JP2009057083A - Container manufacturing method and container manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a container manufacturing method and a container manufacturing apparatus which emit light from a stroboscopic light source onto a subject to accurately and simply monitor timing of a process by the packaging container manufacturing apparatus during operation and manufacturing. <P>SOLUTION: The container manufacturing apparatus carries out the primary forming process of forming a strip of packaging material cylindrically into a cylindrical packaging material, filling the cylindrical packaging material with contents and sealing the cylindrical packaging material in traverse, and performing primary forming on the cylindrical packaging material while pulling it down and cutting the cylindrical packaging material at a traverse sealed portion to obtain a plurality of primary forming containers that move downward in series at given intervals, and the final forming process of sequentially folding, pressurizing, heating, and sealing the primary forming containers into final forms to manufacture containers. The container manufacturing apparatus includes the stroboscopic light source 20 which emits light at a given emission frequency to illuminate the primary forming container, an illumination pattern obtaining means 21 which obtains an illumination pattern of the primary forming container that is formed by illuminating light, a pattern analyzing means 23 which analyzes the illumination pattern, and an adjusting means 23 which makes adjustment based on an analysis result. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a packaging container for filling a liquid food such as milk, juice, tea, etc. and an apparatus therefor.

In containers filled with liquid foods such as juice and milk, a band-shaped packaging material having a predetermined crease line is formed into a tube shape (cylindrical shape) and vertically sealed in the direction of the vertical line of the tube. Filled with food, sealed with a transverse seal in the transverse direction at predetermined intervals, cut in the middle of the transverse seal zone to obtain a pillow-shaped primary molded container, and folded flaps and fins formed by folding along the crease line Heat, pressurize and seal the container top wall, container side wall and container bottom to obtain a final shaped container.
An outline of an example of a paper container filling and packaging machine is shown in FIG. In the filling machine shown in this example, a packaging material web 1 having a thermoplastic material layer on the inner and outer layers of a paper layer is unwound and conveyed in a filling machine by a roller, and a sealing tape (not shown) Is bonded to one end of the packaging material web by a sealing tape applicator (not shown), the packaging material web is passed through the sterilant tank 4 and sterilized, and the sterilizing agent is removed by an air knife (not shown). In a sterile room (not shown), the tube is formed into a tube shape by the forming roller 6, and the liquid food 5 is filled into the tube 2 from the filling pipe 7.

Next, the vertical seal elements 8 are formed on both edges of the tube by the vertical seal element 8, and the tube 2 is sandwiched by the horizontal seal device 10 while being sent downward by a length corresponding to one packaging container, Horizontally sealed in the transverse direction, and simultaneously primary molded continuously into the pillow-shaped primary molded container 12, and the horizontal seal zone of the connected pillow-shaped primary molded container is cut with a knife or the like into individual pillow-shaped primary molded containers 12. Separate and move (drop) in series from the filling and packaging machine at a predetermined movement interval.

The upper and lower flaps of the pillow-shaped primary molded container cut off in the final molding apparatus are folded and molded into the final package filling container 14.
The packaging and filling container 14 is continuously conveyed by a conveying means such as a belt conveyor, and packed by a certain quantity through a straw applicator or the like that sticks the straw to the container wall.

Pillow-shaped primary molded containers and liquid food containers are continuously commercialized from the filling and packaging machine, and the primary molding containers and the containers (subjects) coming out of the apparatus in the filling and packaging machine are usually irradiated with light. The appearance is visually inspected by an operator or an inspector in order to adjust the process progress speed in the primary molding process and the final molding process.
If the movement interval of a plurality of primary molding containers moving downward in series deviates from the timing of folding, pressurizing, heating and sealing into the primary molding container in the final molding process downstream, the container stays in the middle On the contrary, there is a possibility that empty folding, empty pressurization, empty heating, and empty sealing may occur.

