pipeline 66 is connected to the communication passage 102, and all the communication passages 98 are connected. Are communicated with the annular groove 103, all the communication passages 99 are communicated with the annular groove 104, a pipe line 75 is connected to each communication path 98, and a pipe line 76 is connected to each communication path 99. In addition, each pipe line 75 is connected to a communication path 45a formed in the chamber body 11 of each vacuum chamber, and each pipe line 76 is connected to a communication path 34b formed in the lid 12 of each vacuum chamber.
Accordingly, ten liquid passages 42 are connected in parallel to the supply pipe 65, ten liquid passages 32 are connected in parallel to the discharge pipe 66, and the liquid passages 42 and 32 in the same vacuum chamber are connected to the pipe. The hot water connected in series via the passage 62 and supplied from the supply pipe 65 is distributed to ten liquid passages 42 connected in parallel, and the distributed hot water passes through each liquid passage 32 and is discharged to the discharge pipe. 66 will be discharged together.

  Here, looking at the overall flow of the hot water, the hot water supplied from the tank 82 by the pump 77 enters the rotary valve 95 through the supply pipe 65, enters the annular groove 103 from the communication path 101, and enters each communication path. 98 is distributed to the pipe 75 and enters the communication passage 45 a formed in the chamber body 11 of each vacuum chamber 9. Thereafter, after flowing through the pipe line in the vacuum chamber, the pipe is discharged to the pipe line 76, enters the rotary valve 95, enters the annular groove 104 from the communication path 99, flows to the discharge pipe line 66 through the communication path 102, and the tank. 82 is returned.

1 is an overall plan view of a filling and packaging apparatus including a vacuum packaging machine according to the present invention. It is a plane sectional view of a vacuum chamber. FIG. It is a front view explaining the warm water circulation path. It is sectional drawing of the rotary valve which makes a part of the warm water circulation path | route. It is a block diagram of the other vacuum packaging machine which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing of the rotary valve which makes a part of the warm water circulation path | route.

Explanation of symbols

1 Rotary filling machine
2 Rotary type vacuum packaging machine
8 Rotary Table 9 Vacuum Chamber 11 Chamber Body 12 Lid 22 Fixed Seal Bar 23 Movable Seal Bar 32, 42 Liquid Passage 65 Supply Pipeline 66 Discharge Pipeline 77 Hot Water Tank 78 Flow Rate Variable Valve 79 Flowmeter 81 Thermometer 82 Pump 84 Heater 88 Water supply

Claims (12)

In a bag wrapping machine provided with a plurality of impulse seal devices each having a pair of seal bars, the bag mouth being clamped and welded by the pair of seal bars, all the seal bars along the width direction The liquid passage is formed, the supply pipe is connected to the liquid passage of one seal bar, the discharge pipe is connected to the liquid passage of another seal bar, and the supply pipe is connected to the liquid passage. The liquid passages of the other seal bars are connected in series via a pipe line between the liquid passage to which the discharge pipe is connected, and the liquid is always supplied from the supply pipe, and the liquid is connected in series. After passing through all the liquid passages, the packaging machine is discharged through the discharge pipe. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein a flow meter is installed in the discharge pipe. The packaging machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a thermometer is installed in the discharge pipe. In a bag wrapping machine provided with a plurality of impulse seal devices each having a pair of seal bars, the bag mouth being clamped and welded by the pair of seal bars, all the seal bars along the width direction Liquid passages are formed, each having one supply pipe and one discharge pipe, and the liquid paths of all the seal bars are connected between the supply pipe and the discharge pipe. Is supplied, and after passing through the liquid passage, all is discharged into the discharge pipe, and a thermometer is installed in the discharge pipe. The packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a variable flow valve is installed in the supply pipeline. The packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the temperature of the liquid supplied from the supply pipe is maintained at a substantially constant temperature exceeding room temperature. A liquid circulation path including the supply line, the liquid path and the discharge line is formed, and further, a thermometer for measuring the temperature of the liquid, a temperature adjusting means for adjusting the temperature of the liquid, and a signal from the thermometer The packaging machine according to claim 6, further comprising a control device that controls the temperature adjusting unit based on the control unit to keep the temperature of the liquid supplied from the supply pipe line substantially constant. A tank for storing liquid is installed between the discharge pipe and the supply pipe, and the temperature adjusting means includes a heater installed in the tank, so that the temperature of the liquid in the tank is kept substantially constant. 8. A packaging machine according to claim 7, characterized in that 9. The packaging machine according to claim 8, further comprising an open / close valve and a low-temperature fluid supply source connected to the tank via the valve as temperature adjusting means. In the packaging machine, a plurality of vacuum chambers are installed around the rotary table, and a pair of seal bars of the impulse seal device are installed in each vacuum chamber, and the vacuum table is rotated while the rotary table rotates once. A rotary type in which a filled bag is received in the chamber, the vacuum chamber is then evacuated and the bag is subjected to vacuum treatment, and the bag mouth of the bag is sandwiched between the pair of seal bars to be welded. It is a vacuum packaging machine, The packaging machine in any one of Claims 1-9 characterized by the above-mentioned. It has a pair of seal bars, each of which has a liquid passage along the width direction, and the temperature of the liquid supplied to the liquid passage is maintained at a substantially constant temperature exceeding room temperature. A characteristic impulse seal device. A plurality of vacuum chambers are installed around the rotary table, and a pair of seal bars of an impulse seal device are installed in each vacuum chamber, and the vacuum chamber is filled while the rotary table rotates once. In the rotary type vacuum packaging machine in which the bag is received and subsequently the vacuum chamber is evacuated and the bag is subjected to vacuum processing, and then the bag mouth of the bag is clamped and welded by the pair of seal bars. A rotary type vacuum packaging machine characterized in that a liquid passage is formed along the width direction in each of the seal bars, and the temperature of the liquid supplied to the liquid passage is maintained at a substantially constant temperature exceeding room temperature. .

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