However, monitoring the movement interval of the molded container and the process timing by visual observation of an operator or an inspector requires skill and lacks accuracy.
On the other hand, a method and an apparatus for inspecting a defect by irradiating a subject with light from a strobe light source that emits light at a predetermined light emission period have been proposed (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2). There is no technology to monitor the interval and process timing of paper containers with a strobe light source.
JP 2002-304922 A JP 2004-158106 A

The object of the present invention is not to inspect defects of a container by irradiating a subject with light from a strobe light source, but to accurately and easily determine the timing of a process during operation of a packaging container manufacturing apparatus or during manufacturing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a packaging container manufacturing method and apparatus that can be monitored.

In the container manufacturing method according to the present invention, a plurality of primary molded containers moving in series at predetermined movement intervals are obtained in the primary molding process, and the primary molded containers are sequentially folded, pressurized, heated and sealed in the final molding process. Then, a method of manufacturing a container by forming into a final shape,
The primary molding container is irradiated with light from a strobe light source that emits light at a predetermined light emission period, an irradiation pattern of the primary molding container obtained by the irradiation light is obtained, the irradiation pattern is analyzed, and the process in the primary molding process or the final molding process It is characterized by adjusting the traveling speed.
In the manufacturing method of the preferable aspect of this invention, an irradiation pattern is obtained using the imaging device which images a primary molded container, and an irradiation pattern is analyzed using an image processing apparatus.

In the manufacturing method according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the strobe light source emits light at the same cycle as the imaging cycle of the imaging device.

In the manufacturing method according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the period at which the strobe light source emits light is adjusted by the adjusting means so as to be synchronized with the movement period of the primary molded container.

In the manufacturing method of the preferable aspect of this invention, an inspector looks at a primary molded container, recognizes the irradiation pattern of a primary molded container, and analyzes an irradiation pattern.

The container manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention forms a strip-shaped packaging material into a cylindrical shape in the vertical direction, fills the cylindrical packaging material with the contents, and seals in the transverse direction at intervals of one container. Primary molding is performed while pulling down, and the cylindrical packaging material is cut at the transverse seal portion. A plurality of primary molding containers moving downward in series at a predetermined movement interval are obtained in the primary molding process, and primary molding is performed in the final molding process. A device for manufacturing a container by sequentially folding, pressurizing, heating and sealing the container to form a final shape,
A strobe light source that emits light at a predetermined light emission period and irradiates the primary molded container with light;
An irradiation pattern acquisition means for obtaining an irradiation pattern of a primary molded container obtained by irradiation light;
Pattern analysis means for analyzing the irradiation pattern;
And adjusting means for adjusting the light emission period, the process speed in the primary molding process or the final molding process based on the analysis result.

In the manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the irradiation pattern acquisition means is an imaging apparatus that images the primary molded container, and the pattern analysis means is an image processing apparatus that analyzes the irradiation pattern.

In the manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the strobe light source emits light at the same cycle as the imaging cycle of the imaging device.

In the manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the adjusting unit adjusts the period in which the strobe light source emits light so as to synchronize with the movement period of the primary molded container.

In the manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the inspector visually recognizes the primary molded container, recognizes the irradiation pattern of the primary molded container, and analyzes the irradiation pattern.

The present invention having the above-described configuration operates, functions, and produces effects as follows.
In the container manufacturing apparatus method apparatus according to the present invention, the belt-shaped packaging material is formed into a cylindrical shape in the vertical direction, the contents are filled in the cylindrical packaging material, and the container is sealed in the transverse direction at intervals of one container. Primary molding is performed while pulling down the material, and the cylindrical packaging material is cut at the transverse seal portion.
Therefore, a plurality of primary molding containers moving in series at a predetermined movement interval are obtained in the primary molding step.
Next, in the final molding step, the primary molded container is sequentially folded, pressurized, heated and sealed to form a final shape to produce the container.

The containers are usually carried out from the manufacturing apparatus in series by a belt conveyor or the like. In addition, as described above, a plurality of primary molding containers move in series at a predetermined movement interval. Specifically, after the cutting, the primary molding container falls on, for example, a shooter and proceeds to the next step.

In the characteristics of the container manufacturing apparatus method apparatus according to the present invention, the primary molded container is irradiated with light from a strobe light source that emits light at a predetermined light emission period, an irradiation pattern of the primary molded container obtained by the irradiation light is obtained, and the irradiation pattern is analyzed Then, the process progress speed in the primary molding process or the final molding process is adjusted.

A plurality of primary molded containers move continuously in series at a predetermined movement interval. When light is emitted from a strobe light source that emits light at a predetermined light emission period to the primary molded container, when the light emission period and the movement interval (that is, the movement period) are synchronized, the irradiation pattern of the primary molded container obtained by the irradiation light is The patterns are substantially the same.
For example, the same spot is always irradiated, the same shadow is obtained, or the same number of containers are illuminated. On the contrary, when the light emission period and the movement period are completely different, the irradiation pattern is different for each irradiation, and when the light emission period and the movement period are slightly shifted, the irradiated spot is slightly different and the shadow is slightly shifted. become.

If an initial irradiation pattern is set, it can be easily recognized (analyzed) by an operator or an inspector and can be automated using a CCD camera and an image processing apparatus.
In the manufacturing apparatus method according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, an irradiation pattern can be obtained using an imaging device such as a CCD camera that images the primary molded container, and the irradiation pattern can be analyzed using an image processing apparatus.

In the manufacturing apparatus method according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the strobe light source emits light at the same cycle as the imaging cycle of the imaging device. In this aspect, imaging data can be obtained when irradiated, and it is not necessary to collect extra (unnecessary) data, and data can be efficiently stored and processed.

In the manufacturing apparatus method according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the period at which the strobe light source emits light is adjusted by the adjusting means so as to be synchronized with the movement period of the primary molded container.
If the packaging container manufacturing device operates normally and the primary molding container has a normal movement cycle, if the strobe light source has a light emission period that is not correct and the irradiation pattern is abnormal, the light emission period is adjusted using this adjustment means. Is done.
In addition, this adjustment means controls the operation speed of the primary molding process when the strobe light source has a normal light emission cycle when the stagnant, jammed, and empty processes occur abnormally in the final molding process. Thus, the moving cycle of the primary molded container is adjusted. Furthermore, the operation (process) speed of the final molding process can be controlled by this adjusting means.

In the manufacturing apparatus method according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the inspector visually recognizes the primary molded container, recognizes the irradiation pattern of the primary molded container, and analyzes the irradiation pattern.
If the initial irradiation pattern is set, the operator and the inspector can easily recognize (analyze) visually and do not need expensive equipment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a packaging and filling apparatus that can be used in the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the strip-shaped packaging laminate material 1 is accommodated in a packaging and filling apparatus in a reel state. The packaging laminate material 1 is composed of a paper base material and a flexible laminate in which a polyethylene resin outermost layer and a polyethylene sealant innermost layer are laminated on both sides of the paper base material, and between the paper base material and the polyethylene resin. A barrier layer made of aluminum foil is formed, and exterior printing is performed in advance on a portion corresponding to the surface of the packaging container.
In addition to the above laminated material, an adhesive resin layer, a metal vapor deposition layer, an inorganic oxide vapor deposition layer, and the like can be laminated.

The fed strip-shaped packaging laminated material 1 is continuously conveyed by a feeding device as a conveying means, is sent to a sealing tape adhering device via a bending roller, a damper roller, and the like, and is wrapped by the sealing tape adhering device. A sealing tape is stuck along one edge of the.
When adhering the sealing tape to the edge of the belt-shaped packaging laminate material 1, the pressure-roller is rotatably arranged and pressed on one side with the belt-shaped packaging laminate material and the sealing tape interposed therebetween, and on the other side by the pressure roller A counter roller is rotatably arranged so as to receive pressure, oppose it, and support it.

Subsequently, the pulling tab of the packaging laminated material 1 is stuck by a pull tab sticking device as necessary. The packaging laminated material 1 is sent to the sterilization tank 4 and sterilized with a sterilization liquid such as hydrogen peroxide in the sterilization tank 4. The packaging laminate material 1 is sent to an air knife, dried by the air knife, and then sent to a sterile room. The packaging laminated material 1 is gradually deformed by the upper molding ring 6 and other molding rings 6 to form a cylindrical shape. The packaging laminate material 1 is sealed in the vertical direction by the vertical sealing device 8.
In the vertical sealing device 8, the vertical sealing portion is preheated by the preheating device, the pressure roller and the counter roller are pressed with the packaging laminated material and the sealing tape interposed therebetween, and the mating surface of the vertical sealing portion is sealed.

The cylindrical packaging laminate material 9 is formed by the vertical seal. At the same time, fluid food such as beverages, dairy products, oral nutrition liquid foods, soups and sauces supplied via the filling pipe 7 is filled into the cylindrical packaging laminate material 9.

The cylindrical packaging laminate material 9 is guided by a roller, sent to a lateral sealing device (primary molding device) 10, sandwiched and sealed in a lateral direction, laterally sealed, and primary molded container 11 is subjected to lateral molding. Each of the sealed primary portions 12 is formed by cutting with a knife or the like at the seal portion. The primary molded container 12 is conveyed to a final molding and conveying device 15 to be molded into a final shape, and a packaging container 14 that contains fluid food is manufactured.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the packaging container 14 that stores the fluid food is conveyed by a belt conveyor, and a predetermined number of containers are collected and stored.

With reference to FIG. 2, the operational function of an embodiment of the apparatus method according to the invention will be described.
After the cutting, the primary molding container 11 falls on the shooter, and the primary molding containers 11 and 12 move in series at a predetermined movement interval P. Next, in the final molding step 15, the primary molded container 12 is sequentially folded, pressurized, heated and sealed to be molded into a final shape to produce a container.

In the feature according to this aspect, the primary molded container 12 is irradiated with light from the strobe light source 20 that emits light at a predetermined light emission period, and an irradiation pattern of the primary molded container obtained by the irradiated light is obtained. In the illustrated embodiment, an irradiation pattern is obtained using an imaging device 21 such as a CCD camera that images the primary molded container 12, and the irradiation pattern is analyzed using an image processing device 23.
From the analysis, the light emission period, the process progress speed in the primary molding process or the final molding process are adjusted.

The primary molding containers 11 and 12 continuously move in series at a predetermined movement interval P. When light is emitted from the strobe light source 20 that emits light at a predetermined light emission period to the primary molding container, when the light emission period and the movement period are synchronized, the irradiation pattern of the primary molding container obtained by the irradiation light is substantially the same. Pattern.
That is, the same character pattern or the like is always irradiated, the same shadow is obtained, or the same number of containers are illuminated. On the contrary, when the light emission period and the movement period are completely different, the irradiation pattern is different for each irradiation. When the light emission period and the movement period are slightly shifted, the irradiated part is slightly different and the shadow is slightly shifted. become.

In this aspect, the strobe light source 20 emits light with the same cycle as the imaging cycle of the imaging device 21. Imaging data can be obtained when irradiated, and there is no need to collect extra (unnecessary) data, enabling efficient data storage and processing.
Synchronization can be performed by transmitting a control signal from the adjusting means of the image processing device 23 to the controller 22 of the strobe light source 20.

In this aspect, the adjusting unit 21 transmits a control signal to the controller 22 so as to adjust the period in which the strobe light source 20 emits light in synchronization with the movement period of the primary molding containers 11, 12.
When the packaging container manufacturing apparatus operates normally and the movement cycle of the primary molded container is normal, if the light emission period of the strobe light source is deviated and the irradiation pattern is abnormal, the adjusting means 23 via the controller 22 The light emission period is adjusted.

In addition to this, when the stagnant, jammed, and empty processing occurs in the final forming process and the light emission cycle of the strobe light source is normal, the adjusting means 23 adjusts the operating speed of the primary forming process 10 to the primary. The movement cycle of the primary molding container is adjusted by controlling through the molding controller 24. Furthermore, the adjustment means 23 can control and control the operation (process) speed of the final molding step 15 via the final molding controller 25.

If an initial irradiation pattern is set, an operator or an inspector can visually recognize (analyze) easily.
Also in this aspect, the inspector visually recognizes the primary molded container, recognizes the irradiation pattern of the primary molded container, and analyzes the irradiation pattern.
The inspector 26 can also visually recognize (analyze) easily and does not require expensive equipment.

In addition, this invention is not limited to this embodiment, It can change variously based on the meaning of this invention, and does not exclude them from the scope of the present invention.

The present invention can be applied to the manufacture of beverages such as milk and fruit juice and the manufacture of their packaging containers.

It is a schematic perspective view of the packaging filling apparatus which can be used for this invention. It is a block diagram of the manufacturing apparatus of the Example by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

11, 12 ... Primary molding container 15 ... Final molding process (apparatus)
20 ... Strobe light source 21 ... Imaging device 22 ... Controller 23 ... Image processing device (adjustment means)

Claims (10)

A plurality of primary molding containers moving in series at a predetermined movement interval are obtained in the primary molding process, and the primary molding containers are sequentially folded, pressurized, heated and sealed in the final molding process to be molded into a final shape. A container manufacturing method,
The primary molded container is irradiated with light from a stroboscopic light source that emits light at a predetermined light emission period, an irradiation pattern of the primary molded container obtained by the irradiation light is obtained, the irradiation pattern is analyzed, and the light emission period, the A container manufacturing method comprising adjusting a process speed in a primary molding step or the final molding step. The container manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation pattern is obtained using an imaging device that images the primary molded container, and the irradiation pattern is analyzed using an image processing apparatus. The container manufacturing method according to claim 2, wherein the strobe light source emits light at the same cycle as the imaging cycle of the imaging device. The container manufacturing method according to claim 2, wherein a period at which the strobe light source emits light is adjusted by an adjusting unit so as to be synchronized with a movement period of the primary molded container. The container manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein an inspector visually recognizes the primary molded container, recognizes the irradiation pattern of the primary molded container, and analyzes the irradiation pattern. A strip-shaped packaging material is formed into a cylindrical shape in the vertical direction, the contents are filled in the cylindrical packaging material, sealed in the transverse direction at intervals of one container, and primary molded while lowering the cylindrical packaging material. Cut the cylindrical packaging material at the transverse seal part, obtain a plurality of primary molded containers moving downward in series at a predetermined moving interval in the primary molding process, and sequentially fold the primary molded containers in the final molding process An apparatus for producing a container by pressurizing, heating and sealing to form a final shape,
A strobe light source that emits light at a predetermined light emission period and irradiates the primary molded container with light;
An irradiation pattern obtaining means for obtaining an irradiation pattern of the primary molded container obtained by the irradiation light;
Pattern analysis means for analyzing the irradiation pattern;
A container manufacturing apparatus comprising: an adjusting unit that adjusts the light emission period, the process progress speed in the primary molding process or the final molding process based on the analysis result. The container manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the irradiation pattern acquisition unit is an imaging apparatus that images the primary molded container, and the pattern analysis unit is an image processing apparatus that analyzes the irradiation pattern. The container manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the strobe light source emits light at the same cycle as the imaging cycle of the imaging device. The container manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a period at which the strobe light source emits light is adjusted by an adjusting unit so as to be synchronized with a movement period of the primary molded container. The container manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an inspector visually recognizes the primary molded container, recognizes the irradiation pattern of the primary molded container, and analyzes the irradiation pattern.

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